New Year’s News Roundup: Sounder Faltering

Sounder's ridership is still just a third of pre-pandemic levels ($), even as Link has surpassed its 2019 level and Metro buses have recovered more than half. The Seattle Times headline says Sounder's trains future in limbo". The article goes on to say, Julie Timm, Sound Transit's new CEO, said it's too early to make decisions concerning Sounder's future. It may be less critical right now, but with population and density growth, she believes ridership will return, if more slowly than hoped."

Sounder's new Puyallup parking garage will open a year late, in January 2023. ($) If Sounder's ridership is down to a third, who will use the new garage?

Sound Transit gets two grants early for Federal Way and Lynnwood. ($)

Now the lower West Seattle Bridge is closed. When it rains it pours. It was damaged in the ice storm a week ago, and needs two weeks of repairs.

SDOT has answers to your sidewalk closure questions.

Seattle's zoning got tighter over the 20th century, as residential zones allowing middle housing were downgraded to single-family only. Many of those small apartments and duplexes still exist, but are illegal to build today in those neighborhoods. I especially like the courtyard apartments, with a garden in front, or two rows of sideways apartments surrounding a courtyard.

The PSRC's 2050 regional transportation plan is not aligned with the PSRC's own 2030 climate goals, says Ryan Packer of The Urbanist. (Side rant: The Urbanist's ads are very intrusive and annoying. Please tone them down. And whenever there's an embedded slideshow visible, the PageDown/PageUp buttons stop scrolling the page.)

What's wrong with an empty bus? (Human Transit)

Are my articles getting too long for the blog's layout? I tend to write long sometimes.

This is an open thread.