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In the Spotlight:
SR 167 HOT Lanes |
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| Beginning this spring, the SR 167 HOT Lanes Pilot Project will fight congestion and make the existing HOV lanes more efficient with a innovative tool called variable tolling. Solo drivers will be able to use excess space in the carpool lanes by paying an electronic toll which rises and falls withe level of congestion. |
The Toll of Congestion
A WSDOT traffic congestion study estimated the average weekday delay between 2003 and 2005:
47,400 hours in Puget Sound (King, Pierce, Snohomish counties)
1,300 hours in the Vancouver area
900 hours in the Tri-Cities area
900 hours in the Spokane area
What It Costs
In 2003 the annual estimated cost of delays caused by traffic congestion was $486 million. In 2005, the congestion price tag rose to $598 million, an increase of 23 percent. |
2007 Annual
Congestion Report
WSDOT’s annual congestion report compares 2004 and 2006 calendar year for the most congested routes in the Puget Sound region.
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WSDOT is reducing traffic congestion, preserving transportation infrastructure and making safer roadways.
The free flow of people and goods is vital to Washington and the families that live here. That’s why WSDOT is making traffic congestion one of our state’s top three transportation priorities, along with preserving road systems and ensuring safe travel.
With an eye toward the future, WSDOT is exploring new congestion-reducing innovations that are making our highways more efficient, less congested and safer for all.
Why are our roads congested?
Several factors have led to the congestion that exists in the Puget Sound corridor, the state’s most populous region.
- Population: From 2004 to 2006, the Puget Sound region gained 91,000 new jobs and 107,000 new residents. Growth is expected to continue with an estimated 1.7 million new people over the next 30 years.
- Economy: The state’s robust economy attracts more people, jobs and freight movement.
- Collisions and stalls: More than half of urban congestion is caused by collisions, stalls and other traffic incidents
- Solo driving: Depending on the area of origin, 49-79 percent of Puget Sound commuters drive alone, according to WSDOT's 2006 congestion relief analysis.
- Freight movement: The Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma, combined, are among the top three marine container cargo complexes in North America.
For years WSDOT has worked to manage congestion with tools, such as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, metered on-ramps, variable-direction express lanes and traffic cameras.
WSDOT traffic engineers are studying the latest traffic management innovations worldwide and developing their own technology-based solutions for traffic congestion.