It's Official--Regional Congestion is Growing

Submitted by Paul Ellis

The Washington State Department of Transportation's annual congestion report was released on Wednesday, and it shows that traffic congestion in the Puget Sound region is worse today than it was two years ago. On 34 of the 35 commute routes analyzed in the report, travel times have increased at peak periods, speeds have slowed, peak volumes have lengthened, and the reliability of travel times has grown worse--which means the system is less successful in moving people and freight.

Evening commute delays are getting worse than morning commute delays, possibly because there is more non-commuting traffic during afternoon hours. The data shows that I-5 Corridor commuters between Federal Way and Everett continue to experience the longest peak-period congestion.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.