Oregon Public Broadcasting

Professional traffic watchers have noticed a drop in volumes on Northwest freeways.  Maybe it’s something you’ve noticed yourself.  It signals that gas prices have risen to the point where people are changing their behavior.  Correspondent Tom Banse reports.

It’s not a big difference, but it’s a notable reversal to traffic just getting worse and worse.

University of Washington researcher Mark Hallenbeck compared 2008 versus 2006 on Seattle freeways.

Mark Hallenbeck: “Traffic volumes in general are down 1 to 2 percent.”

Which Hallenbeck calls “amazing” because population and jobs grew over the same period.  He says people are cutting back the most during off-peak hours suggesting high gas prices are to blame.

Mark Hallenbeck: “Where you really see changes are in the middle of the day and particularly on the weekends when people are making shopping trips or recreational trips, trips that they can change.”

Oregon’s Department of Transportation also has measured slight decreases in congestion at the interstate bridges over the Columbia River.

The trend toward lighter traffic is not universal.  Volumes on I-84 coming into Boise are still rising.  The highway department says rapid growth in the Treasure Valley overwhelms all other factors.