SEATTLE — If it feels like traffic delays in the Seattle area have gotten worse of late, there is some new data to back up those beliefs.
Seattle-area drivers lost an average of 58 hours to traffic delays in 2023, a 12-hour jump from 2022 according to the 2023 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard. This was the largest jump in average hours delayed of any of the 25 U.S. metro areas included in the report.
While there was a significant jump from 2022 to 2023, the delays are still down 11% from before the COVID pandemic. Overall, 10 of the 25 urban areas in INRIX's report have met or exceeded pre-pandemic levels of delay.
Meanwhile, Commute Seattle Executive Director Alex Hudson says the region is also seeing an ongoing increase in the use of public transit, biking, carpooling, and vanpooling as more residents seek alternatives to solo car travel. Hudson herself walks to work, and says it makes a major impact on her life.
"It's definitely possible to love your commute, I love my commute," Hudson said. "[Walking and transit commuters] get to spend time walking around in our city, biking or playing on your phone while on the train."
Hudson points to the growth in transit systems and the inexpensive availability of these options- not just during the work week, but especially on nights and weekends.
The Downtown Seattle Association points to a steady number of workers in Seattle's downtown core, citing more than 85,000 per day for four consecutive months.
The only Pacific Northwest corridor among the top 25 busiest in the report was the stretch of Interstate 5 that goes over the Oregon-Washington border. It ranked 15th in the country, with the worst time being around 4 p.m.
INRIX also analyzed national transit ridership data and found a 28% decrease in use from 2019 levels in the U.S. INRIX said it does not have 2023 cycling data yet, but that riding a bike to work increased by 19% in the U.S. in 2022.
The average driver lost $733 from the traffic delays, which is a $95 increase from 2022. In western Washington, drivers lost much more, with a typical cost of $1,010 on average.
This comes as traffic deaths hit a 33-year high in the state in 2023. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission found that more pedestrians (157) and motorcyclists (141) were killed on roadways than in any previous year on record. Overall, there were 810 traffic fatalities last year, a 10% increase from 2022.