I’ve been leaving the house at 4:40. I usually get to Everett before six, where traffic slows or stops. For months I got to the Northgate Park & Ride around 6:20. But since the end of September I’ve been getting out of the house early – 6:30 – and not getting to Northgate until 6:45. The last couple of days I’ve gotten there at 6:30 or 6:35, which is better; but generally my commute has been 20 minutes longer than it has been.
I thought it might have something to do with school starting, but who goes to school that early? It’s been wetter, but it was wet last Spring as well. It’s dark; but again, it was dark in the morning in April too. So what gives?
incidentally, I work a 4/40 schedule and have just started telecommuting on Mondays. So I only have to commute three days a week.
What I have found over the years is that once school starts there is more traffic, period. At any time. I attribute it to there are less people on vacation when their kids are in school.
I commute from Vashon Island to Redmond, for the last 4-5 years.
And yep, I notice the pattern too. Summer is light traffic, but around September when school starts traffic suddenly gets heavy. It gets better around December and then stays pretty good for the rest of the year, and gets comparatively light in summer again.
Assuming Rick’s hypothesis is true, I can see how traffic would lighten in December because of the holidays. But why not get heavy again in the Spring?
