Stuck in traffic again? Volumes have bounced back since pandemic began
SEATTLE -- If it feels more and more like your commute is returning to some semblance of normal -- as in surrounded by scores of fellow commuters inching along with nearly constant brake lights at times, the data suggests you may be on to something.
Traffic volumes plunged in the weeks after the coronavirus pandemic spread around the region and various stricter controls on movement were implemented, schools closed and several offices began the grand experiment of having their employees work from home.
Traffic along I-5 in Seattle and King County was down about 55-60% and as much as 65-70% in Snohomish and Pierce Counties between late March and mid April, according to WSDOT data, while traffic over the Lake Washington floating bridges was down around 60-70% or more. On March 31, traffic on the 520 Bridge was measured down 79 percent!
A peek of average freeway speeds the week of April 8th was around 72 mph on I-5 just north of Downtown compared to around 50 mph in 2019. On April 9, the average speed on I-405 in Downtown Bellevue was 68.4 mph -- normally it's just 43 with traffic figured in.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/stuck-in-traffic-again-volumes-have-bounced-back-since-pandemic-began/ar-BB19vEIH?ocid=hplocalnews