State argues against study that says I-405 commute times have worsened
Feb 11, 2016, 11:23 PM | Updated: May 6, 2016, 11:24 pm
A new analysis by traffic think-tank INRIX sides with drivers when it comes to commute times on I-405.
Using data from drivers, the Kirkland-based traffic firm confirmed congestion has worsened since the express toll lanes opened.
The drive between Lynnwood and Bellevue is much worse that before tolling began, according to the study. Bryan Mistele, CEO of INRIX, says even though there is more capacity, drive times are actually worse.
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He says people stuck in the general purpose lanes are getting hammered.
“For the people in the general purpose lanes, to put this in perspective, there is about 20-25 additional minutes in additional drive time on the corridor during the morning commute,” Mistele said. In the evening, there is up to three hours of additional congestion.
He says those willing to pay the toll are only seeing a better drive during the morning commute:
“In the toll lanes what you see is actually an improvement in the drive times,” Mistele explained. There’s about 10-15 minutes improvements in the southbound lanes in morning. In the evening commute, however, it’s “pretty muted, almost negligible,” he added.
It makes sense that the southbound trip would be faster considering the freeway opens up from three lanes to five lanes.
The overall take-away from the INRIX study is that congestion has gotten much worse for everyone.
“Between three hours and eight hours additional congestion on that corridor, which we didn’t expect to see,” Mistele said.
The Washington State Department of Transportation disputes these findings. It believes the sample size is too small to give any real insight into the conditions on I-405. The department still says drivers in the toll lanes are cutting down on commute times by 14 minutes — commute times are seven minutes faster on southbound in the general purpose lanes, a one minute faster in northbound lanes.
The state says the average toll rate is under $4, but that skews low because it is a 24-hour number. The average price during peak hours hovers around $6.
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