The left lane exit on I-5 that cut my time in half

My commute into downtown Seattle was always a crawl after the Mercer Street exit. I noticed a few cars darting into the left lane just before the exit, which seemed wrong. I tried it last Tuesday and it uses a separate, faster lane that merges back after the off-ramp. It saved me about 12 minutes. Has anyone else found a weird lane rule that actually works?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancycooper16d ago

Oh man, that lane is a total game changer. I do the same thing on the 520 westbound exit. Everyone piles into the right lane a mile early, but if you stay left until you see the concrete divider, you can just sail right through. It feels sneaky but it's all legal, just bad traffic design. You gotta have the guts to ignore all those brake lights.

shanelee16d ago

@nancycooper Right? It's like a little test of nerve. You see all those cars stacked up and your brain screams to get over, but you just have to keep going. I do this on the I-5 exit to 520 east in the evening. Two lanes just empty for half a mile while everyone sits in one. It's not being sneaky, it's just using the road they built. The worst is when someone finally moves over but then drives slow in the clear lane.

jasonf1716d ago

Seriously, that left lane exit is Seattle's worst kept secret. The trick is you have to commit right at the last second, because the early birds who get in that lane too soon just create a second backup. It feels illegal, but it's just poorly marked.