Central Puget Sound State Route 167 - Throughput
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Measures of throughput productivity on the SR 167 corridor in the central Puget Sound region.
Throughput productivity
Throughput productivity measures how efficiently existing highway capacity is being used. It can be reported for vehicles or travelers, making it a very adaptive metric. WSDOT uses the maximum throughput standard to assess travel delay relative to a highway's most efficient speed, which is 85% of the posted speed limit.
Lost throughput productivity is the percentage change of highway throughput in respect to maximum throughput due to congestion and other events that cause vehicles to travel below a threshold speed. See WSDOT's
Handbook for Corridor Capacity Evaluation (PDF 5.9MB).
Sources: WSDOT Transportation Safety and Systems Analysis Division and WSDOT TRACFLOW (https://tracflow.wsdot.wa.gov/)
Multi-year trends
In 2022,throughput productivity was worse compared to 2021.
In 2020, due to the statewide response to COVID-19 there was less of a drop in vehicle throughput compared to previous years. Throughput productivity losses were smaller and shorter in duration than in 2019.
From 2018 through 2019, SR 167 at 84th Avenue South northbound lost throughput productivity during the morning commute and southbound lost throughput during the evening commute.
Annual highlights
In 2022, throughput productivity was worse than 2021. As congestion increases and speeds decrease below maximum throughput, highways carry fewer vehicles, resulting in a drop in throughput productivity. To gauge the lost productivity on SR 167 in the central Puget Sound region, WSDOT analyzed vehicle throughput at 84th Avenue South.
In 2022, vehicle throughput at this location ranged from 83% to 100% of maximum throughput at the most congested times. Throughput productivity varies by direction of travel, location and time of day. For example, in 2022 loss of throughput due to congestion southbound evening commute started 100 minutes earlier compared to 2021 and ended 30 minutes later. Throughput productivity loss northbound started and ended the same time in 2021 and 2022.
In 2021, throughput productivity was similar to 2020. As congestion increases and speeds decrease below maximum throughput, highways carry fewer vehicles, resulting in a drop in throughput productivity. To gauge the lost productivity on SR 167 in the central Puget Sound region, WSDOT analyzed vehicle throughput at 84th Avenue South.
In 2021, vehicle throughput at this location ranged from 86% to 100% of maximum throughput at the most congested times. Throughput productivity varies by direction of travel, location and time of day. For example, in 2021 loss of throughput due to congestion southbound evening commute started at 30 minutes earlier time compared to 2020 but ended same time in 2021. Throughput productivity loss nourthbound started later at 6:10 a.m. in 2021 compared to 6:25 a.m. in 2020.
In 2020, due to the statewide response to COVID-19 there was less drop in vehicle throughput compared to the previous year. The throughput productivity losses were smaller and shorter in duration than in 2019. As congestion increases and speeds decrease below maximum throughput, highways carry fewer vehicles, resulting in a drop in throughput productivity. To gauge the lost productivity on SR 167 in the central Puget Sound region, WSDOT analyzed vehicle throughput at 84th Avenue South.
In 2020, vehicle throughput at this location ranged from 81% to 100% of maximum throughput at the most congested times. Throughput productivity varies by direction of travel, location and time of day. For example, in 2020 loss of throughput due to congestion SB evening commute started at the same time as 2019 but ended 30 minutes sooner in 2020. Throughput productivity loss NB started later at 6:20 a.m. in 2020 compared to 5:55 a.m. in 2019.
As congestion increases and speeds decrease below maximum throughput, highways carry fewer vehicles, resulting in a drop in throughput productivity. To gauge the lost productivity on SR 167 in the central Puget Sound region, WSDOT analyzed vehicle throughput at 84th Avenue South.
In 2019, vehicle throughput at this location ranged from 80% to 100% of maximum throughput at the most congested times. Throughput productivity varies by direction of travel, location and time of day. For example, in 2019, 19% of the freeway;s capacity was reduced due to slower speeds caused by congestion for commuters traveling southbound at 84th Avenue Southe at 5:30 p.m. Throughput productivity loss was severe in 2019 than it was in 2018, ending at 6 p.m.
As congestion increases and speeds decrease below maximum throughput, highways carry fewer vehicles, resulting in a drop in throughput productivity. To gauge the lost productivity on SR 167 in the central Puget Sound region, WSDOT analyzed vehicle throughput at 84th Avenue South.
In 2018, vehicle throughput at this location ranged from 80% to 100% of maximum throughput at their most congested times. Throughput productivity varies by direction of travel, location and time of day. For example, in 2018, 12% of the freeway's capacity was reduced due to slower speeds caused by congestion for commuters traveling southbound at 84th Avenue Southe at 5:40 p.m. Throughput productivity loss was 20 minutes longer in 2018 than it was in 2017, ending at 6:30 p.m.