Seattle drivers spent more time in traffic this year than they did in 2020, but far less than before COVID

Seattle drivers spent an average of 30 hours in traffic congestion this year, according to a new report from the Kirkland-based data company INRIX.

That’s six hours fewer than the average time drivers across the U.S. spent in congestion. The Seattle figure is slightly higher than it was in 2020, but is overall a 59% decrease in the amount of time local drivers spent in congestion before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

That higher-than-last-year but lower-than-normal trend was observed nationwide, the report said.

“COVID-19’s impact on transportation has continued through 2021, transforming when, where and how people move,” Transportation Analyst Bob Pishue said in a news release about the report. “Although congestion climbed 28% this year, Americans still saved 63 hours compared to normal. “

The takeaway from the report is this: The world is better adjusted to the pandemic now than it was last year so more people are driving to more places, but because Americans are still being cautious — and because many still work from home, which allows them to skip the daily commute to their job — they’re not driving as much as they did pre-pandemic.

The 30 hours Seattle drivers spent in congestion this year is nothing compared to the 104 hours, 102 hours, and 90 hours that drivers in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia spent in congestion this year. Still, those figures are between 27% and 37% fewer than the times they spent in congestion in 2019.

Seattle did not make the top 10 list of most congested roads in 2021, which makes sense given how many employees have been working from home (last year, Seattle had the fourth-most employees across the U.S. doing telework). However, given the city’s notorious congestion, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Seattle in the top 10 in 2022.