Buzzing Job Market Means More Transit Riders in Seattle

More and more workers commute to downtown Seattle, but a smaller percentage of those workers are driving alone. More people take transit, walk, and telecommute than did in 2010, but that doesn't mean there are less people on the road. "While the working population in and around downtown increased by 45,000 in the past six years, drive-alone commutes increased by approximately 2,255 morning trips, based on data published Thursday by Commute Seattle, a nonprofit funded by business and transportation agencies," Mike Lindblom reports for The Seattle Times.

The city has added to its transit infrastructure. "The addition of light-rail stations and bus trips, funded by voter-approved tax increases, represents only part of the equation driving down solo commutes," Lindblom writes. There's also the disincentive to drive that comes from having more cars on the road and programs from central city employers that encourage taking transit or biking.