Ride Free Area - Public Engagement Report

576. Having human service agencies work out transportation options is the right way to deal with transportation for those on low incomes. It should not be up to Metro to deal with this alone. The downtown ride-free sections of bus runs I use have become a collector for drug deals and other such activities that are handy to carry out on a moving bus. Get on when convenient and get off when things get hot. It’s hard for the police to keep track of things when Metro can keep you on the move for free. By all means, end the ride-free zone! Please! This should make bus service safer and more available for those who really need it. Pay as you board is a great improvement. No more questions about whether it is before or after 7:00PM, heading to or from downtown, etc. Simpler is better!

577. I like the free ride zone. It is an easy way to get around town and helps when seeing the city or meeting a friend for lunch. I think it is a mistake to do away with the free ride zone.

578. It’s about time the ride free was eliminated, the only free transportation is called, walking. I am a long time transit rider and supporter, and tired of seeing drivers getting an 'ear-full' or delayed due to someone that has nothing better to do but make working people late for work with the time taken to be Metro Moving Company on third ave, or crack head transit system...helping the truly needy isn't just giving free rides at the expense of others.

579. The loss of this service will not only negatively impact low-income people, but working people that do business on a daily basis within the downtown core that do not currently have a bus pass. The Ride Free Zone supports local businesses and it's a shame this service will be disappearing. It makes it easier to jump on a bus to get across town for business meetings and enables people to take care of business without worrying about additional costs, since it's already extremely expensive to drive into downtown Seattle. It's unfortunate that this great service is expiring...it seems that the emerald city is becoming less friendly, which is too bad.

580. I think the pay as you board in downtown Seattle is a horrible idea - there isn't a convenient way for people to line up on the sidewalks to wait to board the buses, especially during the heavy commute times. It becomes a mad rush to get to the ONE door that will open. In the city the buses don't always stop at their designated stops because multiple buses can be in line, this will cause bus riders to run, shove others in order to get their way quickly to their own bus. Riders can be walking running in different directions as there isn't a correct orderly place to stand and line up as there are at park & rides or other stops not in the congested downtown city streets. Also, there can be 3 buses moving along one city block at a given time, hopeful riders trying to determine where their bus will stop and how to get to the front of the line. You are asking for bad accidents to happen. I urge you to rethink this decision. It is already stressful enough trying to find a seat on a crowded bus coming home - now you want to force us into a dangerous free for all frenzy to board through one door. People exiting the front door only make things worse as the crowd wanting to enter the bus is pushing forward. PLEASE don't make this change! I can imagine that any savings you think you'll see will be dwarfed by the customer complaints, potential injury lawsuits and poor PR. 581. I have taken the bus in different US cities and other countries. Customers pay when you board the bus. Other countries have doors specifically for exiting only, entering only. Changing the current system will be a challenge. The overall positives far outweigh the negatives.

582. This certainly is a big step BACKWARDS in proving a good quality of community for downtown residents, workers and tourists. I work on 1st srteet and often walk down to 1st and Pine from Summit