Report: Traffic Volumes Down In Region, But Still Most Congested

A report from a traffic management company in Kirkland said traffic volumes are down in the Puget Sound region, though the Seattle area still ranks in the top ten of the worst congested cities in the nation.

A new report from Inrix said congestion is down eight percent since the beginning of the year.

CEO Bryan Mistele said traffic flows are improving in many areas of the region, such as Interstate 405 through downtown Bellevue and in Tacoma, because of the opening of a second Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Mistele said the biggest reason for the ease of congestion is the recession, which is keeping both unemployed workers and commercial trucks off the roads during rush hours.

See the latest traffic congestion report from Inrix

When those workers eventually return and regular commerce resumes, so will many traffic headaches, he said.

"Seattle is the ninth worst city in terms of overall congestion, but the 15th largest city by population, so we actually have a higher percentage of traffic than most other cities our size," said Mistele.

"As long as fuel prices continue to stay low and the economy starts to return to normal, there's no question in my mind that you'll see an increase in overall congestion in Seattle in the second half of this year."

Inrix said some of the worst congestion of the year is coming up this weekend. Drivers who want to avoid delays should stay off the roads Friday afternoon as drivers head out of town for Labor Day weekend.