According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.
Over 20 percent of Seattle households do not own a car, according to a report from the Seattle Times. According to Seattle Bike Blog’s Tom Fucoloro, this signals that the city should be investing in transit and eliminating parking requirements that drive up the cost of housing.
Fucoloro notes that “The car-free households tend to be concentrated in dense neighborhoods with quality transit service like Capitol Hill, downtown and especially the U District and the International District.” But too many Seattle transit lines end service early in the day, and many trails lack nighttime lighting.
Fucoloro also suggests thinking outside the urban box and vastly expanding programs such as King County Metro’s Trailhead Direct, which helps people access outdoor recreation opportunities without a car. “Expanding rural transit across the state will not only provide service to people who live in those communities, but it will also help the increasing number of car-free residents access more places.”
FULL STORY: Balk: Car ownership keeps dropping in Seattle
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The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
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