The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will launch the permanent Employer Shared Transit Stops Program in the coming weeks, expanding single-employer shuttle access to up to 250 metro stops across the city.
The program seeks to reduce traffic congestion, promote climate goals, and continue the revitalization of downtown and metropolitan areas as Seattle goes back to in-person work.
The result of a successful pilot program, Microsoft and Seattle Children’s currently share a combined 12 stops with King County Metro. Seattle City Council’s approval of the permanent program on Jan. 24 makes 250 stops eligible for the program, though individual employer use is capped at 50 stops and contingent on permit review. All permits will be reviewed annually, revocable, and non-vesting. A presentation from SDOT shows the location of eligible stops (page 9).
Employers will pay the full cost of the program through a vehicle permit fee, hourly staff fee, and shared stop fee for each approved stop location.
Costs:
- Annual Shuttle Vehicle Permit fee is $600 and is tied to inflation
- Hourly staff fee ($305) for load zone and shared stop review
- Annual Shared Transit Stop use fee of $5,000 per location per year
- Reduced rates are available for certain medical and educational institutions
According to a presentation from SDOT, single-employer shuttles have been on Seattle roads for decades and are authorized by state law. Since 2005, the shuttles have had access to 3- and 30-minute load zones and shuttle load zones.
In 2017, SDOT began the shared stop pilot in partnership with King County Metro, Microsoft, and Seattle Children’s Hospital, allowing employer shuttles to share certain transit stops with King County Metro.
The permanent program implements findings from an October 2018 report that carefully considered which stops should be shared with the shuttles to preserve the public right-of-way. Stakeholders consulted in the planning process included King County Metro (a partner in the program), the Transit Advisory Board, the Transit Riders Union, the Transportation Choices Coalition, Teamsters Local 11, and the employer community.
SDOT will launch the program and make the application available within the coming weeks. For more information, email EmployerShuttles@seattle.gov.