Seattle is now the #2 most bus-reliant city in America.
SEATTLE, WASH. – Gene Balk, who writes about demographics for the Seattle Times, likes to explore U.S. census data for anything about Seattle. “I look for trends and anything where we stand out among other big cities,” he told Gov1.
He found that between 2010 and 2014, bus ridership in the city increased by 19,000 people. That jump puts the city just after San Francisco, Calif. for the most bus commuters in the United States.
According to Balk, one in five people in the Seattle-Bellevue metro area takes the bus to work every day. He also reported that other forms of public transportation, such as ferry and light rail, also saw an increase of 3,000 riders in the same period.
A few factors may be contributing to these increases, according to Balk. First, the census data revealed that the Seattle region’s workforce grew by about 44,000 from 2010-2014.
Second, while about 65 percent of the King County region drives to work, driving on some major roads in this metropolis is “nasty1.”
Anyone can use the local and national demographic data to discover compelling information about cities and town. The Fed offers free courses on how to use the databases and mapping tools.
For course descriptions and a schedule of upcoming training opportunities, go to Census.gov.
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