(Illustrated Traffic Violations from Seattle Municipal Archives. Everyone in the Seattle MB Flickrpool!)

When I was walking from the parking deck to my office the other day, I ran into a co-worker who had also just commuted in. He noted that it only took him 10 minutes to come down I-5 from north Seattle. In a normal morning rush hour, it’s usually 20-40 minutes, maybe more. I noted the same thing too — the traffic on I-5 has been a lot lighter the last few months, almost like it’s the vacation season in August, not the middle of a cold, rainy spring.

Meanwhile, the long-route buses are overcrowded.

Are we finally seeing the seeing the effects of gas approaching $4/gallon here? Are people changing their habits? Or am I imagining it?