SDOT director says Seattle is not anti-driver

The City of Seattle is not trying to force people from driving cars, but it is encouraging alternative methods of transportation.

Scott Kubly, the director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, said the transportation focus has been on vehicles for 50-60 years. Those efforts are not working.
That’s why for approximately 10 years, cities such as Seattle have been investing in other modes of transportation.

Related: Seattle mayor to ask voters for $900 million transportation levy

“I think what I would prefer, is people to take the mode of transportation that works best for them,” Kubly said during an interview on the Jason Rantz Show.

Kubly, citing a Goldman Sachs report, said 31 percent of millennials do not want to own a car. There are fewer people attaining driver’s licenses at young ages, he said.

Rantz disputes the veracity of Kubly’s interpretation of the study, citing that the study doesn’t actually suggest they are dumping cars for bikes and buses; they are dumping cars because they can’t afford them. The study suggests millennials do want cars, which is why they are turning towards Uber, Lyft, and Car2Go.

“A typical car is used 7 to 10 percent of the day,” Kubly said. “So I don’t view it as people being crippled by debt. I view it as people making economically smart decisions.”

Kubly said the amount of people driving has been declining since 2004, well before the recession.