Seattle-Tacoma Bus and Commuter Rail Usage Up By Double Digits
Another day, another story about double digit increases in transit usage.
This one caught my eye because we just came from a week long trip to Seattle and I commented back then about impressive transit system the Seattle-Tacoma area not only had in place, but was expanding.
According to Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl, ridership has increased over last year by double digits in two of its major transportation services — ST Express Buses and Sounder Commuter Rail — during the first quarter of this year.
“We’re seeing tremendous demand,” said Earl during Tuesday’s noon Tacoma City Council study session. “The public appetite is quite high.” - Tacoma Daily Index
How about that. Both bus and commuter rail are seeing surges in ridership, which makes sense. Giving people choices is a critical step to gaining acceptance.
That’s in direct contrast to Milwaukee County’s policy over the last decade which has provided fewer transit choices for it’s residents through service cuts and timid transit policy.
That’s one of many reasons that the population of the Seattle-Tacoma is booming, businesses are relocating there, and those valued “young professionals” everyone wants to lure are raising their families there.
June 6, 2008 7:36 am 
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and son Carter.; ?>/images/feed-icon-16x16.gif){kind=icon}
By Paul T., June 17, 2008 @ 6:03 pm
If only we had a County Executive whose name was not Walker!
Did you see the article in the Journal Sentinel the other day about his town hall meeting in Brown Deer? MOST of the attendees, some 35 people, were staffers of his! Nothing like stacking the deck, I guess.