Roadwork Boosts Transit Ridership

"It wasn't clear if commuters will stay away during the rest of the 19-day project, but thousands kept off Interstate 5 and other highways Monday, heeding warnings about congestion caused by construction."

"The work, which narrowed the northbound interstate, for more than a mile, sent commuters flooding into Sound Transit Sounder trains, Seattle-bound ferries from Southworth and Bremerton, and some buses. It was enough of an extra load that some ferries filled up quicker than usual, and some trains and buses were late."

"The region's use of public transportation Monday raised the question of whether commuters could rely on it regularly. After all, about half the usual number of vehicles used Interstate 5 northbound lanes to get through South Seattle on Monday morning, according to the state Department of Transportation. Could projects such as, for example, rebuilding the Alaskan Way Viaduct become obsolete?"

"Not necessarily, said Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Transportation Research Center at the University of Washington, because commuters may not be willing to permanently abandon their cars."