What Have We Learned?

It seems that the "traffic apocalypse" is over. For now. We went through a couple of weeks of construction on north bound I-5 and from all reports... wait for it... traffic was better during this time of construction then it was before (with the exception of my trip to Issaquah during a Mariners game, but that doesn't really count. Traffic is always jacked during games). People rode the bus, got on the train and they rode their bikes. It was good to see. So, what have we learned?

Well, I learned that when there are less cars on the road a person can actually use I-5 as a way to go north to south in the afternoon. It was like it used to be when I was in college. In the early 90's if you wanted to go somewhere, you jumped on I-5 went to the the exit you needed and arrived at your destination in pretty good time. These days you stay off of I-5 at all costs on all days. Too many cars. But with less cars on the road it was like stepping into a time machine.

Hopefully the many people that found an alternate means of transportation also learned something. Hopefully, those people learned that buses aren't half bad, that the train is pretty cool and that biking to work really is the best way to get there. Hopefully they learned that the answer to all of our traffic problems is not more lanes but less cars. If not, well, we'll get another chance next year when they shut down the south bound lanes!