“Light rail was meant to be fed by people taking the bus, walking or biking,” said Rick Sheridan, spokesman for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). “It was not meant to be fed by cars.”
Light rail starting in Seattle this Saturday is generating some bad PR for not having car parking at the stations. Restricted parking zones are set up around the stations. The light rail corridor is envisioned as future residential and commercial growth, making it a prime candidate for car-free living. Moreover, the City of Seattle has had a policy of discouraging park-and-rides, per the news article on Seattle Times (link).
One of the sources of complaint arises from a resident living one mile away from a light rail station. Due to restricted parking, it makes it difficult for that resident to drive to the station and take the train. This is a good example of complementing your commute with a bike (I agree with Car Free Days). An unattractive beater bike bought for under $50 from Craigslist is plenty for the one mile commute to the station. Its cheap parts will keep thieves away while it lies locked all day. I dont know if they allow bicycles on the trains but a folding bike would be appropriate to carry along.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
One mile! That’s only a 15-20 minute walk!
But yes, a cheap bike would make it even easier.
It only takes 20 minutes to walk a mile at a decent pace and commuters would be healthier for it.
No, no, no – what are you thinking? How can anyone be expected to walk a mile (a WHOLE MILE!) just to keep from using their car? It’s just not possible; you’re trying to kill people with overexertion. I do wish they had a station closer to my place, though; the closest one is just over 12 miles from my house. By the time I do that, I might as well just ride.
I guess the best thing about all this problem of yours is that people are losing tons of weight by considering to opt for a bike.
I wish we had good public transit down here where I live… or even shops that could be gotten to fairly easily… I would gladly walk a mile to avoid using my car.