Seattle’s new NHL team will give fans free public transit to get to games - Fast Company
In 2021, Seattle will have a new hockey team. And when hockey fans head to a game at the new arena where the team will play, they could choose to sit in some traffic on the freeway and pay for parking downtown, or they could hop on a bus or light rail—completely free of charge. NHL Seattle (the team doesn’t have a name yet) will be the third sports franchise in the country to offer free public transit to those going to games, as a way to ease traffic congestion in the city, increase access for fans, and do something good for the environment.
“We’re a very environmentally focused city,” says Rob Johnson, NHL Seattle’s vice president of transportation and a former Seattle City Council member and transit advocate. Still, in Washington state, greenhouse gas emissions saw a 6% spike last year, totaling more than 97 million metric tons, and vehicle emissions are the largest contributor. “One of the best ways for us to reduce our environmental footprint is to get people onto public transit and reduce the number of folks that are driving.”
