Economic Woes Improve Traffic

hogginthefogg

I found this really depressing:'Good' news: Crummy economy means less traffic[/b](05-27) 17:46 PDT OAKLAND -- Commuters are still pounding their fists against their steering wheels and cursing the congestion on Bay Area freeways, but they're spending less time doing it, according to a traffic study released Wednesday.The number of hours spent slogging to and from work dropped sharply in 2008 - by 12 percent Bay Area-wide - a yearly congestion report compiled by Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission shows. It was the first time traffic congestion has declined since 2003, when it dipped after the technology boom went bust.The big factor: The bad economy means fewer people are going to work, and that means fewer cars on the freeway."We know that congestion tracks employment," said Scott Haggerty, chairman of the commission and an Alameda County supervisor. The annual congestion report provides concrete evidence.During the morning and evening commutes, Bay Area drivers endured 142,400 vehicle hours of delay last year - a measure of the time spent traveling at speeds less than 35 mph. In 2007, drivers spent 161,700 hours in stop-and-go traffic. And in 2000, at the height of the dot-com boom, Bay Area drivers were stuck in slow-moving traffic for 177,600 hours."I live on the Peninsula, and with the high-tech layoffs, it's been noticeable," Maurice Werdegar, 44, of Woodside, said of the drop in traffic. "You can feel the pulse change - just like when the tech bubble broke."All nine Bay Area counties experienced less congestion except Marin and Napa, which has no freeways. Solano County saw the greatest decline - 33 percent - while Marin congestion climbed by 3 percent.I-80 tops the listEven with an 8 percent drop in traffic, westbound Interstate 80 in the morning retained its title as the crummiest commute, a rank it has held virtually every year since Caltrans started compiling the rankings in 1981."That corridor is likely to stay on top of the list for many years to come," said Bijan Sartipi, Caltrans district director for the Bay Area. "However, we have seen traffic patterns along the I-80 corridor begin to change."The once-solid gridlock on I-80 has been broken into several backed-up stretches separated by faster-flowing traffic. The stretch that earned the title of the Bay Area's worst commute reaches only from Emeryville to the Bay Bridge toll plaza, not as far back as Hercules as it has in recent years.Nine of the 10 worst commutes were on last year's list, including some old non-favorites: southbound Highway 101 in Marin County in the morning, the eastbound Bay Bridge at night, Interstate 580 through the Livermore Valley at both ends of the day.The only departure from the 10-worst list was southbound Interstate 880 in the morning. It was replaced by eastbound Highway 4 in eastern Contra Costa County in the evening, premiering in the No. 10 spot.Improvements helped tooAlthough soaring unemployment is responsible for much of the traffic decline, transportation officials said, it doesn't deserve all the credit. Improvements ranging from carpool lanes and new overpasses to ramp metering lights have eased congestion, they said.Haggerty, who lives in Dublin, said ramp metering in both directions on Interstate 580 has eliminated much of the commute congestion in the Livermore Valley, though it needs some tinkering to reduce slowdowns on city streets that feed into the freeway.Caltrans has 133 construction projects worth $4 billion in progress to help ease Bay Area backups, Sartipi said.Marin County commuters are already enjoying some relief. County Supervisor Steve Kinsey, who sits on the transportation commission, said the completion of carpool lanes on Highway 101 through San Rafael has virtually eliminated commute congestion, though the full effect won't be reflected until the 2009 report is released next spring."This is the direction our region needs to go in reducing congestion," he said.