Open Thread 36
Link is back to normal. ($) Is it, Comment Section? Mike Lindblom says the next planned closure will be June 1-2, for electrical/signal work at CID station. New escalators for CID station should arrive in late 2024, followed by other stations over this decade. There will doubtless be other disruptions to renovate 34-year-old aging tunnel.
ST has a survey on how well it did during the disruption. Beware that the first several screens don't have a Back" button to change your answers.
Ballard Link will have a South Downtown Hub workshop February 28, 4-7pm, at Union Station. It looks like a joint effort by ST, Seattle, and King County to refine the CID/N and CID/S station areas.
The second edition of Human Transit goes on sale today. It's an introduction to transit-network planning by Jarrett Walker. STB editors will be rushing to buy copies. The second edition has three new chapters, and new sections and edits in almost every other chapter. Jarrett grew up in Portland, and now helps transit agencies in several countries restructure their route networks.
More below the fold.
Microsoft on Cascadia high-speed rail. (Sponsored article in the Seattle Times.)
The legislature considers tax breaks for converting office buildings into housing ($). Some of the ideas would waive the affordable-unit quota.
Housing prices fell in Palm Springs ($) when the city capped the number of Airbnbs in a neighborhood.
Seattle police arrested two teenagers who stole cars and deliberately hit pedestrians ($) on Aurora in November. The pedestrians were in a driveway or bus lane.
The Urbanist has a meetup February 15, 5:30-7pm, at Stoup at 1158 Broadway (Union Street) on Capitol Hill. It's a brewery but is all-ages. It will recur monthly on the third Thursday at the same time and location. STB hasn't had a meetup since before Covid, so this is the next-best thing. STB will probably resume meetups at some point.
Subsidizing transit makes it more efficient according to a study. (Streetsblog)
There's still time to stop a douchebag. (Gave a Lift Home") The ped/bike path signs are visible at 1:33 and 3:12. At least the drivers aren't deliberately hitting non-activist pedestrians.
This is an open thread.