Even Bus Drivers Drive Cars
Metro workers parking garage
On page 12 of the SODO arena transportation proposal, you find the following claim:
“After 10 p.m. there are 48 buses passing through the stadium district for (arena) patrons to use.”
Except, 48 buses won’t arrive after 10 p.m. -unless you are willing to wait for a day or two.
According to Metro and Sound Transit websites, on week nights between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. 35 buses roll through all of SODO, but only 12 come within a half mile of the arena location – and they aren’t empty. Seven more roll through but don’t stop. The rest stop, but often at distances more than one mile away.
Then there is the bus service on 1st Avenue South in the stadium area. There is none.
It was cancelled one year ago because of traffic congestion. And the EIS for the
Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement predicts that SODO congestion will remain heavy after the deep bore tunnel is complete because so many more motorists will use 1st Avenue to get to and from downtown Seattle.
Light rail stations are available at Royal Brougham and Lander Street. But they are two-thirds of a mile from the arena site. Commuter trains are available. But unless you plan to jump off north-bound trains like somersaulting train robbers in a cowboy movie, you can only get off at the King Street Station a full mile north of the development site.
Those aren’t impossible distances to walk, and such a walk might even be pleasant on a summer afternoon or evening. But pedestrian conditions in much of the area are among the worst in Seattle and the bulk of NBA and NHL games start and end well after dark during winter months that are usually the coldest and wettest of the year.
But the best measure of actual, practical SODO transit service availability stands on the west side of 6th Avenue South just south of Royal Brougham Way. That’s the location of a major parking garage reserved for use by Metro workers – especially, bus drivers.
Bus drivers must travel to and from SODO on a 24/7 basis to pick up and return buses to the huge Metro bus maintenance base located on the east side of 6th.
SODO transit service is so sketchy, Metro bus drivers drive to work.
It would be possible to expand and improve transit connections. But improvements would not be free. Those public costs remain unaccounted for in the arena debate unless you believe the transit availability is good enough just the way it isn’t.