This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
INRIX, a firm that studies traffic, has been tracking data on the impact of Amazon’s five days a week in-office mandate on Seattle-area traffic.
According to charts from INRIX that were posted last week, Friday morning traffic (from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) has become worse than pre-pandemic levels in every area the company tracked, except for one.
INRIX looked at speed levels over the span of January 2019, December 2024, January 2024 and January 2025. The commutes tracked were Interstate 405 (I-405) north to Bellevue, I-405 south Lynnwood to Bellevue, State Route (SR) 520 west Overlake to Seattle, Interstate 90 (I-90) east Eastgate to Seattle, Interstate 5 (I-5) south Everett to Seattle, I-5 north Tacoma to Seattle and Ballard to Pike Street.
Expect traffic: Amazon employees in Washington begin return to office full time
In every area, except SR 520 west Overlake to Seattle, traffic slowed on Fridays in January 2025, compared to January 2019. Looking at this year compared to last year, the most significant traffic jump on Fridays was seen on the I-405 north Renton to Bellevue and I-5 north Tacoma to Seattle commutes.
Tuesdays also saw a traffic increase from 2019 to 2025. However, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were the opposite, with the majority of commutes seeing less traffic during those days of the week in January 2025, compared to January 2019.
“The return of tens of thousands of Amazon employees daily commuting to downtown Seattle and Bellevue created ripple effects that were quickly felt,” INRIX wrote on its website. “As a result, highways connecting suburbs to urban centers experienced significant congestion, with travel times doubling in some cases.”
To view each chart, visit INRIX’s website.
According to the company, commute times increased by 15-20%, with some side streets reporting even longer delays. It added the spike in traffic heightened stress on infrastructure, with highways and local roads struggling to accommodate.
Background of Amazon’s full-time in-office mandate
In September 2024, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced employees would have to report to the office five days a week instead of the previous three days a week. He noted exceptions include if an employee’s child is sick, if they have a house emergency, if they are on the road seeing customers or partners or if they need a day to finish coding in a more isolated environment.
Jassy said “having the right culture” is imperative for the company and having employees back five days a week will strengthen that culture. He believes the new policy will lead to more innovation and collaboration.
‘Extra income for everyone:’ Business owners rejoice as Amazon workers return full time
While workers’ rights advocates and some inside the company fought back against the return to the office, others — like those who stand to make a profit — are celebrating the resurgence of foot traffic.
Café workers, food truck owners and more, all surrounding the corporate offices in South Lake Union, told KIRO Newsradio earlier this month they’d noticed a higher number of people walking the sidewalks than any Monday in recent memory.
INRIX is hopeful Amazon will be able to collaborate with city officials to balance the strained infrastructure with a revitalized downtown.
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