Public transit offered no escape from I-5 delays for Spike O’Neill

Seattle drivers are feeling the impact of I-5 construction as work ramps up during the so-called “Month of Hell” — a series of lane closures on I-5 north.

Many commuters hoped public transit would offer a faster route, but KIRO host Spike O’Neill said his Tuesday morning trip to work took him longer than driving.

“It took me longer than it would have taken for me to just sit in my car for the hour and 15 minutes, probably, would have taken me to get from my Edmonds commute down to here on South Lake Union,” Spike shared on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

However, Spike did mention he had to deal with securing a bike locker before his light rail trip.

“My plan was to bring the bike onto the train because they’ve got these bike racks on the train, where you literally stand your bike up and hang the front wheel from this rack, from the roof of the train car. Very convenient, very well designed. But I get up to the station, and the platform is just packed,” he said.

Spike said his bike was too big to get onto the train, but luckily, he found a bike locker.

“I didn’t realize how lucky I was to secure a bike locker this morning, because they rent them out,” he added. “You can rent them for a year. It’s like a $50 annual fee for a bike locker, and then you’re at will, first-come, first-served.”

Therefore, Spike believes that because he had to take his bike to the train station, lock up his bike, go to Capitol Hill, and then rent another bike to get to work, it took him longer than the average person.

But would he commute again?

“I may do it again, out of a sense of duty to the commute,” he said.

Transit may be worth avoiding angry I-5 drivers

KIRO fill-in host Mandi Bossard said commuting may be worth it to avoid the angry drivers.

“As somebody who did sit in my car, the vibe in the air — everyone was so angry. Everyone was honking at each other,” Mandi said. “There’s something psychologically about taking transit and you’re moving and you feel like you’re moving forward.”

“I’ve resigned myself to the fact that me being angry, or anxious, or yelling isn’t going to get me here any faster,” Spike responded.

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.