I-5 north of downtown

[dubfan]

Originally Posted by mkarch

I find it odd that in Everett, a city of 100,000 residents, I-5 has 4 lanes each direction going through the section closest to downtown. Then you go 25 miles south to Seattle... a city of 650,000 residents, and I-5 has 2 lanes each direction going through downtown!

Based on this, I'd hold off on widening I-5 through Everett until the population is at least topping 1,000,000.

It doesn't really narrow to 2 lanes downtown. It splits into collector-distributors that branch off to I-90 and other downtown and Sodo exits, then merge back with I-5. It's perfectly fine to take these collector-distributors and re-merge back with I-5. I like doing this going north when I need to exit at Olive Way, so I don't have to cut across two lanes of traffic.

[notfromseattle]

You think that's bad, look at 405 on the east side.

[Garfunkle524]

Maybe the morons in charge should think about making a toll lane or two. That always solves everyone's problems!

And by "solves everyone's problems" I actually mean "free money for the government."

[dubfan]

Originally Posted by Garfunkle524

Maybe the morons in charge should think about making a toll lane or two. That always solves everyone's problems!

And by "solves everyone's problems" I actually mean "free money for the government."

This is exactly what they're doing on 405: WSDOT - Project - I-405 - NE 6th to I-5 Widening and Express Toll Lanes

I wouldn't be surprised to see the I-5 express lanes tolled in the near future.

[Bimmerfanboy]

It's not just there, it's really the entire Seattle metropolitan area. I've lived in other metros and have traveled to many others, and I have yet to see a metropolis that is as compact as the Seattle area. Almost all of the main roads are 1-2 lanes and the speed limits are very low as well. The highways are generally no more than 4 lanes (with one being an HOV lane). I-5 South past Seattle is the exception. I am still baffled by the fact that 405 South past Bellevue is just 2 lanes minus the HOV lane! I've never seen such a thing before.

Most places easily have 5-6 lanes in every highway and have at least 70 - 75 mph speed limits. I was in L.A. a few months ago and their highways were 7-8 lanes.

BTW I am not kidding here, every single day I get stuck behind some nitwit driving slow in the left lane! I will pass them and look back and see a whole line of cars behind that individual. I just don't understand these people and have never seen so many slow left lane drivers as I have seen in the Seattle area. Sometimes you can cruise at 65 with nobody behind you, but if you are creating a jam then just move over. This applies even if you are driving 70-75 mph and are creating a jam. I read that in some cities the police have started cracking down on these folks. They need to do the same thing here. Seattle drivers as a whole seem to be very passive and very keen to have their feet over the brake. Of course I don't like the absolute crazy drivers in L.A. who are always doing 90 mph but there needs to be some middle ground.

[Botev1912]

there is no metro area with 70 or 75 mph limit. LA's limit is the highest I have seen - 65. And many more like Chicago and Portland have a 55 limit.

[Garfunkle524]

Originally Posted by dubfan

This is exactly what they're doing on 405: WSDOT - Project - I-405 - NE 6th to I-5 Widening and Express Toll Lanes

I wouldn't be surprised to see the I-5 express lanes tolled in the near future.

Yes that was what I was referring to. When in doubt, charge a toll!!

[jm31828]

Originally Posted by dubfan

This is exactly what they're doing on 405: WSDOT - Project - I-405 - NE 6th to I-5 Widening and Express Toll Lanes

I wouldn't be surprised to see the I-5 express lanes tolled in the near future.

Ugh, this mess on 405 is so ridiculous. It is nothing more than a revenue generator for the state. IF they truly wanted to help traffic, they would keep the carpool restriction to 2 or more people instead of bumping it to 3 or more. And the whole hot lane thing is silly, it is proven to be a barely break even or even loss financially down south on highway 167.

[Haakon]

I-5 traffic delays in Seattle skyrocket
According to Olson, the biggest change has been on I-5 from the University District to Downtown Seattle, where delays have increased by 290% since 2010.

Other findings in the study:

- Delays spiked by 174% for people on I-5 at Southcenter Hill.

- Delays doubled for people on I-5 through Everett at Highway 2.

- Delay on I-405 from Tukwila to Lynnwood increased 94 percent overall.

- People relying on I-405 experienced the biggest increases in delay through Kirkland, where delay was up by 237%.

- People on I-405 through Bellevue experienced jumps in delay of 73% to 87%

- On I-405 through Renton, time people spent in delays increased by 128%.

- Delay was up 100% between Issaquah and Seattle on I-90 from 2010 to 2014.

- Tolling produced a different result on State Route 520, where delay was down 68%.

- Delay on I-5 between Everett to Seattle jumped by nearly 30% last year alone.


Yes delays are down on 520 due to tolling - because traffic moved somewhere else and made it worse there.

Add lanes for cars? In the Seattle area? HA! With the people in Seattle voting for politicians waging a war on cars that's never going to happen, they vote for the same kind of people on a state level that they do locally so it isn't as if WSDOT will be able to solve the problem.

[alloo66]

Who wants to pay more taxes for new or expanded highways? Toll roads are an option. Roads cost money to build and maintain.