If you’ve ever tried to get onto I-5 during rush hour while driving alone, it can sure seem as though most of the people on the road are also going solo. In fact, less Seattleites are driving alone while commuting than ever before according to an annual survey by the Census Bureau.
Looking at share of workers driving alone to work, you get larger view. Here, trend toward bike, walk, home clearer pic.twitter.com/46iNt57tjY
— Yonah Freemark (@yfreemark) September 15, 2016
That is a staggering percentage drop, especially when put alongside other major cities. Now, only 48.5 percent of commuters are driving alone. You’d think way more people would head to the HOV lanes, but that’s another topic altogether.
As Seattle Bike Blog notes, it’s impressive considering that gas prices dropped after 2014, which usually encourages people to drive more and consider carpooling less.
The Census numbers also provide a little insight into why these numbers might be changing. The number of Seattleites biking to work is up 135 percent in the last decade and those walking to work is also up to a new high of 10.7 percent. Some of that has to do with the increased ease of that option thanks to evolving housing and development in the city.
The number of commuters who bike to work remained steady at four percent while those who commuted via transit remains relatively the same at 21 percent. That’s not bad given the job growth numbers and the fact that both options are only becoming easier around the region.