Spike O’Neill: Seattle can cut parking spots—but I’m still driving downtown
May 2, 2025, 5:00 AM
Cars driving in downtown Seattle. (Photo: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest)
(Photo: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest)
Seattle is expecting to lose $9 million in parking meter revenue by 2026. However, the city has taken out several public parking spots, making it appear as though it wants residents to use Uber, Lyft, or public transportation to get downtown.
Spike O’Neill, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, said that until the city makes it agonizing to park downtown, he plans to keep driving.
“I think until they make it painful for us to bring our vehicles and park downtown, we’re going to stick to the old ways,” he said.
Spike O’Neill: Seattle making effort to make downtown more comfortable
Spike said people are becoming more comfortable visiting downtown Seattle.
“It surprised a lot of people in the numbers came out, but there have been efforts by the city to make downtown more approachable, more safe, more well lit,” he shared. “They’ve redone the waterfront. And there’s less empty retail spaces downtown. They’re doing what they have to do to try to bring the city back to pre-pandemic numbers. But the elimination of parking, they want to make the city a greener city. They want people to use the public transportation that they’ve invested in expanding, whether it’s bus lines or light rail that runs now through the city, all the different things that they do.”
Spike added that while taking public transportation is better for the environment, he wants the freedom to travel on his own time.
“I’m not gonna commute downtown by public transportation, even though I’m a very earth-friendly, green, New Deal liberal blah, blah—I’m not gonna go downtown and shop and catch buses and trains to do so, and then come back for things,” he said. “I don’t meander downtown. I’m not going to spend the day sightseeing downtown. I’ll go and do touristy things downtown when people are in town, but I’m gonna bring my car.”
Listen to the full conversation below.
Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
