Recession means less Seattle-area traffic

For people fortunate enough to still have a job, the drive to work is a little bit faster.

During a recession, fewer people take to the highways to commute and shop.

Washington state motorists drove 2 percent less in February compared with the previous three Februarys, the Department of Transportation found. Federal figures showed a nearly 4 percent decline in vehicle miles across the country last year, the biggest year-to-year falloff in at least a quarter century.

"I can easily be wrong, but the expectation is the removal of a few people, because they've been laid off, has made the experience for the rest of us better," said Mark Hallenbeck, who directs a state traffic-research center at the University of Washington.

Necia Wainwright, who drives to her job in downtown Seattle from May Valley, outside Renton, says traffic "seems to be a little bit lighter."

Her trip used to take as long as 1 ½ hours, but now consistently lasts 45 minutes. Intent on skipping the pinch points, Wainwright winds through the Renton Highlands, then over the Skyway hill, crossing and missing busy Interstate 405. She merges onto I-5 near Boeing Access Road. But traffic then backs up at Michigan Street, so she exits in her silver convertible, stops to reward and refuel herself with a venti cinnamon dolce latte, then enters downtown on the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

She said the first 3 ½ miles, in the rapidly developing suburban fringe, take longer than the highway segments.

An unofficial state sample last month found improved freeway commutes in the south suburbs.

A once-typical, 52-minute morning drive from Federal Way to Seattle took an average 37 minutes. Times also improved from Federal Way into downtown Bellevue, where a new road lane near the I-405/I-90 junction opened in January and helped somewhat.

"Traffic's been a lot easier to and from work," said Bryan Smith of Tacoma, an apprentice tile setter with Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1, being trained in the Georgetown area of South Seattle. Smith said his afternoon drive, to his son's day care in Puyallup and then to Tacoma, is 15 minutes faster than a year ago. Highway 167 is as crowded as ever, but I-5 no longer snarls near Southcenter, he said.

But fellow apprentice Carroll Powell, of Lynnwood, says his trip still takes the same 45 minutes. "Man, it's such a long drive," he told Smith, with a hint of envy.

The state sample showed I-5 traffic worsening in the north suburbs; experts have no explanation.

Paula Hammond, state transportation secretary, said she hears there is less congestion, at least anecdotally. But she warned against drawing big conclusions from "a little bit of data."

Unemployment in Washington state was 7.8 percent in January, the worst since 1986, compared with 7.6 percent nationally. An estimated 303,570 Washingtonians — the most ever — reported being out of work; that's 125,880 more people than a year earlier.

"We expect a decrease in employment has had an impact locally on congestion," said Scott Sedlik, vice president of marketing at Kirkland-based INRIX, a traffic-data firm. In a normal economy, the recent drop in gas prices would have boosted congestion to past levels, or worse.

Ninety-nine of the 100 largest U.S. cities — Baton Rouge, La., was the exception — endured fewer hours of congestion last year, based on billions of data points from GPS-equipped vehicles. High gas prices deterred traffic, and recession kept it down.

Seattle still ranks ninth in congestion, the firm says.

An important phenomenon was how a modest decline in travel caused a huge drop in congestion nationally, Sedlik said. To his firm, it shows how variable tolls and better driver information would greatly improve traffic — and need to happen before the next boom.

Washington DOT spokesman Lloyd Brown said he suspects cultural changes are under way. When gas exceeded $4 a gallon last spring, people moved closer to work, took the bus and drove more fuel-efficient cars, he said.

"People are being more efficient about running errands, and some of the weekday trips that are not necessary. But they are continuing to get to work."

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com