Washington Department of Transportation Dramatically Lowers Traffic Forecasts

The Proposed Columbia River Crossing
By NIGEL JAQUISS

The Washington Department of Transportation has released new analysis that shows sharply lower forecasts for future vehicle miles traveled—on the order of 25 percent lower over then next 25 years.

Those figures confirm the principal criticism leveled by opponents of the on-again, off-again Columbia River Crossing Project, the $3.2 billion highway and light-rail connection between Portland and Vancouver, Wash.

Opponents said the CRC's financial projections were unrealistic because they depended on out-dated traffic modeling that showed significant and ever-increasing traffic flows.

"WSDOT wants the VMT forecast to be as accurate as possible," said Daniela Bremmer, director of strategic assessment and performance analysis in a statement. "Under the past forecast model, VMT had been overestimated. In September 2014, the forecast model was modified so the forecast better aligned with recent VMT history and our fuel consumption forecasts. This helps us more accurately plan for the future.”

WWeek 2015

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