CENTER CITY TRANSPORTATION STUDY: SEATTLE

ON THE BASIS OF PEDESTRIAN TRAVEL SURVEYS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ATTRACTED ABOUT 100,000 PERSONS EACH DAY BY ALL TRANSPORTATION MODES. ONCE WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THESE PEOPLE GENERATED APPROXIMATELY 345,000 PEDESTRIAN TRIPS. THESE SURVEYS PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR PRELIMINARY RIDERSHIP ASSIGNMENTS TO A PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM RUNNING FROM THE FERRY TERMINAL ALONG THE GENERAL ALIGNMENT OF MADISON STREET, THIRD AVENUE AND UNIVERSITY STREET TO A TERMINAL LOCATED IN THE EAST PLAZA GARAGE ABOVE PARK PLACE. PRIORITIES FOR DEVEOLPING THIS SYSTEM AND ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS WERE IDENTIFIED, INCLUDING VARIATIONS IN THE MOVING SIDEWALK SYSTEM AS WELL AS A MINIBUS NETWORK. THE AUTHORS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PLANNED FREEWAY SEGMENTS BOUNDING CENTER CITY ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SHOULD BE COMPLETED. WITHIN THE CENTER CITY AND ITS ENVIRONS ADDITIONAL RAMP CONNECTIONS SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO AND FROM THE ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT TO THE NORTH, THIRD AVENUE SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AS A PREFERENTIAL TRANSIT STREET, AND TROLLEY BUSES SHOULD BE PROGRESSIVELY CONVERTED TO DIESEL OPERATIONS. THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THE MEANS FOR EAST-WEST PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION SHOULD BE IMPROVED SINCE THIS WAS THE PRIMARY PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY PROBLEM WITHIN THE CENTER CITY. DEVELOPMENT OF A MOVING SIDEWALK PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM ALONG THE MADISON-THIRD-UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR WOULD COST BETWEEN SIX AND EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS. ESTIMATED DAILY LOADINGS WOULD RANGE FROM 1,600 TO 5,700 PERSONS BASED ON 1970 LEVELS. THE COST-PATRONAGE RELATIONSHIPS IMPLY THAT THE PEOPLE MOVER CONSTRUCTION WOULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED INITIALLY ON TRANSPORTATION SERVICE CONSIDERATIONS ALONE, AND MUST BE VIEWED PRIMARILY AS A DEVELOPMENTAL INCENTIVE RATHER THAN AS A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY. /UMTA/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • PROJ NO TRD-44
• Corporate Authors:

  Smith, Wilbur & Associates

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• Publication Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Central business districts; Data collection; Highways; Minibuses; Pedestrians; People movers; Ridership; Sidewalks; Surveys; Transportation corridors; Trip generation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223938
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 17 1973 12:00AM