Seattle-area traffic up 35 percent from 2013-2015
Dec 20, 2016, 7:01 AM
Traffic has become more congested on I-5, I-405 and I-90. (MyNorthwest)
(MyNorthwest)
The latest data from state officials highlights a spike in traffic on Seattle-area highways.
According the Washington State Department of Transportation’s quarterly congestion report, overall, traffic has gotten worse the past three years by at least 35 percent.
Traffic has become more congested on I-5, I-405 and I-90. The only highways to improve were SR 520 and 167, due to tolls and carpooling.
Related: I-405 toll lanes not hitting benchmark speeds often enough
WSDOT tabulated numbers taken from 2013 to 2015 and blames a lot of congestion on the population increase.
There are more than 7 million people living in the state and vehicle registration grew by 8 percent.
In addition, nearly three-quarters of Washingtonians say they drive to work alone. Almost 10 percent carpool, 6 percent take public transit, ferries or Amtrak, and about 5 percent bike or walk.
Related: Sound Transit CEO suggests stricter HOV lane rules
