How will Expedia’s move into Seattle affect traffic?

Online travel giant Expedia is still crafting plans to make a big move from Bellevue to Seattle. It’s a move that the company hopes will attract new tech talent, but that worries commuters in Seattle.

Expedia purchased land last year on the waterfront near the Magnolia Bridge for $229 million. The travel company plans to move its 3,000 employees to the former Amgen campus by 2019. Ultimately, they expect the new site will accommodate even more workers – a total of 4,500.

The Seattle Times reports that a recent environmental impact statement produced by the city states that Expedia’s new Seattle headquarters will accommodate between 4,000 and 8,000 employees. The company plans to construct 2,000 additional parking spaces for the campus by 2031 – making a total of 3,300 spots. The statement also notes that Expedia’s move is expected to add about 2,000 more trips on public transportation.

Expedia has said it will organize a shuttle service for employees to make the trip during the company’s move from the Eastside. However, the Times also reports that the Port of Seattle has responded to the city’s statement by saying that city officials are underestimating the number of people who will drive to work.

Expedia will be required to develop a traffic mitigation plan that is expected to include a method for getting the number of employees driving to work down to 30 percent. The Times notes that about 49 percent of Expedia’s employees will be driving to work in 2019.

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