Study blames more jobs, people for Seattle-area traffic

It’s not your imagination. Traffic is worse in Seattle. A new study blames more people and more jobs for the congestion on major roadways cross the Puget Sound.

In fact, delays on major highways in the Seattle area jumped 52 percent in four years.

Overall daily hours of delay, Monday through Friday, increased from more than 10,000 hours, to 32,700 hours on major highways from 2010-2014, according to a study done by the Puget Sound Regional Council.

Related: Dori proposes an alternative to I-5 traffic

The reason for the delays, about 170,000 new jobs.

“We’re going to keep growing,” council spokesman Rick Olson said.

There are approximately 3.8 million people in the region. In 25 years, there could be as many as 4.9 million people, Olson said.

“We have to think ahead.”

The worst delays are on I-5 and I-405.

Delays on I-5 went up 92 percent on the stretch from Fife to Everett, according to the Regional Council. Delays on I-5 through Seattle increased 140 percent at 65th Street Northwest, 290 percent at SR 520, and 150 percent at Seneca Street.

Other major delays include:

– a 174 percent increase on I-5 at Southcenter Hill.

– an 80 percent increase on I-5 in Everett at Highway 2.

– delays on I-405 from Tukwila to Lynnwood went up 94 percent over the last five years.

– delays on I-405 increased 94 percent.

– delays went up by 237 percent through Kirkland, with construction activity factored in.

– I-405 through Bellevue experienced an increase between 73 to 87 percent.

– delays on I-405 through Renton increased by 128 percent.

– delays went up 100 percent on I-90 between Issaquah and Seattle on I-90.

– And, tolling produced a different result on SR 520, where delays dropped by 68 percent.

Kitsap County experienced few changes. There were modest increases in delays on I-5 at Joint-Base Lewis McCord.

Overall, there was a combined 25 percent increase in delays from 2013 to 2014 on the major highways measured by the Regional Council.

The state needs to complete the core freeway system and invest in Highway 167 and 509, Olson said. Those two would provide “significant” relief to traffic on I-5.

The 520 bridge, which is susceptible to earthquake damage on the west side, needs to be fixed, he said. The HOV system needs to be revised to ensure it is efficient.

Olson said light rail service also needs to be expanded to provide an alternative to I-5.

“We have identified investments, but we need to keep pace and do better,” he said.

Funding for some of the projects that could alleviate traffic headaches are included in the $15 billion transportation package. The package, which passed through the Senate and awaits the House, would fund road projects in the area. Those projects include the west side of the 520 bridge, widening I-405 from Bellevue to Renton, and Highway 167 in South King and North Pierce counties.

The package would allow the counties to ask voters to approve an up to $11 billion tax increase to expand light rail.