Study: Your commute is among worst in North America

If it seems like you’re sitting in traffic more often,
you’re not imagining it. A new report says Seattle-area
gridlock is now fourth worst in North America. Seattle
ranked
12th in last year’s report, making Puget Sound traffic the
fastest growing of all the major metro areas in the study.

According to the “Congestion Index” released by
traffic-data company Tom Tom, the average Seattle-area
driver wastes 35 minutes stuck in traffic for every hour
on
the road during commute periods.

The study says afternoon commutes are particularly bad,
taking 70 percent longer than in free-flowing traffic.
The
morning commute takes 48 percent longer than off-peak
hours.

“It turns out that the Friday evening peak, in general for
work days, is the worst. The worst morning is
Wednesday mornings,” says Nick Cohn with the Tom Tom
traffic unit.

Cohn says travel times during the Friday afternoon commute
are as much as 84 percent higher than non-peak periods.

According to Tom Tom, only Los Angeles, Vancouver, and
Miami are worst in all of North America.

Cohn says while drivers often can’t avoid congestion,
GPS devices and traffic services (such as those sold by
Tom Tom) can make a significant difference by guiding
drivers to alternate routes.