Program on the Environment

Seattleites can agree that the Link light rail is a great and useful public asset. However, there is also consensus that it faces numerous glaring issues, to the point where not enough people are riding it for it to be the most sustainable and convenient method of transportation it could be. This study is meant to explore the feelings and opinions of individuals all over the Puget Sound regarding Sound Transit’s Link light rail system. Their responses allowed me to answer the question of what the public’s perceptions and key needs are towards the Link that affect ridership and therefore Seattle’s sustainability goals. To complete this study, I worked with Seattle Subway Foundation, a non-profit organization that acts as an advocate for a better and more expansive light rail system. I was given the opportunity to run their social media accounts and do online outreach which resulted in 434 survey respondents and 20 interviewees to help me discover what the core demands Seattle citizens express for transit. After much analysis, the most common desires were higher coverage of lines and stations, better safety, more reliability, extended hours, and higher train frequency. To fix this, it is a matter of Sound Transit truly listening to what the people need and using that as a basis of future steps to take and goals to make. The improvement of the light rail in these ways would hypothetically increase ridership, thus lowering Seattle’s carbon emissions, lowering transportation costs, and increasing accessibility for all.