Transit Use Down, Remote Work Up in Seattle

Following a massive shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, downtown Seattle's transit ridership has plunged. According to an article by David Kroman, whereas more than half of downtown workers used transit in 2019, that number dropped to 18 percent at the end of 2021. "Meanwhile, the share of workers driving alone to work remained roughly the same, at a quarter of all employees."

Kroman writes that "The Downtown Seattle Association estimates there were 321,000 jobs downtown in 2021. Once upon a time, just 6% of all employees from downtown businesses worked remotely. That number jumped to 46% over the course of the pandemic, according to the survey of 4,371 employees."

"Among those still commuting into work, which mode they choose is driven by convenience. Thirty-eight percent of drivers said they did so because it was the most flexible, while another 19% said it was the fastest way into work. Asked what would increase transit ridership, 31% said more routes and 12% said faster service." Madeline Feig, spokesperson for Commute Seattle, says "the dip in transit use is hopefully a temporary one that will reverse as people realize service is close to normal."