Further sentences to ponder

This is about Washington, D.C.:

…hard data always trump anecdotal information, and that emerged from Inrix, which determined that the worst of the worst — the time you least want to be behind the wheel — is from 5:45 to 6 p.m. on a Thursday, the peak of congestion in a region that regularly chokes on its own fumes.

Elsewhere in the nation, Friday is the most congested day of the week, as city residents headed out of town for the weekend add to the daily mix with commuters headed home.

There is more here.  Is this a “work for the government and telecommute” effect?  Or an “our region produces only services” effect?  Or something else altogether?