Thank spring break for your easy commute

Any driver that has noticed better commute times in the Seattle area can thank spring break.

Travel times improve 10 to 15 percent when schools are on break.

Tell us about a chokepoint

“We do see traffic congestion improve, because you have less people on the road at the same time,” said Jim Bak, spokesperson for INRIX, which provides provides analysis on traffic.

With fewer parents driving their children to school and less students driving themselves, Bak said an infrastructure like Seattle’s can see a dramatic difference. A small amount of additional traffic volume can have a big impact.

Likewise, “take away a little traffic and [travel times] get exponentially better,” he said.

“You can definitely tell a difference in the morning, but the afternoons are always bad – everyone is out and about,” said KIRO Radio traffic reporter Kimi Kline.

Bak said Seattle drivers are lucky because schools around the area have different holidays. Drivers can benefit from multiple weeks of good commute times, he said.

However, drivers should expect traffic congestion return next week when Seattle school children go back to class.