Central Puget Sound Interstate 5 - Park and rides
On this page:
Measures of park and rides along the I-5 corridor in the central Puget Sound region.
Park and ride lot utilization
Park and ride lots provide locations for commuters to meet carpools and vanpools and catch buses if transit services are not available near their residences. WSDOT monitors the usage of park and ride lots owned or managed by public agencies, as well as private lots. See WSDOT's How to calculate park and ride lot utilization (pdf 5.9 mb).
Park and ride lots serve a wide variety of commuters, including carpoolers, vanpoolers, transit riders, commuter rail passengers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Park and ride locations are essential for transit riders and carpoolers, and must have high utilization rates to be considered successful. Targeted outreach efforts from transit agencies as well as employer Commute Trip Reduction initiatives help address highway capacity needs in the central Puget Sound region.
Source: WSDOT Public Transportation Division.
Note: Park and rides utilization rates data will no longer available from 2020.
Multi-year trends
From 2015 through 2019, between nine and 12 of the 16 park and ride lots on the I-5 corridor in the central Puget Sound region had usage rates at or above 85% (which is considered operating at capacity). Several lots were also at or above 100% usage (indicating that cars were parked in unmarked spaces) each year, including one—the Ash Way lot—which was above 100% in all five years.
Annual highlights
In 2019, between 30% to 124% of available spaces at park and rides along the I-5 corridor in the central Puget Sound region were occupied. Fourteen of 16 of these park and ride lots had utilization rates at or above 85%, which is considered as operating at capacity.
In 2018, between 40% to 106% of available spaces at park and rides along the I-5 corridor in the central Puget Sound region were occupied. Fifteen of 16 of these park and ride lots had utilization rates at or above 85%, which is considered as operating at capacity.
In 2017, between 68% to 106% of available spaces at park and rides along the I-5 corridor in the central Puget Sound region were occupied. Thirteen of 16 of these park and ride lots had utilization rates at or above 85%, which is considered as operating at capacity.
In 2016, between 68% to 105% of available spaces at park and rides along the I-5 corridor in the central Puget Sound region were occupied. Thirteen of 16 of these park and ride lots had utilization rates at or above 85%, which is considered as operating at capacity.
In 2015, between 65% to 106% of available spaces at park and rides along the I-5 corridor in the central Puget Sound region were occupied. Thirteen of 16 of these park and ride lots had utilization rates at or above 85%, which is considered as operating at capacity.