Sorry to keep posting stories like this but here’s a nice video about the recent transit ridership increases.
It’s interesting to think that transit use is rising nationwide, but even more so in our area. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Seattle area had the third highest net-increase in transit ridership in the first three months 2008 of the twenty largest metro areas. That’s huge.
My 545 this morning was standing-room-only, even in the pouring rain.
Only 20% of Americans have easy access to transit!!!!
I found that hard to believe too, especially when you think how many people live in big cities.
The greater NYC area is almost 10% of the nation’s population by itself, and the greater LA area is another 5%.
Though I believe it.
MSNBC offers 3 solutions:
1. raise fares
2. raise taxes
3. cut service
?
How about: Stop subsidizing the auto and sprawl?
I work in Bellevue a few miles from downtown, and only one takes the bus.
Most of my coworkers would love to take the bus, but since we are not right DT the bus options are terrible, for most people I have checked it’s 3 buses (most that only run every half hour) and a half mile walk AND to top it off takes 3x as long as driving.
Note to Doreesa: Unless you paid a fare for that laptop, move the bleep over.
All of my routes around town have been standing room only even in the artics. I have even noticed the streetcar is starting to get really packed during peak, but also just outside of peak as well.
justin –
This is typical of a number of workplaces — a young company looking for cheap rent locates away from transit, so nobody takes transit, so the company sees no reason to relocate near transit, so even if a number of employees would like to take a bus, they can’t. More bus service typically isn’t a great solution, because the workplaces are too dispersed for transit to be cost-effective. It’s a frustrating cycle — I don’t see an easy solution to it.
I found a good solution. I used to work in a similar Bellevue office with no transit access. I changed jobs and now work in downtown Seattle. ;-)
steve, it solves itself. As the employees at the non-transit-accessible site move to other jobs, the business fails or relocates.
Ditto Matt, I quit my job in Redmond (way out on Willows Rd) to work downtown. Lack of transit was the biggest reason I left that job. Living on the westside is non-negotiable, I have nightmares of of sitting in traffic on 520, and spending 10 hrs a week on transit (bridging the gap with bicycle) was taking years off my life. So I voted by quitting. Ironically that company moved downtown eventually to attract better talent. Employers who insist on locating in the suburbs may have to submit to not attracting the kind of talent who are fortunate enough have their choice of location.
Ditto Cosmo and Matt. I just signed on with a engineering company who’s main office is in Kirkland. Lucky for both of us they just opened up an office downtown so saying yes to them was easy.
Congrats to both of you guys. If I didn’t have great bus service to MSFT, I wouldn’t live in this region.