Seattle Transit Blog

After decades of ideation, deliberation, and planning, the Eastside finally gets modern rapid transit tomorrow, when the East Link 2 Line" opens for service. But tomorrow's opening is really to whet riders' appetites for the full connection to the Central Link spine," which is tentatively slated for late 2025, thanks to construction mishaps on the ... Continue reading "Eastside Starter Line Starts Tomorrow"

On Wednesday (April 24) I had a chance to talk to Claudia Balducci, King County Councilmember and Chair of the Sound Transit System Expansion Committee and former Bellevue Mayor, about the opening of the 2 Line on Saturday. As the Eastside representative on the Sound Transit Board, she spearheaded the opening of the Eastlink starter ... Continue reading "Balducci Interview about the 2 Line"

Countdowns: East Link Starter Line (This Saturday! 11am), Lynnwood Link (August 30). Transit Updates: Pierce Transit is hosting a ribbon-cutting event at 12pm today at the Tacoma Dome Station celebrating the opening of the Stream Community Line. Service started on April 1, serving as an express route along the Pacific Avenue/State Route 7 Corridor. All ... Continue reading "Open Thread 46"

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) recently requested feedback on their plans for the future of Amtrak Cascades service. They call it the Preliminary Amtrak Cascades Service Development Plan (SDP). We (STB authors) responded: We expect that the region will continue to grow and our airports and freeways won't be able to handle the ... Continue reading "The future of Amtrak Cascades"

A few weeks back, I decided to exercise my freedom in going into the office more than I needed to and commuted downtown on a Friday. The first thing I noticed was how much emptier my usual bus was. Of course, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Friday ridership is down relative to the ... Continue reading "Should transit agencies consider a different schedule for Fridays?"

Seattle's bus network used to be focused on bringing people to work downtown. As our city grew, it spread its wings across First Hill, Capitol Hill, Fremont, and the Eastside. Though Amazon was earlier in the middle of downtown, it now occupies South Lake Union (SLU) and Bellevue. While a one-seat bus ride to downtown ... Continue reading "Connection Points"

Countdowns: East Link Starter Line (April 27, 11am), Lynnwood Link (August 30). Transit Updates: SDOT is closing the Spokane Street Swing Bridge (low bridge) for 10 days starting Friday, April 19 (planned reopening on Sunday, April 28). SDOT is offering free rides on Metro or the Water Taxi for impacted users. Systems Integration Testing will ... Continue reading "Open Thread 45"

Yesterday, I had the chance to join members of the press in a media tour of South Bellevue Station, which will open for Link operations in just a matter of weeks when the East Link Starter Line begins service. As things currently stand, the ELSL will open to the public on April 27th, while the ... Continue reading "A sneak peek at the 2 Line's South Bellevue Station"

It's been a couple weeks, so the roundup is longer than usual. Today, a total solar eclipse will pass over much of the central and eastern United States. Countdown Clocks: April 27, 11:02am: First East Link Starter Line Train from South Bellevue Station. Discover the 2 Line. August 30, 10am(?): Lynnwood Link Extension (1 Line). ... Continue reading "Open Thread 44"

As part of the work surrounding 130th Station in north Seattle, SDOT has started making plans in the area. While this initial work has focused on the area east of the station, this is a proposal for changes to the west. The goal is to improve pedestrian, biking and transit connections to the station. Station ... Continue reading "Multi-modal Improvements West of 130th Station"

Sound Transit announced the Lynnwood Link extension will open August 30th. That's just under five months from now. Happy Labor Day present. Mike Lindblom in the Seattle Times notes that Link will switch to a flat $3 fare when Lynnwood Link opens, and that Paine Field extension is targeted to open in 2037, and Everett ... Continue reading "Lynnwood Link Starts August 30"

The Swift Orange Line BRT launched on Saturday. I tried it out Sunday afternoon with my friend in north Lynnwood, who lives northwest of Ash Way P&R. The Orange Line is a limited-stop east-west bus route between Edmonds College, Highway 99, Lynnwood city center, Alderwood Mall, Ash Way P&R, Mill Creek, and McClollum Park. It ... Continue reading "The World is Orange"

King County Metro has started the first phase of South Link Connections, which will be used to determine how Metro bus should be changed upon the launch of the Federal Way Link Extension, which is anticipated to be in 2026. This phase is mainly a needs assessment, where Metro listens to feedback from riders, or ... Continue reading "Metro Kicks Off South Link Connections"

King County Metro, Sound Transit, and Community Transit start their semi-annual service changes today, Saturday March 30. Pierce Transit's changes start tomorrow, Sunday March 31. Stephen Fesler at The Urbanist has a detailed list of the changes. The agencies have their own lists, linked at the beginning of each section. I won't repeat all the ... Continue reading "March Service Changes"

Community Transit ridership increased 23% in 2023. A third of total riders were on the Swift Blue and Green lines. Apply to the one of Seattle's transportation advisory boards by April 15 if interested. What's happening with the 520 reconstruction project in Portage Bay. Efforts to lid I-5 in more of downtown Seattle continue. Activists ... Continue reading "Open Thread 43"

Three buses currently serve the east side of Green Lake: The 20, 45 and 62. As soon as Link gets to Lynnwood, the 20 will go away. There are aspects of the 20 that should be adopted by the other routes. However, this will require the help of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). Here ... Continue reading "Improve Buses on the East Side of Green Lake"

This week (March 17-23) is Transit Appreciation Week! Be sure to thank your bus driver or other transit operator for the hard work they do. Sound Transit Announcements: New initiatives to reduce crowing when Lynnwood link opens; reviewed by The Urbanist. Link 1 Line single-tracking for late-night station maintenance for the next month: Trains will ... Continue reading "Open Thread 42"

Seattle's much-delayed Comprehensive Plan update was released last week by the Office of Planning & Community Development (OPCD). Coverage of the broad points of the plan was quickly provided by The Seattle Times ($), The Urbanist, The Stranger, and Crosscut. The primary takeaway image is the Future Land Use Map" (FLUM), here: Coverage of subsequent ... Continue reading "The Comprehensive Plan Must Do More"

Last week Sound Transit revealed more details about three grandiose new stations in West Seattle, one hugely upgraded SODO station, and a big cable-stayed (suspension") bridge over the Duwamish. On Thursday the System Expansion Committee will discuss early land acquisitions. This seems to indicate that the Board takes approval of the extension for granted though ... Continue reading "The rush to reach West Seattle"

State Legislature to allocate $200M from the Climate Commitment Act toward hybrid ferries, assuming the Act isn't repealed by I-2117 in November. Free carpool parking permits are returning to the Angle Lake Station parking garage. King County Metro has broken ground on its interim electric bus base in Tukwila. The movement to add density to ... Continue reading "Open Thread 41"

Since 2021, SDOT has been working under a Pedestrian and Bicycle program grant from WSDOT to reimagine" Aurora Avenue North from the northern end of the SR-99 Tunnel to 145th street. Based on community input provided during a series of meetings last summer, SDOT has released concept art depicting four potential general corridor concept designs: ... Continue reading "SDOT Ideas for Aurora"

[Correction: an initial version of this article listed incorrect single-tracking times. We regret the error.] Link will be single-tracked this weekend, March 9-10 from 10pm to the end of service and from the start of service to 9am, according to Sound Transit spokesperson John Gallagher. Trains will run every 12 minutes between Angle Lake and ... Continue reading "Link Single-Tracking March 9-10"

Stephen Fesler has an intriguing article in The Urbanist saying Metro should move away from RapidRide in its next expansion phase. That sounds like potentially a very good idea. This would not decommission current lines or those that are under construction or in late planning that have already received grants, but it would redirect resources ... Continue reading "No More RapidRide"

The Urbanist has a 2024 advocacy agenda. SDOT is selecting construction contractors for seven projects including street upgrades for bus routes 40 and 48, 4th Avenue protected bike lanes, pedestrian bridge reinforcement, and other sidewalk and bike projects. Route 8 has a fan club who wants to speed it up. The have a petition to ... Continue reading "Open Thread 40"

Seven Link disruptions in four days ($) last weekend. Five were from external causes (collision, blockage, shooting, two power outages), two from unknown causes. Five people were stabbed or struck by objects in 2023 on ST or Metro, while there have been seven unsolved shootings on King County freeways n the first seven weeks of ... Continue reading "Open Thread 39"

Federal Way Link will not only connect Federal Way with other Link destinations but it will make it much easier to provide regional transit. Unlike other stations south of downtown, Federal Way Link has an excellent interface to the I-5 HOV lanes. Buses will be able to easily serve it from both directions. The following ... Continue reading "Regional Transit after Federal Way Link"

Metro's final proposal on the East Link restructure is out. Only it's not really final. Final Network review (January - March 2024): Due to delays with the opening of the East Link Extension, Metro is meeting with project partners to ensure the proposed East Link Connections network that it continues to meet community needs. Metro ... Continue reading "East Link Restructure Final Proposal"

On Saturday I went to see what the Redmond Link station areas and bus transfers are like. The 2 Line starter line will open in two months (April 28) as we reported, running from South Bellevue to Redmond Technology stations. The last two stations, Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond, will open in a second phase. ... Continue reading "Redmond Station Areas"

Presidents' Day transit February 19: Metro buses, Metro Flex taxis, ST Express, and Sounder are on Weekday schedules. Link is on Saturday schedule. The First Hill and SLU Streetcars are on Sunday schedule. The West Seattle and Vashon water taxis and shuttles have no service. The Monorail is open 8:30am to 9pm. Everett Transit is ... Continue reading "Open Thread 38"

Metro has released their final plans for the bus restructure following the implementation of Lynnwood Link. Unlike the other phases, this time it is very similar to the previous proposal that we wrote about. New or Modified Routes There are only a couple changes in routing, both of them minor: Modified Headways This is the ... Continue reading "Metro Releases Final Network Proposal for Lynnwood Link"

Earlier today, Sound Transit announced that Saturday, April 27th will be the official start date of the 2 Line, which will preliminarily run between South Bellevue Station and Redmond Technology Station. The opening of the shortened segment, also known as the East Link Starter Line (ELSL), is the result of a push by councilmember Claudia ... Continue reading "Sound Transit announces start date of 2 Line service"

Last week German local public transit came to a stop while the union demanded better working conditions for transit operators. They asked for fewer working days and hours, to mitigate increased traffic stress and increase the attractiveness of transit jobs again. Operator availability and pay has put a limit on service recovery and expansion since ... Continue reading "Autonomous Transit Alternatives"

One of the major features of the recent 1-Line maintenance was the replacement of the northbound track between University Street and Westlake stations. This segment boasts the sharpest curve in the system, and as a result, the most worn down rails. The resulting wear-and-tear meant a fairly bumpy ride in that section, even at slow ... Continue reading "The lifespan of that DSTT curve"

A little open thread while the editors are working on six pending articles. International District/Chinatown Station has spiffy new next-arrival displays. They only have room for two short rows like Angle Lake 10; Angle Lake 20", but the text is large, the font and icons are contemporary but elegant, and the whole thing looks like ... Continue reading "Open Thread 37"

Link is back to normal. ($) Is it, Comment Section? Mike Lindblom says the next planned closure will be June 1-2, for electrical/signal work at CID station. New escalators for CID station should arrive in late 2024, followed by other stations over this decade. There will doubtless be other disruptions to renovate 34-year-old aging tunnel. ... Continue reading "Open Thread 36"

We found Metro's long-term Interim and 2050 network maps that were published in 2016 but taken offline in 2020. These are part of Metro Connects, a long-term vision last revised November 2021. The Interim network is what Metro planners think would be best in the ST2 era (to complement Lynnwood, Redmond, and Federal Way Link). ... Continue reading "Metro Connects Concepts"

The Link 1 Line reduction continues through February 4th. Sound Transit has a progress report with photos of the maintenance work. There's a list of bus alternatives. Metro routes 49 and 70 have extra service Four more days to go. The Swift Orange Line starts in March connecting Lynnwood Station to Edmonds College, Alderwood Mall, ... Continue reading "Open Thread 35"

The Link 1 Line reduction continues through February 4th. The 13-to-26 minute headways continue to stretch to 30 or 45 minutes at times, and platforms and trains continue to be crowded. Sound Transit has a list of bus alternatives. Metro routes 49 and 70 have extra service during the reduction. Nine more days to go. ... Continue reading "Open Thread 34"

The Link 1 Line reduction continues through February 4th. At times the 13-to-26 minute headways continue to stretch 10 minutes longer, with crowded platforms and trains. There have been additional outages and single-tracking in Rainier Valley every couple days, sometimes making the 13-minute segments run at 30 minutes. Click the link for the weekday and ... Continue reading "Open Thread 33: Link Meltdown"

This article is brought you by the 1 Line, ST Express, Sounder, and the SLU streetcar. The Link 1 Line reduction is ongoing through February 4th. Weekdays downtown service is 26 minutes; north of UW and south of SODO is 13-minutes. However, actual service has had some gaps that are 10 minutes longer than that, ... Continue reading "Open Thread 32: Rail Roundup"

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) deserves a lot of credit for adding bike lanes and various bus improvements throughout the city. They may not be building them fast enough, but they are building them. Unfortunately, far too often, the bike lanes are built right where the buses run. Quite often this limits the ability ... Continue reading "Add Bike Lanes Away from Buses"

The Link reduction starts Saturday and runs three weeks (January 13-February 4). A full Link reduction schedule is here. ST has a page of bus alternatives for various trip pairs, and tips for navigating the disruption. The reduction is for several maintenance projects, including track maintenance. In our experience with past reductions, the frequency may ... Continue reading "The Link Reduction Can Start"

The Ballard and SLU light rail segment is expected to get up to 57,000 riders. That's higher than any of the other Link projects planned for ST3 (Everett, Tacoma Dome, West Seattle, or Issaquah). Construction cost rise faster than Sound Transit's income, transit ridership has dipped, and rush-hour peaks have flattened. In this environment Sound ... Continue reading "Focus on SLU and Ballard"

With Julie Timm's departure as Sound Transit CEO, the Board today announced that they will be considering Goran Sparrman to serve in an interim capacity. The Board will hold a special meeting this Thursday, January 11th. From the press release: Goran is well-respected for his skill and knowledge in transportation and infrastructure projects," said Sound ... Continue reading "Sound Transit Board considers Goran Sparrman for interim CEO"

The fire at 9th & Madison ($) has caused several bus reroutes and road closures, and impacted RapidRide G construction. From SDOT's email alert: RapidRide G construction: We're working with the contractor to review the remaining construction schedule, adjust the timing of some construction activities, and identify other areas where we can continue safely working ... Continue reading "Reroutes on First Hill"

Three new members are joining the Sound Transit board: Dan Strauss, Seattle councilmember representing Ballard; Girmay Zahily, county councilmember representing south Seattle; and Angela Birney, mayor of Redmond. The West Seattle Blog and The Urbanist have coverage. In the latter, Doug Trumm highlights the Link issues in their neighborhoods. Another board position in Pierce County ... Continue reading "ST Board 2024 Begins to Take Shape"

Sound Transit has published a full Link-reduction schedule for January 13-February 4. All train runs are listed. although the weekend down bus shuttle is still just every 10-15 minutes". There are also regular bus routes that may help avoid the gap for certain trip pairs. Seattle Transit Map has released a night owl update (1-5am). ... Continue reading "Open Thread 31"

This article is brought to you by the numbers 3 and 2023 and the city of Montreal. Transit is free New Year's Eve all day - from 3am Sunday to 3am Monday - on Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, the Seattle Streetcar, Seattle Center Monorail, King County Water Taxi, and Metro's van services. ... Continue reading "Free Transit New Year's Eve"

This article is brought to you by Colman Park. One Saturday this month I decided to visit Colman Park by only frequent transit (so not the 27 or 14). I'd been to Colman Park a few times before, taking the 27 to the end and and using the pedestrian underpass under Lake Washington Blvd to ... Continue reading "Open Thread 30"