Will transit reduce our traffic?
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
Post a Comment
Join the discussion, but anonymous trolling is not allowed. Feel free to disagree, but be polite. Name-calling, sarcasm, condescension, and aggression will result in your comment being removed.