Amazon's New Office Policy: A Recipe for Chaos on the Roads?

The roads of western Washington are already notorious for their congestion, but a new policy from Amazon is set to make things even worse. The tech giant has announced that it will be requiring its employees to come into the office two more days a week, which will undoubtedly add to the already busy roads and highways around the sound. This is especially concerning given the fact that the East Link light rail station, which will connect the eastside to Seattle, is still under construction and the Revive I-5 projects will be underway in the spring. As drivers, we know that traffic in western Washington can be chaotic, with words like "gnarly," "congested," and "gridlock" being used to describe it. But what will happen when Amazon's new policy goes into effect? Will it add to the already busy roads and highways around the sound, especially during rush hour on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays? The answer seems to be a resounding yes.

Ryan Avery, the deputy director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington, believes that this new policy will be a challenge for traffic. "Wider peaks for the rush hour," he said. "We used to be bad for three hours, now it's bad for five. Sometimes it's bad all day." Avery also pointed out that this new policy comes at a bad time, with the East Link light rail station still under construction and the Revive I-5 projects underway in the spring. As commuters prepare for the added stress and problems that this new policy will bring, it's clear that something needs to be done to alleviate the congestion on the roads. Perhaps it's time for Amazon to rethink its new policy and find a solution that doesn't put an additional strain on the roads.

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