As Eddie Izzard Says... "Ciao!"

You could be riding around the city on a scooter saving massive gas mileage! This is another way to save money on gas, and have fun getting around. Scooting would let you take the HOV lanes on the freeway, but with some of the smaller scooters, I wouldnt' recommend it.

When people think of motorcycle commuting, it's important to remember that scooters and mopeds are ok too.

Careful Passing and the Flying V on Seattle Highways

There is a phenomenon I have witnessed on Seattle's highways. That of people driving at the same speed next to each other. This is much akin to geese flying in formation.

Don't create the flying V. This is wrong. People should just be getting into the passing lane (that is the left one for those of you moving here from the other hemisphere) unless you intend to pass somebody. If you aren't passing, please refrain from using this lane. The space is primarily there to enable PASSING not CRUISING.

If you are being passed by cars in the right lane, you probably should not be in the left (passing) lane. This key indicator, cars passing you with people shaking their fists in the air, is a signal for you to get back into the non-passing lane.

If you do, in fact, decide to pass someone in the left lane, please return to the non-passing lane when you are done and you will be helping reduce congestion and will be helping Seattle with its traffic problem.

A final note, passing is one the most dangerous components of driving. According to IVI, lane changes account for 10% of crashes. When you're passing, be extremely careful with each lane change; signal your intentions by turning on your signal long before changing lanes; and be respectful of the other vehicles on the road. Also, be extra careful on the 24th since it's Drive Nice Day!

Not Crop Circles...

Here's an article I found that shows the reduction of accidents after putting in Traffic Circles in neighborhoods. Neighborhood Traffic Calming: Seattle's Traffic Circle Program

I think it's amazing how making the right small change can make a big impact on a problem. This is how I view the traffic congestion problems in Seattle. This is a seemingly daunting problem that many people don't believe they can affect. But you can affect it.

You personally can change your driving behaviors in simple and repeatable ways to improve traffic. You must realize that traffic is created by cars, cars are driven by people, and people have bad habits. It's not fun to drive more responsibly, but it is powerful.

You created the traffic. Take a stand and change your part of the road.

Letter from Julie!

Here's a recent email I got from someone about this site. I thought I'd share with everyone since it explained the spirit of what we're trying to do here.

Dear iamseattletraffic,

Okay seriously, so this is really having an effect on me! I didn’t quite expect this, but I have been driving with the iamseattletraffic sticker in my window for about a week and I notice that I’m paying attention to my driving habit more closely. Especially in congested traffic!

I’m still working on cutting out the old habit of trying to accelerate too much and breaking, but I’m making progress, and I made a trip during commute time the other day without many stops. It made the whole drive seem less frustrating.

I find the advocating of the program has me more aware of my driving actions towards others and I’m cutting in less and being more aware and courteous overall. I’ll bet other drivers like being around me more…! :-)

Thanks for putting up this site (and to my friend for sending it my way)! Something I thought was sorta tongue in cheek actually made a big difference for a typically-unpleasant chunk of my day!

Cheers,

Julie

Julie, thanks for the email and keep moving toward Traffic Zen. We can do this one car at a time!

Don't Stop Moving

Yesterday afternoon, I had to get to Seattle from my job in Redmond. I had to be there at 4:30, so I left at about 3:30. I wasn't looking forward to the traffic, but I wanted to use it as an opportunity to use my zen skills.

I made an amazing accomplishment: I did not come to a full stop the entire time I was on SR-520!

The way that I accomplished this was by leaving a ton of room in from of me, and maintaining a constant (slow!) speed as much as possible. The car in front of me kept speeding up and jerking to a stop, over and over again. When they were stopped, I slowly crept toward them. When they started moving I let them pull away and kept creeping at the same speed or I accelerated a little.

The car behind me didn't have to stop either. And neither did the car behind her. When I got on the bridge, I could see pretty far back because it's straight, and I watched a whole line of cars (hundreds of them) that were all flowing together in one continuous motion.

The car directly behing me didn't leave me much room at first, but by the time we got to the bridge, she realized what was going on and started staying pretty far back from me. So cars behind her were getting a double buffer of fluid traffic.

I hear from people quite a bit "if you leave a lot of room, other cars will just fill it." The reality is that it doesn't happen as much as you'd think. A few cars will zoom in and get in front of you, but it really doesn't affect you when you're further back. And chances are they would have changed lanes at some point anyway, so this way at least they have the room they need and don't cause a backup while they change lanes.

Please start leaving room in front of your car when you're in congestion. Not only will your stress be reduced (it gives you a challenge too, which is fun) but the cars behind you will thank you too.

I Am Pac-Man!

Recently there has been a spot of construction on my commute that forces the right lane to be closed. It happens to be at the top of a hill, so it's hard for people who (I'm assuming) don't drive this way every day to know it's there. I, on the other hand, know it's there and usually try and get over early. This eases my stress level because I don't have to fight, but it is annoying to see the other cars jockey for position as they merge over as late as possible.

So I tried "Pac-Manning" this morning to see what would happen. For those of you who are not aware, imagine your car is Pac-Man, and the white dots on the road are the yummy white dots you have to eat in the game.

I split the lanes (and ate up the dots) and kept my left blinker on. I did this with about 10 car-lengths in front of me before the merge light. Meanwhile I kept an eye on the rear-view mirror to watch the action.

Here's what happened: Almost immediately, cars behind me started realizing they had to merge, and put their left signals on. As more cars did this, I saw the line of blinking lights move further and further back (about 20-30 cars or so) and cars started getting over when they could. The lane behind me became clear, and more cars could see further. I watched as the cars behind me smoothly merged together and proceeded forward with a nice flow.

Usually cars fight their way into the merge, realizing after they've run out of runway that the reason for the hold-up is the closed lane. I hope to keep using this technique to make merges easier for everyone, and I encourage you to do the same.

Post a comment with your merging tips!

Driving In Congestion

Driving Fast Is Fun...

You probably enjoy the feeling of driving your automobile at high speeds down long stretches of open road with no care in the world. And who can blame you; it's a wonderful feeling. This is the epitome of enjoyment in driving.

...Commuting Isn't

But we commute during rush hour because we have to. Not for enjoyment. If we were driving merely for enjoyment (and not for our responsibilities), we would pick a much more convenient time.

Wise Ancient Proverb: If you are driving for fun during rush hour simply stop. It is unenlightened and very selfish.

Realizing that you are not driving for fun is the first step toward enlightenment as a Zen Traffic Driver. There are new rules for driving in this state of mind:

• The posted speed limit is irrelevent. Traffic Zen requires you to discover the True Speed Limit and stick to it. This may be slower than the posted speed limit, but it will usually be faster than zero.


• Speed should be changed gracefully. A Traffic Zen driver knows that acceleration and braking should be done as little as possible. Maintaining a constant speed close to the True Speed Limit is where enlightenment lies. Brake earlier and more slowly, accelerate later and more cautiously. Treat each as a precious act; do not waste.


• Covering the road between you and the car in front of you can wait. Despite the low True Speed Limit, you should not drive close to the car in front of you. Leave space. This will help you discover the True Speed Limit, and will let you change your speed much more gracefully.


• You cannot get to your destination any faster than the other cars will let you. This is a double edged sword. You also decide how quickly your fellow road dwellers will arrive at their destinations. In order to maximize everyone's travel, everyone on the road must achieve enlightenment. Fortunately you are only responsible for yourself.

The divine realization: You contribute to traffic congestion whenever you go faster than the car in front you. All cars improve the flow of traffic by going the same speed or slower than the car in front of them.

The Universal Goals of the Commute

Regardless of job and lifestyle, there are certain unalienable goals we all have for our commute.

Here are the basic undying (and very productive) goals:

• We want to arrive as quickly as possible
• We want to arrive as safely as possible
• We want to arrive as relaxed as possible

These goals make perfect sense, and can more readily be achieved through Traffic Zen Enlightenment.

The Secondary (and usually counter-productive) Goals of the commute:

• We want to arrive entertained
• We want to arrive fed
• We want to arrive caffienated
• We want to arrive groomed

While the 4 secondary goals are understandable they can add extreme difficulty to achieving Traffic Zen.

Some examples of how we try to accomplish these goals:

Entertained. Talking on the phone. Listening to the radio. Watching TV. People watching. Talking to others in the car. Enjoying the scenery. Driving fast. Reading the news. Singing.

Fed. Donuts. Cereal with milk. Bagels. Eggs. Yogurt. Sandwiches. Sushi.

Caffienated. Drinking Coffee. Steeping Tea. Downing Red Bull.

Groomed. Shaving. Putting on makeup. Combing the hair. Changing a shirt. Taking off a jacket. Putting on a tie. Putting in contacts.

These tasks all seem harmless enough. But when you realize that the person doing them is driving a car in traffic, you can see the difficulty it can add to achieving Traffic Zen. Choose wisely how you meet your Secondary Goals. Know your limit. Traffic Zen requires the utmost attention and meditation.