The United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) this week awarded nearly $6 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to fund the creation of an overhead pedestrian bridge at Seattle’s Colman Dock.
The Colman Dock ferry terminal is already one of the nation’s busiest, and current predictions say it will only become more active with time. Over the next 20 years, walk-on ridership is expected to increase by more than 50 percent, threatening congestion. A pedestrian bridge, proponents of the Elevated Pedestrian Connector (EPC) argue, would not only serve foot passengers, but reduce congestion, improve safety around the dock and reduce commutes for ferries and land transportation.
“Ferries are as important to transportation in our state as cars or trains, allowing families and commuters to get to work, school, and go about their day,” said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who has previously written to the DOT encouraging support of the project. “So I’m thrilled to see federal resources flow to vital projects like the Elevated Pedestrian Connector at Colman Dock that will help reduce congestion, improve connectivity, and ease the commutes and travel of millions of Washingtonians throughout Puget Sound.”
The Colman Dock ferry terminal hosted 10 million riders last year alone. Of these, nearly 6 million were walk-on passengers and bicyclists.