TACOMA, Wash. — Driving in Western Washington can feel like a nightmare. But for many commuters, it’s still the price they pay for convenience and comfort.
“It’s a short drive, and also there’s no bus, or mass transit where I am,” said Kim, who commutes from West Seattle.
Another commuter, DC, who drives from Tacoma, said, “I feel the most comfortable in my car.”
But sitting in traffic comes at a cost — in both time and money.
The High Price of Gridlock
According to Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst with INRIX, congestion carries real financial consequences.
“You’re talking about real time and a real cost,” Pishue said.
Using values from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pishue estimates that a driver taking I-405 northbound from Renton to Bellevue every day would lose about 61 hours a year in traffic — costing a little over $1,100 in lost time alone.
KIRO 7 tested one of the region’s busiest routes: driving I-5 north from Tacoma to KIRO 7’s newsroom in downtown Seattle.
Leaving the Tacoma Dome at 8 a.m., the drive took an hour and 9 minutes, which was slightly faster than the 1 hour and 11 minutes projected by GPS.
According to AAA, the average gas price in Pierce County was $3.93 per gallon at the end of January. Assuming our Ford Explorer gets 25 miles per gallon, the 68-mile round trip would cost $10.69 in fuel alone.
Drivers could opt for a toll road to bypass backups, adding roughly $2.40 with Good To Go. Parking is another expense. According to the app SpotHero, the average garage rate in Seattle is just over $7.30 per day. That’s based on the monthly parking total. Add in tolls, and commuting costs could climb to roughly $20 a day.
For DC, gas alone runs about $70 a week. He said he carpools with his wife to help cut costs. Experts also recommend using apps like GasBuddy to find the cheapest fuel nearby.
Pishue suggests considering alternatives.
“Try an alternative mode like vanpooling and transit,” he said. “If you can get out of your car and find a different way, that goes a long way into reducing the impact on the road network.”
Is Public Transit a Better Deal?
With traffic in the Puget Sound region worsening, KIRO also examined whether public transit offers a better balance of time, cost and convenience.
David Jackson, a spokesperson for Sound Transit, said transit eliminates the hassle of parking.
“Sound Transit is a great option because you don’t have to look for parking when you get to where you’re going,” Jackson said. “Your train is reliable, safe, and clean. It’s cheap.”
But not all commuters are convinced.
“Transit doesn’t have that much safety on it,” DC said.
Others prefer the bus or train.
Damita Gomez commutes from Lakewood, took the 7:23 a.m., route 592 bus, into Seattle. The trip typically takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
“I don’t want to have to drive frankly,” Gomez said. “It’s kind of nice on the bus. I can take a nap if I want to or typically read or answer emails if I need to.”
With commuter benefits through work, she pays about $6 round trip using an ORCA card — so $3 each way.
Irene Estrada, who lives in Olympia but commutes from the Tacoma Dome Station, said she saves more than $100 every two weeks by taking transit. She leaves home around 7 a.m. to catch a 7:50 train, arriving in Seattle around 8:50.
Parking at the Tacoma Dome and other transit facilities has been free. However, starting this year, Sound Transit will begin charging user fees at select park-and-ride stations, which could cost $2 per day and potentially bring daily commuting costs to about $8.
Jackson noted that additional savings programs are available. The income-qualified ORCA LIFT program reduces fares to $1 each way.
Time or Money?
In KIRO 7’s test, driving from Tacoma to Seattle took just over an hour and cost $10.69 in fuel, not including parking and tolls. Transit proved cheaper — in some cases significantly so — but often required earlier departures and longer overall travel times.
In the end, commuters must weigh what matters most: time or money.
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