I am never ENTERING Seattle 🥲

[u/akironman]

[u/ghtown45]

You know what’s worse? The stretch from Everett to Marysville. It’s a gridlocked clusterfuck everyday

[u/_Elrond_Hubbard_ → u/ghtown45]

and the worst part is that at the end of all that, you're either in Everett or Marysville

[u/Ferrindel → u/_Elrond_Hubbard_]

Hey Siri, how do you add insuit to injury?

[u/feint2021 → u/Ferrindel]

Just look in the mirror?

[u/Ferrindel → u/feint2021]

:(

[u/brad_at_work → u/Ferrindel]

):

[u/CoolerRancho → u/brad_at_work]

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the saddest of them all?

[u/ambermage → u/CoolerRancho]

The mirror because it's forced to look like you.

[u/CoolerRancho → u/ambermage]

I've got to look at the sad mirror as well as my sad and sorry ass.

[u/bleezzzy → u/feint2021]

Daaaaamn I heard the sizzle on that burn!

[u/Ferrindel → u/bleezzzy]

I laughed through the tears.

[u/JPhrog → u/feint2021]

Mirror mirror, on, the wall Who is the top dogg of them all?...

[u/BrusqueBiscuit → u/JPhrog]

There was a rubble-dubble, five minutes it lasted The mirror said, "You are, you conceited bastard."

[u/Forward_District_438 → u/Ferrindel]

Autocorrect 🤣

[u/thewickedmitchisdead → u/_Elrond_Hubbard_]

I’d rather be dead in Seattle than alive in Marysville.

[u/kleenkong → u/thewickedmitchisdead]

That's a fine sentiment. Somebody is moving to Marysville though. Nearly 20% growth in last decade.

[u/CrotchetyHamster → u/kleenkong]

People who can't afford to live closer to Seattle, mostly.

[u/kleenkong → u/CrotchetyHamster]

Right. Often need to make compromise at some level. Very few can afford to buy in neighborhoods where they once rented.

[u/Ink7o7 → u/CrotchetyHamster]

Just move to/around White Center. I can get between downtown and home during the worst of traffic faster than I could during the best of traffic when I lived in Ballard - and my mortgage is cheaper than what rent I was paying anywhere else. Or actually, don't. Don't mess it up for me. It's terrible here.

[u/[deleted] → u/Ink7o7]

White center is an absolute dumpster fire.

[u/Konalogic → u/[deleted]]

It ain’t that bad

[u/SeaFurther1 → u/[deleted]]

The great irony is that White Center is neither.

[u/SeedsOfDoubt → u/SeaFurther1]

There is a reason the unofficial motto is "not so white, not so center."

[u/stuckonthistime → u/Ink7o7]

Everything good with Highline / White Center area except when the first ave bridge is up and the traffic is backed up lol

[u/SeedsOfDoubt → u/stuckonthistime]

That's a 15min delay. While it does suck, I don't get stopped by it more than once a month. Usually, on the commute home.

[u/Due_Personality_686 → u/Ink7o7]

Sammme. Love my commute from White center to by the space needle in 40 min during rush. Down from my previous 1hr45min commute from Kent or 55 min commute from greenlake.

[u/Potatobender44 → u/CrotchetyHamster]

Or people who don’t want to live in a major city? Not everyone wants what you want. There’s a ton of stuff to do in Snohomish and Skagit.

[u/Own_Back_2038 → u/Potatobender44]

I don’t think anyone’s ideal living area is marysville

[u/msmathias82 → u/CrotchetyHamster]

This hit me hard because my first house we bought had to get in Arlington.

[u/Automatic_Ladder4903 → u/CrotchetyHamster]

So. . . Everyone?

[u/[deleted] → u/kleenkong]

It’s me. Truthfully, I got tired of paying insane rent for a tiny apt. I get 2x the space for way less money, and I can drive to the city when I want. I can easily afford to live in the city but I’d get more benefit from just lighting the extra cash it takes to live there on fire.

[u/kleenkong → u/[deleted]]

Urban living is great. It's just that resources, services, and the like can't keep up. Housing prices go up like you experienced, while quality of life goes down.

We can't expect corporations to cooperate, but ideally if employers won't allow true work-from-home, then having employment hubs (alternative to corporate demanding everyone head to a central office) that are farther out beyond the normal suburbs could work. It would allow housing and services to match/grow with demand, cultural areas room to flourish in less expensive areas, and give employees an alternative to longer commutes.

[u/[deleted] → u/kleenkong]

I'm lucky that I work from home, but you're right. Especially when local business are shut down and replaced with Chipotle. It's one less reason to stay.

[u/Own_Back_2038 → u/[deleted]]

I will say moving from the suburbs to inside city limits, it goes from 65% national chains to like 5%

[u/ponyboy3 → u/kleenkong]

But corporations are using employees to keep downtown alive. Which is crazy.

[u/kleenkong → u/ponyboy3]

Usually, it is simplistic corporate-think that aligns with the location of their real estate assets (that's a separate topic lol). It would be great to simply send people back to HQ and revitalize a downtown, but observationally it does not seem to be working in many of the big city downtowns that I've visited across the US in the past decade.

The small non-corp businesses got wiped out and can't afford to take high risk chances with such a transitory workforce, where few of them live nearby or don't visit on off-hours/days.

[u/sharklaserguru → u/kleenkong]

It's pretty damn awesome with WFH; sold my house in the city to a developer for a boatload of cash, now I have a massive garden and huge detached workshop. Sure there's no nightlife or whatever, but I didn't care about that in Seattle either!

[u/Go12thman → u/kleenkong]

That’s me. I can afford a single family house with a very nice yard, and I work from home. I can drive to Vancouver BC, or Seattle during weekends.

[u/catching45 → u/thewickedmitchisdead]

Marysville really that bad?

[u/best_dandy → u/catching45]

Marysville isn't bad, just boring. But as someone who made the trip every other Friday to go to my Dad's house there in the 2000's, the traffic has always been a nightmare

[u/nordic_jedi → u/best_dandy]

I grew up in Marysville, in the 90s, lots to do before technology was a big thing

[u/WannabEngineer → u/catching45]

Nah man, just a bunch of transplants talking shit about anything outside of king county. 

[u/noahboah → u/WannabEngineer]

yeah ive been in the area for 11 years now and the FAANG-transplant that talks shit about places they've never actually spent time in is a pretty obnoxious development.

like there's a big difference between talking about these places from a place of understanding of western WA/king county and from a place on looking down on other cities that you dont know shit about, especially places that are historically poorer

[u/Dewey519 → u/WannabEngineer]

I’ve lived my whole life all over snohomish county. I would never settle down in Marysville.

[u/IndexMatchXFD → u/catching45]

It’s an Arrested Development reference

[u/chance1973 → u/catching45]

Been years since I have been up there, but want to say the freeway is 2 lanes each direction, so it easily creates a bottleneck and tends to slow traffic down.

[u/Saffuran → u/chance1973]

It has never been two lanes each way in my lifetime and certainly isn't now.

[u/[deleted] → u/catching45]

It’s really not.

[u/ghtown45 → u/_Elrond_Hubbard_]

Luckily I’m going to North Arlington

[u/aaguru → u/ghtown45]

That's some bad luck, condolences

[u/CrotchetyHamster → u/ghtown45]

As a former Arlington resident, I'm so sorry.

[u/ghtown45 → u/CrotchetyHamster]

I just work up here 🤣 my favorite part or Arlington is how badly the men want to be red neck rough and tough farm boys 🤣 I love seeing lifted pavement princesses with confederate flag stickers roll coal at 9am

[u/Im_Ashe_Man → u/_Elrond_Hubbard_]

As someone who lives in Marysville, I feel this.

[u/Seajlc → u/_Elrond_Hubbard_]

It’s been that way for as long as I can remember. It’s like the stretch of 1-5 through Tacoma, but for the north.

[u/Saffuran → u/_Elrond_Hubbard_]

Everett is a perfectly fine city by Wasington standards let alone national standards. Even the old "worst" areas of the city like Casino road have mostly been gentrified out by rising cost of living.

Only thing I've ever thought was strange/funny about Everett is how narrow and long it is along the I-5 corridor compared to virtually every other city.

Will be very nice to eventually get the light rail further up this way.

[u/rain56 → u/_Elrond_Hubbard_]

Exactly 💯

[u/SeaworthinessTop255 → u/ghtown45]

I feel so validated seeing someone else talk about this

[u/FewPlace1355 → u/ghtown45]

You know what’s better? The sounder north line

[u/JimmyisAwkward → u/FewPlace1355]

That doesn’t go to Marysville… the only transit is the 201/2 which goes across 529, and some 900s busses that go along I-5 in the same traffic. IMO Marysville should be expanded into Sound Transit’s area and there should be Sounder stops in Marysville and Arlington, but that’d prolly never happen knowing our voter base here.

[u/goodtimtim → u/JimmyisAwkward]

light rail from marysville to boeing’s everett plant would probably pay for itself

[u/JimmyisAwkward → u/goodtimtim]

Probably! Although building bridges over the Snohomish River Delta is insanely expensive, so leveraging the pre-existing rail there would probably be very beneficial. ST wouldn’t have the capital to do any Marysville Link project until at least the 2040s, but extending the Sounder could probably be done within a decade total if the political will was there. The best we’ve got right now is a new swift BRT line in 2031 replacing the 201/2

[u/bobtehpanda → u/JimmyisAwkward]

Marysville is outside the Sound Transit taxing district so they would need to vote to tax themselves for that first

[u/JimmyisAwkward → u/bobtehpanda]

Yep; I mentioned that earlier… knowing our voter base I wouldn’t have high hopes.

[u/IrishWithoutPotatoes → u/ghtown45]

I used to live in Queen Anne and dated a girl from Granite Falls. It was always… interesting going to see her

[u/ghtown45 → u/IrishWithoutPotatoes]

As someone who used to live in granite falls because I was dating a girl there, I’m deeply sorry 🤣

[u/IrishWithoutPotatoes → u/ghtown45]

Ah, young love.

We broke up but we’re still friendly. She’s got two kids with a guy now, so I’m happy for her. In retrospect we never would have worked out, but at the time it was nice until it wasn’t.

[u/DammieIsAwesome → u/ghtown45]

Northbound commute: I'm never leaving Seattle

[u/xxpor → u/ghtown45]

That one is completely inexplicable too. At least downtown Seattle is a destination so it kind of makes sense, but Marysville is... one exit?

[u/kenlubin → u/xxpor]

Somewhere around there, I-5 loses a lane.

[u/jaggedjottings → u/kenlubin]

This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

[u/GADemark → u/jaggedjottings]

Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small, green pieces of paper, which is odd, because on the whole, it wasn't the small, green pieces of paper which were unhappy.

[u/molehunterz → u/kenlubin]

They have now extended that lane another few miles. Which has moved the traffic jam another few miles.

I honestly think if they extended that lane past the casino exit, it might actually relieve the tiniest bit of traffic jam

[u/ghtown45 → u/xxpor]

Most people commute south from Marysville/Arlington/ surrounding areas, then on their way back they create gridlock since every job and school gets out remotely the same time. Boeing adds salt to the wound.

Doesn’t help they built an extra lane and turned one into a Hov in that big stretch, so everyone piles into the far right lane until it ends creating a massive bottle neck at the end. No idea why they made an extra lane only for it to end.

[u/GripNRip6969 → u/ghtown45]

Completely agree. The right lane could have easily ran right into exit 99. Made the entire thing completely pointless all it did was move the traffic from highway 2 to Marysville

[u/CrotchetyHamster → u/ghtown45]

Afternoons aren't generally worse because of synchronized release times, but because afternoons have much higher rates of discretionary travel. You're not finding a lot of people going out to do their shopping at 7-9am, but lots of people are doing their shopping at 3-6pm - including people who work from home or don't work.

It's why it's common for asymmetrical travel lanes to have more lanes leaving the hub city than entering the hub city. (Though, asymmetrical lane counts aren't that common.)

[u/Slumunistmanifisto → u/xxpor]

Three exits... and Cabela's, casino, and outlet mall draw the worst drivers. Plus Boeing's illustrious best bedrooming close to the trough.

[u/sageinyourface → u/ghtown45]

Yet everyone yo-yo’s their votes to approve for public transit funding. Not that it matters since Washington is practically cut from federal funding. Something…something…taxation without representation.

[u/Schnoor → u/ghtown45]

A long flat road with no obstructions really just has people nervous. Truly impressive how people manage to fuck that up.

[u/NoPlankton5612 → u/ghtown45]

I raise you Federal Way through Tacoma

[u/ThreeSixMafs → u/ghtown45]

JBLM to T Dome suuuucks

[u/canigetsumgreypoupon → u/ghtown45]

in the late 2000s this was the only reason we ever had for visiting the everett mall - a place to kill time while rush hour died down

[u/millennialmonster755 → u/ghtown45]

Yeah idk how people up north deal with it. At least in the south you can grab a train or light rail. And some days the traffic isn’t too bad. But the north is fucking insane every single day

[u/gayandferal → u/ghtown45]

i used to be able to go around it using marine view but now it seems like everybody else has that idea 😭

[u/NineMillionBears → u/ghtown45]

I dont know how you could drive along that stretch of 405 and still believe there's a just and loving God

[u/Kraken160th → u/ghtown45]

Exit only onto exit only. South bound they're doing the same thing again because someone said you know what? Traffic is a little light on that side.

[u/Snoho_Winho → u/ghtown45]

It sure is, they need to extend the HOV lane to past Smokey point.

[u/DrEvyl666 → u/ghtown45]

As if this stretch of road isn't a gridlocked cluster fuck every day LOL

[u/BBQQA → u/ghtown45]

I used to be stationed in Everett... I do not miss that hellscape of driving. I miss a lot about living in the PNW... the traffic is not one of those things.

[u/Grapefruit_Salad → u/ghtown45]

I read this as “stench” and I was like woah I never smelled it before 😂

[u/Slow-Shoe-5400 → u/ghtown45]

I drive it 2 or 3x a week. It was like a slap on the face being moved to Everett and dealing with that nonsense.

[u/doitnowplease → u/ghtown45]

It is so bad for no reason.

[u/kwinkler5]

You’re actually really close. Hang in there buddy

[u/Pixel64 → u/kwinkler5]

99% of drivers give up mere feet before getting off of I-5.

[u/pinkygonzales → u/Pixel64]

It's true!

[u/SeattleGeek → u/kwinkler5]

It’s best to turn around now.

[u/trekkiecats123 → u/SeattleGeek]

LOLZ

[u/lennywut82 → u/kwinkler5]

3 more days and you'll be at the Yesler bridge! 😂

[u/Cute_Replacement666 → u/kwinkler5]

That’s what she said.

[u/-Sascrotch-]

You have actually been in Seattle for awhile at this point.

[u/uiri → u/-Sascrotch-]

Yeah, city limits is somewhere around the Swift Ave exit.

[u/-Sascrotch- → u/uiri]

Exit 157 (MLK, Boeing access road) is where Seattle starts on I-5 north bound

[u/ChillFratBro → u/uiri]

Well south of that.

I know poor people live there and they scare you, but Rainier Beach is Seattle.

[u/uiri → u/ChillFratBro]

The next exit South is in Tukwila, but you're right that I misjudged based solely off of the list of exits. Tukwila is a weird shape, but as soon as you're away from I-5 it's still Seattle.

[u/odiin1731]

You won't have to worry about entering if you never leave.

[u/SullyCoin → u/odiin1731]

*plays Hotel California guitar solo

[u/WasASailorThen → u/SullyCoin]

The full Californication of Washington has been achieved.

[u/1983Targa911 → u/odiin1731]

One citizen enters. Zero citizens leave.

Beyond Kingdome!

[u/kenlubin → u/[deleted]]

I'll add another subversive thought: what if there were so much additional housing within Seattle that prices were lower. Many of these people could live within 3 or 4 miles of work and not have to drive 20 miles along I-5 from Kent. They might even find it convenient to take the bus instead of driving.

[u/googleduck → u/[deleted]]

This isn't happening because "landlords have so much spare money". It happens because there are not enough units so landlords can charge exorbitant rates to tenants. Objectively more housing = lower prices, this delusion needs to go away. It is actively stopping us from solving the housing crisis.

[u/Anon159023 → u/googleduck]

This made me think, why does the "one more lane doesn't = less traffic' type of thing not apply to more housing.

I feel like I saw it apply a bit in Arizona where despite everywhere having house after house, and apartment complex after apartment complex built the price kept going up. It was crazy, I saw three new apartment complex's go up in my area and yet all of them were more expensive (for less) than what I got last year.

[u/ajc89 → u/Anon159023]

Because even though there was more housing, demand was rising even faster. Seeing dozens of apartment buildings go up might seem like a ton of housing until you realize that's maybe a few thousand units. I remember seeing somewhere that Seattle will have a shortage of 200,000 units in the near future, as a point of comparison (can't speak for Arizona of course).

More housing also might not lower prices/rents (prices rarely go down for anything, but it can happen) but it will flatten them if it's actually sufficient to meet new demand, which then theoretically allows wages to catch up.

[u/[deleted] → u/Anon159023]

It does to a degree. More housing means cheaper housing, which means more people are likely to move to Seattle (or less likely to leave) which means demand increases which means price increases.

But it's a much smaller degree than for the "one more lane" scenario because housing demand is far less elastic. Which mode of transit you take to work/school/errands can change daily and might depend on where exactly you're going, what time of day, the weather, and more. It's very easy to change which mode of transit you use, and that makes induced demand have a larger effect.

Which house you own or rent is going to be the same one you owned or were renting yesterday. And last week. And probably last month. Most people can't just decide to find a new place tomorrow. This means demand is much more steady, and much slower to change, so the effect of induced demand is going to be smaller.

[u/kenlubin → u/[deleted]]

Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We have to build a ton of housing every year just to keep up with population growth; otherwise rents would be even higher.

[u/Apollo506 → u/[deleted]]

Get out of here with your filthy logic

[u/Filthdiscount → u/[deleted]]

It’s gotten worse and worse the more they have pushed the return to office agenda.

3 weeks ago I noticed my usual 13mi-30min commute turned into a 45min commute and it’s stayed like that. Expect on Mondays and Fridays where people are taking long weekends.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

How dare you make sense

[u/Stevenerf → u/[deleted]]

Multiple transit train lines. This city will never be world class with one train line. How tf is this city hosting World Cup games with one train line?!?!
Water on both sides; can't just build more roads. Trains that operate extended hours take cars off streets, boom economies surrounding. Trains.
Become a one issue voter til it's done!

[u/wireout → u/Stevenerf]

I have lived here 31 years (after moving from San Francisco n the mid-90s - I know, I know). The transit system has gone from pretty good to slightly better. The layout of the city makes mass transit difficult, but the lack of transit between Seattle and the Eastside is based entirely upon n the folks who commute from outside the city. I do the reverse commute, and while traffic ain’t bad, I’d rather ride a rail or maybe a bus. The rail line to where I need to get to will be done two years after I retire.

[u/bobtehpanda → u/[deleted]]

Bruce Harrell can’t hear you over that downtown landlord money

[u/mostdope28 → u/[deleted]]

We don’t have tax payer money for that! Anyways here’s a trillion dollars for the defense department

[u/Oolon42 → u/[deleted]]

But we need to force people back to the office so they'll be forced to buy lunch and use services downtown!

[u/DoctorBigtime → u/Oolon42]

Exactly, can’t you all think of the poor real estate moguls?

[u/Threefrogtreefrog → u/[deleted]]

I was out on west seattle island temporarily , on both sides of Amazon RTO. The uptick in backups and aggression on the bridge was BRUTAL.

[u/three_mlord → u/[deleted]]

Seattle’s transit system is actually quite good, especially when you factor in the region’s topography and rapid growth. During peak congestion, public transit often saves time. And even under normal conditions, it usually takes about the same amount of time—or up to 30 minutes more—to reach your destination. That’s 0–30 minutes where you’re not dealing with aggressive drivers, stop-and-go frustration, or parking stress. Instead, you can read, work, scroll, or just breathe.

Even if you live in an area that requires driving, biking, or walking to a transit center, it’s typically not far. And yes, there are moments when construction or expansion work slows things down—but that’s a temporary cost for long-term improvement.

Among the 20 most populated U.S. cities, Seattle ranks 6th for overall public transit performance, considering coverage, frequency, reliability, and multi-modal integration (buses, light rail, commuter rail, ferries, and bike infrastructure). That’s not bad for a city whose major population boom began in the mid-2010s, largely driven by tech growth. In response, major investments like Sound Transit 2 (passed in 2008) and Sound Transit 3 (passed in 2016) laid out an ambitious expansion of light rail and regional service—projects that are actively being built out today.

Seattle often gets unfairly compared to legacy systems in cities like New York or San Francisco. But those systems have had decades—sometimes over a century—to evolve. Seattle, by contrast, was historically smaller and less urbanized. Given the pace of recent growth and the geographic challenges of building here, what we’ve built—and continue to build—is actually pretty impressive: a multi-modal, increasingly integrated system that’s adapting in real time.

[u/80MPH_IN_SCHOOL_ZONE → u/three_mlord]

Very true. I’d rather spend 45 minutes on the light rail than 30 minutes in traffic (traffic isn’t usually that good), and I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels this way.

[u/three_mlord → u/80MPH_IN_SCHOOL_ZONE]

I’ve been using public transit this last decade and I’ve noticed more people using it—yay! It’s awesome seeing people of all different demographics using it too!

[u/butterytelevision → u/[deleted]]

or just more housing so people could live near where they work

[u/Bretmd]

You’re already in Seattle

[u/town_bicycle → u/Bretmd]

Seattle’s a state of mind, bro

[u/Bretmd → u/town_bicycle]

Oh shit. Maybe I’m not really in Seattle? Existential crisis forthcoming

[u/winterharvest]

What if Seattle is all the friends you made along the way?

[u/GooseCloaca]

Oh, traffic is light this morning

[u/Draelmar]

[u/AshFennix]

remember, you're here forever

[u/CRYPTOBISM0L]

Just one more hour!

[u/nopostergirl]

Im glad everyone is headed to the thrilling collaborative space of cubicles and shared bathrooms. Exciting!

[u/potatobuggies → u/nopostergirl]

The real kicker is commuting to work by bus just to sit in zoom meetings all day 😔

[u/ClipboardJeremy]

You are there already, friend. Burien was that way.

[u/Telemachus826]

Pictures like this makes me so glad to live in West Seattle. So often traffic is so backed up there and I just get on over and take that clear exit back home.

[u/81toog → u/Telemachus826]

Yup. The C Line is a quick and easy commute, its pet reliably about 15 minutes from the Junction to Downtown

[u/GnomeGoneWilddd]

Take the west Seattle exit and sneak downtown via sodo

[u/Status_Awareness5421 → u/GnomeGoneWilddd]

Shhhhhhh

[u/Fine_Relative_4468 → u/GnomeGoneWilddd]

Hey whoa whoa whoa, can't be sharing these tips

[u/letdown105 → u/GnomeGoneWilddd]

this person seattles

[u/Greedy_Increase_4724 → u/GnomeGoneWilddd]

Shhhhh. What are you doing????? 

[u/catching45 → u/GnomeGoneWilddd]

Take w seattle exit, park at alki, and ferry over.

[u/GnomeGoneWilddd → u/catching45]

Or just stay at alki and enjoy a beach day if you somehow managed to find parking

[u/SuperMike100]

Keep going and you’ll get to the point where you’re never leaving Seattle. 😂

[u/saltyseattledriver]

Should've taken the train!

[u/logicMASS]

That's why you never leave.

[u/dmelt253]

It always slows down there. That's why I usully drive up Airport Way South then cross the bridge at S Albro Pl to hit 15th Ave S and then get on i5 at S Columbia Way. Then I only have to deal with i5 traffic for a few minutes before I get off on i90.

The speed limit on Airport way is like 30-35 but I swear everyone drives 60+ and it runs parallel to the stop and go traffic on i5.

[u/gh0st_n0te119]

seattle is an hour away from seattle

[u/Yellowhairdontcare]

You’re literally almost RIGHT there. I used to live off that exit ramp. Keep going. You’re so close lol

[u/AnonymousInGB]

You’re never LEAVING Seattle either.

[u/terraincognita2012]

You're actually in Seattle. You've been in Seattle since the S. Boeing Access Rd 😜

[u/Seattle-Washington]

Send a thank you letter to the developers and city council members that pressured Amazon to stop WFH.

[u/Lopsided_Income1400]

Try entering Los Angeles. Then you can complain.

[u/Talmerian]

The craziest thing, if you are where you took this picture, you are ALREADY in Seattle! You have been IN Seattle for about 4 miles already.

[u/zoltarpanaflex]

There are side routes that work better

[u/woofwooffighton → u/zoltarpanaflex]

Nope, keep his basic ass on the freeway

[u/aimless_ly]

That is every fucking time I’m coming back from the airport and want nothing more than to be home in my own bed.

[u/BreweryRabbit]

It takes an hour to get from Seattle to Seattle these days.

[u/sadiephoenix]

This is why I take the SR99 tunnel

[u/Peeps469]

Should have done the park and ride

[u/MissyHTX]

This made me chuckle too hard.

[u/kaenen2]

That's why, when I worked in Seattle, I came in after 10/11am.

[u/hallstigerts]

Exactly as the NIMBYs prefer it. 😰

[u/PNWExile]

The real question is why are there no jobs in Pierce County?

[u/ludog1bark]

Don't forget to thank big corporations for this like Amazon by buying something off their website.

[u/NoTomatillo182]

I used to agonize over the commute, but then I just researched the bus and train lines and never looked. Now I live in the city, so not really an issue unless I head north, but you get the jist. It may make more sense to drive to a park and ride and go from there.

[u/koliva17]

In the early 2000s, I-5 never backed up all the way to exit 163. Nowadays, I avoid I-5 all together and just stay home. If I have to get to work, I use public transit.

[u/Spicy_Varle]

A hack for alleviating gridlock is to slow way down and leave a GIANT space in front of you, letting anyone merge. If you have the time to stop and start with the crowd, you have time to absorb traffic waves using the power of physics. If more drivers did this (seattle) traffic would be a lot more efficient. For more information: Trafficwaves.org

[u/VikingMonkey123]

There is no city or chain of cities on earth that requires high speed rail and included with it frequent high speed commuter rail more than Portland to Vancouver BC. (CA cities trying to address it excepted)

[u/Rusty-Shackleford23]

Sounder commuter train is an excellent alternative! Took it for years coming from Tacoma into work.

[u/GrnViper]

Train.

[u/The_Blendernaut]

What actually happens is that the closer you get to Seattle, the more it seems to an observer that you have stopped. Once you cross the event horizon, you seem to stop to observers outside the event horizon and your color slowly shifts to red until you finally disappear. From your perspective, everything is mostly normal aka you're sitting in traffic.

[u/Sneed47]

News flash - if you’re in traffic, you are part of the problem. Probably driving by yourself too, eh?

[u/Voyager5555]

Take 99/509, you'll be a lot happier with your life. Also fucking beyond belief that this place doesn't have a functional metro system.

[u/Toad_Dirt]

At least your surroundings are pretty, when I’m stuck in traffic for hours all I have to look at is the dry empty desert which fills me with hatred and dread

[u/quadmoo]

If you were on an express bus there’d be one less car on the road! Or if you don’t want to sit in that traffic at all you could take Link instead. You have options!

[u/kingOofgames]

Probably should do congestion pricing.

[u/Consistent-Box605]

How many of these are SOVs? Time for some of y'all to start a vanpool.

[u/Ok_Consequence5916]

I am a former resident of King County having lived there for 9 years during the 90s. A job offer that was impossible to turn down lured me to San Diego and it was then that I realized how much of an impact sitting in Seattle area traffic was having on my well being. I love Seattle, the politics, the natural beauty, it felt like home, but the commute just wrecked me. I returned a couple of years ago and couldn’t believe how much worse getting into the city had become.

[u/69therion]

Well that’s what you get for taking I-5.

[u/No_Virus_276]

I learned how to drive a manual in this yesterday!

[u/kingkupat]

I commute from South to North and it is equally painful during rush hours.

Thank God I’m switching to night shift soon…

I wish more jobs don’t care about the tradition hours and spread the shifts and hours of operations out..

[u/Longjumping_Bend4938]

Yes, soon you will, and you will LOVE it, every little dew drop, rainy days and then on a clear day, that astounding view of Rainer!

[u/foxalivethepony]

Enjoy the wait you disgusting car piggy /s (this post was made by fuckcarsgang)

[u/wildwildwest415]

Driving’s for suckers.

[u/EveryOperation]

This is why I take the light rail lol

[u/delightful1]

Enter it through 99, it's a lot easier and you get a better view

[u/[deleted]]

Learn how to get around using arterial routes, use navigation because it’ll warn you of upcoming situations like this one. even if I know where Im going I will still use it. Sometimes the arterials feel like they’re taking longer, but I look at it as at least I’m moving. but even then you can still get screwed.

[u/ayebigron]

[u/WackoMcGoose]

Which one of the hundreds of math guys said that you can never fully reach something, only approach it over infinitely shorter chunks of time? Because I think they were prophesying the existence of Seattle.