After so much doubt from the right about the use and benefits of light rail, this is big news.
According to a new report, use of King County Department of Transportation light rail grew by 37.2 percent and use of Sound Transit light rail grew by nearly 12 percent. That’s way above the national 2.3 percent increase in the use of public transportation.
The suspected forces behind this trend: high gas prices and more people going back to work as the economy improves.
Related: I was at a Jay Inslee campaign event for Seattle African-American leaders on Saturday afternoon, and one of his biggest moments, in terms of Inslee winning over the room, was when he pointed out that he’s the only candidate for governor who supports light rail. (Republican Rob McKenna is a long-time foe of light rail.) When Inslee mentioned, almost as a throw-away line, that he’s the only guy in the race who sees improved mass transit as essential to smart and fair urban growth—not to mention key to the continuing economic recovery—it was as if the game was over.
