SDOT uses arena deal to promote alternative transportation

It didn’t take long for the Seattle Department of Transportation to use the arena deal as a means to sell alternatives to driving.

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On the same day as Mayor Jenny Durkan signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the city and Oak View Group to pave the way for a $600 million KeyArena renovation, SDOT released this blog post, saying there’s a “big advantage” to redeveloping the KeyArena. That reason, the department says, is “superior transportation options.”

If you live in Seattle, SDOT points out, there are multiple bus routes — including three rapid rides — that will get you to the arena.

People living within a convenient distance of a light rail station can take advantage of the Sound Transit service and transfer to the monorail to get directly to Seattle Center.

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And, of course, Seattle residents can just walk to KeyArena if they live close enough.

At the bottom of the blog post, SDOT says driving is “also an option.”

“With 7,400 neighborhood parking spots, which has admittedly faced traffic challenges for big events, is also poised to be a reliable and practical option,” SDOT writes.

A smart system that SDOT says has reduced time spent on Mercer Street will help drivers get in and out of the area. Additionally, there will be three more east-west corridors once the viaduct is torn down, according to SDOT.

The new arena will have a capacity of 17,000-plus for sporting and music events. It’s unlikely the new venue will have a full house without the attendance of people from outside the city. Which means, if the KeyArena is completed on time, people from outside Seattle will be driving in for years.

The light rail extension to Northgate won’t be complete until about one year after the renovated arena is finished. The connection to the Eastside won’t be complete until 2023. A year later, Lynnwood and Federal Way are expected to get light rail. Ballard and West Seattle residents will have to bus, drive, or take rideshare over to the arena until at least 2030.

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