traffic flow (Seattle, Bellevue, Everett: to live, bus, moving)

[i8plums]

what is the traffic flow in the city?
which highways get busy at what times and in what direction?

for example (using highways here in San Diego):

5N gets busy starting at 3pm - 6pm starting in PB area and continuing well into north county
5S starting from downtown all the way to the border is packed from 3pm - 6pm
163 is pretty clear in both directions
805S is a bear, dumper to dumper from 3ish - 6pm
etc.

that would really help me because I would like to live opposite traffic if possible.

[jabm67]

The only thing I can say from personal knowledge is the short strip of I-5 from downtown Seattle north to its city limits. That starts getting jammed up about 4:30 PM most weekdays. The express lanes, if you can get on them (those have no (?) single-occupant-vehicle on-ramps until Mercer St) stay fast-moving until the back-up from the end of them (the express lanes merge back onto the main line just past Northgate) chokes things off, about 4:45 to 5 or so. The jam will last past 6 or 6:30 most weekdays, and it extends well north of the Seattle city limits, but I don't know how far north.

In the mornings, the latest I'm ever on the freeway is about 7:30, and barring unusual events, things are still moving OK then.

You can get real-time traffic info (so you can do your own checking!) at WSDOT Seattle Area Traffic.

[AzDreamer]

The traffic into downtown Seattle and Bellevue is bad in the morning, and in the afternoon leaving these areas is bad.

[Redline]

yeah anything going into seattle or bellevue in the morning starting as early as 6-7am is bad and leaving starting from 4-5pm is bad. I've noticed that on Thurs and Fri it can start getting bad as early as 2pm (I guess people want to get out earlier on these days). Everyone wants to work earlier and earlier to avoid traffic but the problem is that everyone else has the same idea. IMO, traffic into Bellevue is worse than into Seattle. You will have an easier time going from Bellevue to Seattle in the morning than the other way around.

My commute is from Kirkland to way up north (Marysville/Arlington) so I have the reverse commute which isn't bad at all (everyone is doing speed limit +5/10 usually).

Check this site out if you want to find out for yourself: WSDOT Seattle Area Traffic - I-5: NE 45th St

[celtic]

We're planning to move down to that area and commute to Everett - what do you think of leaving between 7-9am and returning south somewhere between 4-6pm? Any recommendations?

I have worked in Bellevue and Seattle. I don't know about anywhere else but I come from Lynnwood and getting into and out of Seattle is far easier than Bellevue. If you're in a car there is just a lot of traffic to Bellevue and it gets as few as two lanes at some points! I believe some parts of the commute completely lack a carpool lane. There isn't nearly as much bus coverage to Bellevue as there is to Seattle. Seattle has many more lanes and the Express Lanes so it is built for the higher traffic while Bellevue was not. I tend to be completely stopped going to Bellevue often while I'm usually going at least 30 MPH on my way to Seattle if not 45 MPH.

[Redline]

Originally Posted by celtic

We're planning to move down to that area and commute to Everett - what do you think of leaving between 7-9am and returning south somewhere between 4-6pm? Any recommendations?

Commuting from Kirkland to Everett during those times will take between 20-25 min. Avg. speed will be 55-65 (speed limit is 60) so you'll be fine. Reverse commute is awesome.