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Impacts to Transit from Seattle, Washington, Urban Partnership Agreement Program

This paper describes the impacts on transit that were observed in the evaluation of the Urban Partnership Agreement in Seattle, Washington. In December 2011, variable tolls were instituted on the SR-520 bridge in Seattle. Transit service frequency was enhanced approximately 11 months before tolling. The Seattle findings compared favorably with other congestion pricing projects across the United States and the world. Ridership across the SR-520 bridge increased 10% after the new service was added. It increased another 14% after tolling. The larger increase that came after tolls was similar to that observed in Stockholm, Sweden, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Speeds across the bridge increased by 14 to 18 mph. That increase was higher than the increase observed in London but lower than the increase observed in Miami, Florida, and in Minneapolis. In the pretoll survey of SR-520 bus riders, 19% said they were influenced to take transit by the enhanced transit service. An even greater percentage, 55%, said the tolls influenced them to take transit. In Atlanta, Georgia, Miami, and Minneapolis, the percentage of riders influenced by the tolls was 45%, 53%, and 23%, respectively. In the posttoll survey, 57% of riders said the tolls on SR-520 had improved their personal travel. Altogether, these findings reconfirm that congestion pricing can create a tangible incentive to take transit.