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/.

Gas
When the gas prices started to sky rocket, car buyers started to change their purchasing habits. Certain car makers adjusted accordingly, while others tried to ride it out. What happened was, the auto makers like Toyota and Honda that pushed their hybrids and smaller engine cars, found a way to generate revenue when other cars weren’t selling.

Many of the companies in Detroit, waited a little too long, and thus it hurt them. They continued pushing performance and horsepower, and tried to “weather the storm”. 

That didn’t work, instead they took a beating.

“When gas prices started going up, it really hurt the car industry,” says Frank Hasselback of Landmark Motors in Kirkland. “People weren’t buying what they normally would. The higher end sedans, SUV’s, and trucks just sat there on the lots. People started to really look at gas mileage when they normally wouldn’t. Hybrids got real popular.”

Hybrids
The high gas prices led to a hybrid boom. Toyota’s Prius, Honda’s Civic, Chevy’s Malibu, and Saturn’s Aura Greenline, just to name a few, all became hot sellers. Hybrids became a way for the auto industry to make money. While monster vehicles like the Chevy Tahoe could be bought at near invoice prices, the mark up on Hybrids were considerable (maybe that’s why Chevy came out with the Tahoe Hybrid). Despite the increase in greener small engine vehicles, there’s was limited selection. Many bought, but it didn’t make up for the downfall in the other vehicles.

Economic Crash
October’s record market crash of over 900 points crippled the car industry. Not only did consumers not want to buy cars, it made it nearly impossible even if they did.

“People couldn’t get loans,” explains Hasselbach. “After that, things were frozen. It seemed like everything just stopped.”

Before the crash the outlook was already dismal. Auto lenders were afraid of making the same mistakes as in the housing industry.

Chairman of Autonation, the largest auto retailer in the U.S. told the New York Times, “We are faced with the dilemma of lowering our credit standards to put them in a car, or saying no”, he says, ”And we’re telling them no.”

Many lenders wouldn’t give loans to car buyers unless they had a credit score of 700 or better. That is the crème of the credit crop,  and only a small number of people could qualify.

What’s to Come
Car dealers are hoping that by the first of the year, things will slowly get better.  The industry itself knows what can and can’t be sold now. Hybrids and 4 cylinder cars will continue to be the focuss. And while it’s been a bumpy ride, and has been the worst year for sales in nearly a decade, there’s nowhere to go but up.

“We could use all the help we can get in terms of public perception”, says Hasselbach. “Some consumer optimism would really go a long way.”

Sounds like a perfect time to buy.

When it comes to gadgets, the person with the most toys wins. It can be the difference between the average car to that of “pimped out fly ride”.

However it’s hard to determine how effective certain gadgets are until they’ve been on the market for while. These gadgets have been around a few years. Some are useful, while others just bump up the sticker price.

You decide.

Intelligent cruise control:

The Next Generation in cruise control. Using laser technology, Infiniti offers a cruise control that understands the “cushion” between cars. The laser actually measures and determines how close you’re getting to the vehicle in front of you and decreases the acceleration accordingly. The “intelligence” will also maintain that preset distance between cars. Now if they could only get the computer to honk the horn and give that slow-poke a dirty glare while passing, that’ll be REAL intelligence. 

This is one that people seem to really enjoy,” explains Frank Hasselbeck, a luxury motors dealer in Kirkland. “It automatically spaces things out, it just makes driving really nice.”

Voice-recognition system:

Cars have been talking for a long time. But now, Infiniti’s Q45 takes voice recognition to the next level. They try at least. Taking commands like making a hands-free phone call has been very doable over the years. But now they’ve improved the other functions like, changing CDs, adjusting the temperature, or navigating the GPS. And you’re English doesn’t even have to be that good. The system understands 50,000 words in 150 dialects and even learns the sound of your voice. It has gotten better over the years. There were certain commands that hardly ever worked, but the 2009 version seems to be the best. However, it’s hard to believe that everything goes smooth with voice recognition. There are still certain 4 letter words, it probably doesn’t understand.

Limp-home mode:

Cadillac will try and get you home. In their Cadillac Northstar engine? Blowing a radiator hose doesn’t mean you’re instantly calling a cab.  The Northstar automatically goes into limp-home mode, shutting the gas supply off in certain cylinders and reducing the use of the engine. It’ll make the car just operational enough for you to…limp home. It will also save the engine. However, if you’re already paying for AAA, why not just use that?

Night Vision:

A couple of years ago Mercedes Benz offered the Night Vision feature in their S Class vehicles. It actually turns the dash display into an enhanced image of the road. It allows drivers to see about 50-100 yards further than with their regular headlights. They have improved the feature each year, and while it was an extremely well engineered piece of hardware, and it truly defined luxury in an automobile, it’s not exactly getting bang for the buck. 

“It’s one of the more expensive features,” says Hasselbach. “For some people it takes some time getting used to it. When it’s dark, it’s tough to take your eyes off the road to look at the dash display even if it’s an enhanced version of the road itself. I’ve had people tell me there’s a learning curve to it. But the people who are accustomed to it seem to like it.”

Buying a pre-owned used car is very different than purchasing a new one. Everyone knows the new vehicle came from the assembly plant, still has plastic on the seats, and smells “like new”. But when it comes to used cars…it can be like eating berries in the Amazon forest, better know what you’re doing or you’re going to get poisoned.

There are a number of problems that can hurt you in terms of the negotiations and the car itself. Knowledge is power

1) Know What You Want

Ideally have a list of three to five cars you would like. Start with the number one option and work down from there. But make it reasonable; if you can only afford a 1997 Honda Civic don’t put a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo  on the list. Knowing what you want also includes features, safety, and gas mileage. Those items will determine your list of cars. Only the individual person/family can determine what features they can or can’t live with.

“I see it all the time,” says Frank Hasselbach, owner of Landmark Motors in Kirkland. “It can be frustrating if you’re showing the husband a luxury coupe, but then find out an hour into it, what they really need is a family car for the wife. Knowing what you want, lets me (the salesperson) help you. Otherwise we’re wasting time.”

2) Know a Good/Great Price

This is where research on the computer will help in negotiations. Just about everyone inflates prices. Dealers, private owners, they all do it, capitalism at its best. Knowing what the market is for the selected vehicle will get you to the meat of the matter.

Do a market analysis. Check Kelly’s Bluebook, Craigslist, or Google search on the make, model, and year. That will give you an idea of what a particular vehicle is worth.

“It’s always good to do at least a little research”, explains Hasselbach. “That means comparing apples to apples. I’ve had people say to me they saw a BMW down the street for $25,000 but yours is $29,000. Can you make me the same deal? Little did they know the other vehicle was bare bones, and the one on my lot was loaded with everything including navigation. That’s not the same car we’re talking about.

3) Have the Vehicle Checked by a Trusted Mechanic

A good mechanic can see and tell you a lot about a vehicle. They can look for signs that it’s been in an accident, history about a certain make and model, and finding “hot spots” for wear and tear. This is the best research that can be done; the mechanic is looking at a particular car, the one you could be buying. This is essential.

“I checked out this one (Volkswagen) Passat not to long ago,” says Bellevue mechanic William Chen. “I noticed the framing was off a little. That’s a red flag, so I did some more looking around it, and found inconsistencies in chrome and some paint over splash. This car had obviously been in an accident, and the seller was trying to cover it up. Needless to say, those people didn’t buy the car.”

4) Get the complete History

Carfax is great when buying a pre-owned vehicle, but it’s not nearly enough. Carfax will only give the information that’s been reported, i.e. accidents and claims.  But it will not give information on anything else.  It’s essential to look up any common defects the vehicle may have had. Search for recalls on the certain make and model. A Ford Taurus could have a recall for something one year, and have it fixed for their newer vehicles the next year. It’s important as the buyer to know about that before the purchase.

5) Have Options

Be able to walk away from the negotiating table. Unless you’re purchasing a one of kind vintage classic, there should be other options just in case the owner/dealer tries to inflate the price. If you absolutely have to have that 2007 Subaru Forester, have a couple of options around town just in case. It’s not that rare of a car, it’ll be found. Being able to get up and walk away gives you the upper hand in negotiations. That’s why when leave, another “senior” sales person tries to save the deal. Once that happens, you can return the favor and low ball them. Capitalism is a two way street.