Washington Rated One Of The Worst States For Driving

SEATTLE, WA - Here's another reason to start taking the bus or buy a bike: Washington has been ranked the third-worst state in the U.S. for driving.

The rating comes from the personal finance site WalletHub, which ranked states based on factors like traffic congestion, gas prices, and the condition of roads. Washington scored poorly for factors including the cost of owning and maintaining a car here, and for - of course - traffic.

On the plus side, the study ranked Washington highly for traffic safety and for access to vehicle maintenance.

The news comes in the midst of perhaps the worst time for driving in the Puget Sound region. SR 99 is shut down in Seattle right now, causing slower commute times for people coming from south King County and Pierce County.

Then there's the never-ending HOV and bridge replacement project in Tacoma at the I-5, SR 16, and I-705 cluster. (And FYI for Tacoma-area commuters: WSDOT crews will begin the southbound HOV lanes in Tacoma in February, a project that won't finish until 2021.)

If this news isn't bad enough, get this: the best state in the U.S. for driving, according to WalletHub, is Oregon.

Patch file photo