Here’s the press release from the Washington State Department of Transportation

WSDOT: Gas prices and the recession can’t take all the credit for reduced congestion
OLYMPIA – Washington drivers are spending less time stuck in traffic despite growing vehicle volumes during peak commute periods in urban areas, according to a national study released to news media today. WSDOT’s own data crunchers attribute the trend to the declining economy, but contend that smart transportation investments and operational strategies are what will keep travel times reasonable well after the economy recovers.  
The 2009 Urban Mobility Report, a national study released today by the Texas Transportation Institute, announces that congestion is declining or leveling off across the country, and attributes the cause to rising gas prices and the declining economy. WSDOT agrees that commutes are improving, but draws other conclusions as to the cause.
Puget Sound region travel trends are somewhat different than those found nationally. The TTI report draws from 2007 data. For this period, Washington’s economy was still very robust and added jobs. Our own congestion data shows continued increases in travel times for key Puget Sound corridors in 2007, although the increase is at a lesser rate than in previous years.
The data supports that congestion is improving in part because of Moving Washington, WSDOT’s program for addressing congestion. Moving Washington is a three-part strategy comprised of adding highway capacity strategically, operating the system efficiently and managing demand.
 
“We’re fighting congestion with safety improvements, construction projects, advanced freeway operations and providing transportation options,” said State Traffic Engineer Ted Trepanier. “While it is clear that many factors influence congestion, there is no question that our strategies are making a positive impact.” he said.
WSDOT analyzed on seven major Seattle-area commuting corridors in the first six months of 2008, as gas prices surged above $4 per gallon. While it’s true that Washington drivers used 63 million fewer gallons of fuel in the first six months of 2008, peak period volumes still continued to grow on these key commuter routes. The most notable changes in traffic volumes were observed on weekends and evenings as drivers reduced discretionary trips, changed destinations or cut trips to save money.
Although congestion remains heavy on several corridors, travel times on six of seven key Puget Sound corridors either improved or remained level for the first half of 2008, compared to 2007.
Four of seven major corridors saw increased traffic volumes during peak periods, yet six corridors experienced better travel times as traffic flow improved and disruptions declined. Improved travel times through some of the region’s busiest corridors suggest that WSDOT’s congestion relief strategies and their associated projects, combined with higher gas prices and rising transit ridership, had a positive effect on the performance of these corridors in the first six months of 2008.
WSDOT is currently delivering the largest capital construction program in our state’s history, including hundreds of safety and congestion relief projects funded by the 2003 and 2005 gas tax, worth $6.5 billion. As of June 30, WSDOT has completed 192 of 391 projects with an additional 83 projects currently under construction. Combined, these projects represent 70% of the total number of projects for both the Nickel and TPA programs.
WSDOT publishes an annual congestion report that provides detailed travel time and traffic delay analysis and highlights “Before and After” case studies of its safety and congestion relief projects. It measures the results from the driver’s perspective for each completed project.
In King County, WSDOT widened the freeway and improved interchanges on I-405 between Kirkland and Bothell.  This $82 million project, the first of the multi-stage Kirkland Nickel project, was completed in October 2007. Based on travel speeds before and after the project was completed, drivers’ speeds have increased by 16%, from 37 mph to 43 mph. The Tukwila to Bellevue morning commute improved by 12 minutes in part due to new WSDOT auxiliary lane on I-405, opened in early 2009.
WSDOT recently completed one of the largest construction projects ever delivered in Snohomish County, the $263.4 million I-5 Everett HOV and Freeway Expansion project. This project combined added capacity, safety and operational improvements by adding HOV lanes to demonstrate that our Moving Washington strategy can reap big benefits. Before the project began in 2005, afternoon commuters headed northbound on I-5 between 128th Street and Marine View Drive spent up to 18 minutes moving through this eight mile stretch of highway.  After crews opened the new lanes in May 2008, commuters shaved their commute to 10 minutes. Without congestion, travelers can drive through this section of I-5 in eight minutes.
In Clark County, WSDOT widened two miles of I-5 between Salmon Creek and the I-205 interchange. This $44 million project was one of several aimed at improving traffic flow in the I-5 corridor between the Main Street interchange in Vancouver and the I-205 junction.
Result: Drivers’ travel speeds have improved 19% from 42 mph to 50 mph.
For more information about Moving Washington, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/movingwashington. For our detailed annual congestion report and the most recent six-month, incremental traffic trend analysis folio go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/.

WSDOT prepares to reopen I-5 through Lewis County
OLYMPIA – WSDOT crews are preparing to reopen Interstate 5 to commercial vehicles over 10,000 GVW between Napavine and Grand Mound (mile post 68 to 88) at noon today. The road will open to passenger vehicles later in the day.

Quickly receding flood waters on I-5 in Chehalis resulted in fewer problems than anticipated. Crews were able to access the freeway and perform necessary safety inspections of the interstate and levee system and begin clean up work. Some exit and on ramps remain closed within the 20 mile section. Drivers should be aware that maintenance crews will be working in the area, repairing potholes and road markers.

I-90 Snoqualmie Pass reopened eastbound at 9 a.m. between North Bend and Ellensburg. The westbound lanes will open around noon. There are still restrictions on three I-90 exit ramps. Exit 45 will remain closed due to water over the roadway. Exits 53 and 54 will have ramp lane restrictions to keep traffic out of the high water. Due to erosion and some undermining of the shoulders, there will be no stopping or parking allowed on the shoulders of I-90 between North Bend and Easton.

WSDOT crews and emergency contractor, Scarsella Brothers, worked throughout the night and early morning to repair the eastbound lanes of the interstate. The contractor poured 40 yards of concrete to restore damaged sections of the roadway. WSDOT and crews are still working to repair sections of roadway in the westbound lanes before they open for travel.

US 2 has reopened to traffic after a two day closure caused by flooding and avalanche danger. The pass reopened at approximately 4:00 p.m. Thursday. US 12 White Pass is not a viable east-west route at this time due to flooding at Randle (mile post 116) and a large washout near Glenoma (mile post 108)

WSDOT estimates the economic impact of the I-5 closure through Lewis count is $12 million per day and I-090 is $6 million per day. A summary of this information is at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Freight/publications.htm

Here are a list of road closures and updates we have received from WSDOT Traffic Alerts:

4:00pm – Stevens Pass, WA – US 2 has reopened to traffic after a two day closure caused by flooding and avalanche danger. The pass reopened at XX p.m. today, making it the only viable east-west route across the state.

The Washington State Department of Transportation expects this route will be heavily used by drivers trying to get across the mountain passes.

WSDOT has taken several steps to make sure traffic moves as smoothly as possible:

Three Incident Response Teams will be stationed from Monroe, across the summit and to Leavenworth to quickly respond to stalls, collisions and motorists in need of assistance.
We have coordinated signal timing through Monroe to improve the flow of traffic
Traction tires are required for passenger vehicles
Chains are required for trucks over 10,000 lbs
I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass and US 12 at White Pass remain closed until further notice.

3:50pm – All lanes of SR 530 are now open at the Lincoln Bridge near Arlington.
3:30pm – Flooding response in high gear, WSDOT closes in on opening US 2 east to Wenatchee
3:20pm – All lanes in both directions of US 2 west of Skykomish at milepost 44.3 are now open. Stevens Pass remains closed.
2:35pm – The right lane of northbound SR 169 from 140th Ave SE to the Cedar River is closed due to flooding.
9:35am – Both directions of SR 9 are closed between Schloman Rd and 252nd.north of Arlington.
9:00am – The ramp from SR 530 to northbound I-5 is closed due to water over the roadway.
7:15am – The southbound I-405 ramp to SR 181/Interurban Ave is closed due to a mudslide on Interurban Ave.
6:30am – SR 203 closed in Carnation between the Tolt River and NE Carnation Farm Road. SR 203 is also closed between Duvall and Monroe. Both closures are due to water over the roadway.
5:00am – The ramp from SR 530 to northbound I-5 is closed due to water over the roadway
4:35am – All lanes of SR 542 at Truck Rd near Deming are blocked by a mudslide and downed power lines.
4:05am – Both directions of US 2 are closed west of Skykomish at milepost 44.3 because of water over the roadway.
4:00am – SR 530 is closed in both directions at Lincoln Bridge because of water over the roadway.
2:00am – SR 169 near Maple Valley, all lanes closed

For up-to-date road information, call 511 or for out of state callers, dial 1-800-695-ROAD (7623).

WSDOT has released this regarding the closers:

State highway closures top 60

OLYMPIA – Transportation officials are dealing with a large weather system that resulted in more than 60 road closures in Washington in the last 12 hours. While WSDOT is keeping close watch on the potential for Pierce County flooding over I-5, experts expect portions of I-5 will go under water in Lewis County some time this evening.

If the current pattern of rising water continues, WSDOT is expecting to close I-5 in Lewis County around midnight tonight. The closure points would span 20 miles from exit 88 near the Lewis/Thurston county border south to exit 68, the US 12 interchange connecting with Morton and White Pass. WSDOT crews are monitoring the entire corridor and will immediately take the necessary measures to close the road if it becomes unsafe for vehicles.

Flooding in the Fife area could require the closure of I-5 in the area north of the Puyallup River Bridge. Precise timing is difficult to predict, but there is potential for the freeway to be closed prior to the conclusion of this afternoon’s rush hour.

Alternate routes are limited, with State Routes 167 and 512 being the most likely options for drivers. WSP and WSDOT are still determining the appropriate closure points.

All three major east-west mountain pass highways through the Cascade Mountains remain closed due to extreme avalanche danger and mudslides. These passes are not expected to open until crews have safe access to these highways and can assess avalanche danger and inspect roadways. WSDOT has pulled our crews back from working on Interstate 90 from MP 47 (Denny Creek) to MP 53 near the summit. This unexpected slide points out the serious risk to both highway workers and the traveling public along mountainous I-90, as well as other routes around the state. Until the rain lets up and soil conditions stabilize, I-90 will remain closed from North Bend to Ellensburg.

Please drive safe out there Seattle residents. If you see washed out road in front, do not attempt to cross and try to find alternate routes. Even one foot of moving water is enough to stall your vehicle or push your car aside.

*Article photo used with permission from the WSDOT

4WD Overconfidence was addressed in a 2007 Forbes.com article

“When snowstorms hit, people who have all-wheel drive become overconfident,” says Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. People drive faster than they otherwise would. Yet all-wheel drive doesn’t help them stop quicker.

“It’s not a safety system,” Rader says. “It’s a system to keep you from getting stuck.” 

Forbes.com list for best cars for snow

1. Subaru Outback

2. Volvo XC90

3. Subaru Tribeca

4.Mercedes Benz M Class

5.Volkswagen Touraeg

See the full Forbes.com list

Proposition 1: YES

Even though we’re an auto blog, we think that a vote in favor of light rail is not a vote against cars, but a vote to build much needed infrastructure.

In an ideal world, we would have enough money to pay for a new 520 bridge, widen I-5 and I-405, improve HOV implementation and get more buses on the road. Unfortunately, the fact is that we are short on money. Very short. The reason we support Proposition 1, as expensive as it might be, is because it’s the best chance we have of upgrading our infrastructure in the next 10 years.

I (Grant) drive my hybrid the majority of the time, but even my hybrid is still using gas. The fact is that gas is limited, has unstable prices and sends money overseas. While electrics are on their way, GM’s Chevy Volt is still 4 years away and has a price tag of $40,000 per vehicle. Per person, it’s far more cost and energy efficient to pay for an efficient regional light rail transit than equip families with Chevy Volts. Yes, there will be a loss of independence – which we understand quite well - but there’s a time when you just have to bite the bullet.

Nobody loves a 500 hp Viper that can tear across 520 in under 20 seconds as much as we do, but we also love the environment and our city even more. That’s why we’re supporting Prop 1.

Initiative 985: NO

While Tim Eyman might be onto something by extending the hours for the HOV lane, there’s been too many other additions tied into the initiative that make it far more than a vote about carpool lanes and freeing up traffic.

For one, the bill prevents the ability for toll revenues to be used for park and rides, buses and more importantly – light rail. Second, funds for implementing the new changes come from existing revenue streams, which mean other programs will have their budgets dipped into.

So, we agree with some aspects of I-985, such as removing art requirement budgets from transportation projects, opening HOV lanes during non-rush hours and appreciate the idea of not using bridge tolls for non-transportation projects. That said, the bill goes too far in many regards and as such, is more dangerous to implement than not.

Remember, whether you agree with us or not, please go out and vote this November 4th!

The Seattle PI reported that a witness saw a white passenger car cut in front of a large container truck, causing the driver to swerve into the concrete median separating I-5 North and South to avoid hitting the car. 

The resulting impact was so great that it knocked a concrete barrier into the Northbound lanes and caused a motorcylist to crash. The driver of the bike broke and arm while the truck driver managed to avoid any injuries. Wreckage from the truck and bike closed two lanes Southbound and Northbound express lanes for two hours, until a large tow truck was able to haul away the jackknifed container truck.

Without doubt, many Seattle commuters suddenly found their afternoon commute hopelessly delayed due to the actions of one person that unfortunately, lacked common driving skills. Part of the education of not cutting off other drivers is the realization that putting a narrow distance between two cars can both in harm’s way. 

The average braking distance of a car from 60mph to a full stop is approximately 130 feet — or about 10 car lengths. This is in ideal road conditions with a skilled driver, as auto makers would like you to imagine that you can stop your car before hitting the driver in front of you. 

In reality, major factors like reaction time, road conditions and driver skill can more than double the braking distance. Real life braking simulations with untrained drivers have shown that 300 feet is a much more realistic braking distance. That means over 20 car lengths!

The major point drivers forget about is reaction time. While driving, your eyes are picking up various bits and pieces of information, the most important of which is the speed of the car in front of you. The time it takes for your brain to realize the car in front of you is going into a full blown panic stop is only about 1.5 seconds, but during that time, your car will have travelled over 130 feet when at speeds of 60mph.

If you ask any driving instructor or attend a driving school class, they will always tell you to use the 4 second rule when determining how close to drive to the car in front of you. This gives you 2 seconds to react and 2 seconds to stop – avoiding a crash if 1) you are paying attention and 2) your car is in good working condition.

Most drivers have the mentality that the car in front of will react and brake in time to an accident and as a result, drive using a two second or shorter rule. Pile-ups happen when an accident suddenly occurs (like a truck jackknifing, for example) and you suddenly realize you are 200 feet away from collision. Even with lighting reflexes of Mario Andretti, you would just start squeezing the brakes at about 140 feet away, giving you literally no room for error. Add a bit of rain or 5mph more than the speed limit and it will get ugly.

Even if you do manage to avoid the truck, the driver behind you may not have those same lighting reflexes and you’ll probably get rear-ended. 

In a future article, we’ll talk the reality of highway driving and how (if you must) to drive with a 2 second rule and still be relatively safe.

Coming this voting season, Eyman is taking on the issue of highway traffic. He is doing so by introducing Measure I-985, a new initiative that will enable single drivers to use HOV and carpool lanes during non-rush hours.  The new measure proposes that car pool lanes will be only restricted to HOV vehicles from 6am-9am and 3pm-6pm on weekdays. Outside of these hours, car pool lanes will be open to all drivers.

According to a quote from Eyman in an interview with the Seattle PI, he says that it doesn’t make sense to sit in traffic, “[m]iddle of the day, bumper to bumper traffic, [with] that empty lane sitting right next to you”. By passing this measure, Eyman believes that it will be a, “quick kick to the shins” for Washington lawmakers, who have been slow to implement suggestions from a 2007 state audit of traffic congestion.

In addition to opening up car pool lanes during non-rush hours, I-985 also requires Seattle, as well as the state, to assign higher priority to traffic accidents as well as synchronizing traffic lights. Eyman’s initiative also slips in a clause that would essentially prevent Washington lawmakers from collecting tolls on the 520 floating point bridge as well as I-90.

In discussions earlier this year, city and state planners had proposed the idea of a toll for 520 and I-90, in efforts to generate funds to pay for the retrofitting or rebuilding of the 520 bridge. Planners envisioned a one-way toll of $3 to $5 for single occupancy vehicles, which has been understandably unpopular with commuters. With a nasty budget shortfall for 2009 and reluctance to raise taxes, the funding for 520 will become an increasing hot topic, especially if Eyman’s new measure gains traction.

Not surprisingly, opposition has already formed to oppose measure I-985. Opponents say that Eyman’s new measure takes funding away from rural Eastern Washington road budgets and pools it into urban centers in Western Washington. Lawmakers have also chimed in about the need to keep toll options on the table.

Personally, living on the Eastside and being a regular commuter on 520 during rush hour, I see a valid point with the car pool point argument — at least as it pertains to 520 (I don’t know the situation with I-5). That said, there is still a good deal of rush hour traffic from 6pm to even 7pm, so it would make sense to extend the exclusion hours on Eyman’s initiative.

That said, it’s hard to support Eyman’s initiative due to the fact that he is disallowing the idea of tolls on 520. Nobody is a fan of tolls, especially at Seattle Auto, but given the upcoming budget shortfall and lower anticipated tax revenues, it’s unreasonable at this point to take the toll option off the table. Olympia will inevitably be cutting programs next year, regardless of who is elected, so thinking that we will have enough coffers to cover the billion dollar rebuilding of 520 is far-fetched.

The only thing that we can be sure of however, if history is any good predictor of the future, is that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Tim Eyman.

Stores are stocking up on candy, your co-workers are talking about costumes and your kids are screaming “Boo!” every chance they get. 

No, we’re not talking Halloween – we’re talking back to Seattle’s wet driving season.Those sunny weekends kayaking on Lake Washington and hiking on Mt. Si have given way to fleece Northface jackets and hiking boots as the sun retreats for the next six months.  

With the rain, comes colder weather, shorter days and a slew of bad driving as Seattle drivers re-learn slick road handling skills. In case you need to sharpen your own own steering-wheel fu, here is a list of good practices to abide by while driving in the rain. 

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Slow down and maintain a good buffer to the car in front

Less speed equates to less braking distance. In the rain, your vehicle braking distance can increase over 50% in distance vs dry pavement. It’s important to maintain a bigger buffer between your car and the car in front of you. In a panic stop (full on braking), a good buffer zone will give you both enough time to react and hopefully stop. This author knew a friend who was too confident in their new ABS brakes and realized too late (and an insurance claim later) that even modern technology was no match for mother nature.

Turn on your lights so other drivers can see you

Most modern autos come equipped with factory daytime running lights. Research has shown that even in ideal driving conditions, turning on your lights is a significant way to prevent accidents. Drivers changing lanes in front of you are more apt to notice your lights, especially at night or in the rain, where visibility or mirrors are impeded by water. Even if the weather is cloudy or just sprinking and you can see just fine in front and behind of you, a driver up front may have a foggy rear window or side mirrors that literally blind them to your presence. Turn on those lights and you might just avoid that next fender bender.

Don’t over-correct when hydroplaning

Hydroplaning usually occurs when travelling at high speeds, which means that this author has probably far more hydroplaning experience than he should have. This author’s close calls is your gain however, as I can relate that hydroplaning isn’t always the ticking timb bomb it is made out to be. During a hydroplane, depending on the severity, you will lose steering ability temporarily and experience a fishtail effect. Adjust your steering wheel ever so slightly toward the direction of your skid and ease up on the gas. Do not correct you would in a full blown snow skid.

A hydroplane lasts barely a second, which means you will regain traction quickly. Having your tires pointed in the same general direction as before the skid will ensure you keep travelling along. Hydroplaning next to an embankment, barrier, cliff or turn is when things get dangerous, as the room for error is much smaller. This is why it’s important to slow down in the rain, especially at highway on-ramps, off-ramps and bridges where these situations occur and where rain can pool.

Replace those cracked windshield wipers

Nothing is worse than being in a downpour on the freeway with a pair of cruddy windshield wipers. With the low visibility, your reaction time is decreased, which means your ability to stop is also decreased by a quarter.  With the average time to react being 2 seconds, a decrease in even half a second could mean the difference between a close call and new premium.

A set of teflon wipers will cost $26 from any auto store and can be installed in minutes by yourself. Most of the express lube places as well as your mechanic offer this service as well, but generally install the cheapest brand available with a higher mark-up. We’ll cover in a future article how to change your wipers.

Have ABS and Traction Control

This last bit is unfortunately a bit unrealistic, because either you have these installed on your car or you don’t. If you do, you will know that technology is working for you in the event of a panic stop or a skid, as the technology will improve (not prevent) your chances of avoiding an accident. 

If you drive an older model car or have a current model without ABS, you should seriously consider an investment in a car driving clinic for threshhold braking or practice in an empty parking lot sometime. Threshhold braking is a method of braking that maximizes your tires ability to stop, much like ABS. Without threshold braking skills, your tire contact points with the road will overheat and liquify if you jam your brakes, which leads to skidding and sliding. Next time you drive on 520, I-90 or I-5, look at the skid marks on the road and you’ll identify the non-ABS brakes as the skid marks that have wobbly slides. 

Traction control is essentially auto AI that determines when a tire is skidding and when it has traction. TC will kick in when it feels your car is skidding or sliding and independently adjust your wheel rotational speed or alignment to try to correct your path. Most of the time, this means turning your vehicle out (most slides are caused by oversteering). TC is good because it turns on immediately when your brain is immediately turning off and going into panic mode, so it addresses both physics and human psychology at once. 

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Keep these tips in mind next time you’re on the road and hopefully you’ll avoid any scary surprises of the bad kind this October season!