Bike ridership reaches ‘record high numbers’ during viaduct closure
May 5, 2016, 2:26 PM | Updated: May 6, 2016, 8:55 am
Reports say record numbers of people are biking across the Fremont Bridge. (SDOT)
(SDOT)
There are a lot of people choosing to get around Seattle under their own power during the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure.
According to information from the Seattle Department of Transportation, bike ridership for Monday reached “record high numbers” in the city. That includes more than 5,000 bike riders crossing the Fremont Bridge, which would be the highest count so far this year, according to the state.
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More than 2,500 riders crossed the Southwest Spokane Street Swing Bridge. That is more than double an average weekday, the state says. It is the highest count since the bike lane opened in 2013. The city’s department of transportation owns and operates the bridge; it is regulated by the Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, drivers will still have to push though a tough commute.
Jon Layzer with Seattle’s Department of Transportation says surface streets like 1st and 4th Avenue have been slammed. And Thursday morning East Marginal Way was locked up because Port of Seattle traffic started later than it has been during the closure.
“In the p.m peak, almost all of our corridors are taking longer,” Layzer said.
If all goes as planned, Highway 99 downtown will reopen sometime next Friday.
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