Will transit reduce our traffic?

Supporters of a bigger Town Center hope that denser development will attract more transit that
commuters will use and will actually reduce our peak hour traffic.

Is that likely?

Consider the city of Shoreline. In many ways, it is a best case for transit. Approximately 25,000 residents work outside the city (2022). A strong majority probably work in Seattle. Sound Transit Link light rail provides excellent service for these potential customers. Shoreline has been emphasizing development within ½ mile of the Link stations and discouraging parking for new housing units.

How well has it worked? In recent months, the average total Link boardings for weekdays at both Shoreline stations was 2200. This means that fewer than 10% of commuters choose this very convenient service.

In Sammamish?

Of course Sammamish will not have light rail. According to Sound Transit and King County Metro plans, it won’t even have a bus that runs to a major employment center. Some commuters might take a bus to reach the Link station in Redmond, but studies have shown that people are less likely to take transit if they need to transfer.

Rider statistics and even a glance at nearby park and ride lots and transit garages make it clear that most people don’t want to take the bus. Remember that people who drive to the Link station in Redmond do not reduce traffic in Sammamish.

Let’s face it. Most commuters in Sammamish will continue to drive to work, and most workers in Town Center will join them on our already busy roads. Hope is not a plan.

Comments

A Former Sammamish Mayor's Thoughts

Read what the former Mayor of Sammamish, Tom Odell, wrote about the changes the current City Council is considering and how far they've come since the early plans in 2007 and 2010. Rolled up Newspaper by 2happy. Do you realize how different the current considerations are from the original concepts? Republished here with permission. Opinion: let the residents vote on doubling the Town Center size By Tom Odell Former Mayor and City Council Member The 2025 Sammamish City Council is considering proposed changes to the Sammamish Town Center project that was originally approved by the 2010 City Council. I doubt if very many people got the notice regarding the changes as there is only a requirement that it be distributed to the affected and immediate “neighborhood”. The current definition of the required notice area is very geographically limited. Others living outside must request to be notified (I did). It is likely that very few Sammamish residents have d...

Town Center Expansion: A Fiscal Sustainability Crisis for Sammamish

The Red Ink Flows... Our beautiful City of Sammamish faces a serious financial challenge affecting every resident: * 2025 Budget Gap: $10,319,000 deficit ($57,287,000 in revenues vs. $67,606,000 in expenses) * 2030 Projected Overspending: $20,747,000 * 2030 Projected Funding Balance Deficit: $24,099,000 This persistent red ink has already led to new taxes for residents: * A 6% utility tax has been implemented. * A potential Metropolitan Park District tax is being considered to fund park expenses. Will Town Center Costs Exceed Revenues? The current Town Center plan (2008 Plan as Amended in 2020) allows for 2,000 housing units. The plan includes some information about the costs City taxpayers will bear: Infrastructure Cost-Sharing With Developers *The Town Center plan states infrastructure will be "funded jointly" between the City, service providers, and private developers, but the exact cost distribution remains unclear: *"Infra...

More cars for faster traffic?

If you commute on the central stretch of 228 th Ave, the city has good news for you. The City Council proposes to increase the number of people in Town Center from the current approximately 600 to more than 8000. The intersection of SE 4 th St and 228 th Ave SE is the meeting point of the two corridors through the Town Center and is within one mile of all these new residents. Most of these new commuters will travel through this intersection. The City states that your average delay at this intersection, even with all of these additional cars, will be 20 seconds. Quite impressive, especially since the average delay in 2024 was 21 seconds.

Search This Blog