Midweek Roundup – Open Thread 54

Countdowns: Lynnwood Link (August 30); RapidRide G (September 14)

Today is Juneteenth, a Federal holiday, but most transit operators are running normal weekday service.

Transit Updates:

Extension of the third avenue transit mall" through Belltown to Dexter (specifically, road reconstruction) may be delayed until after the 2026 World Cup.

Metro is now officially considering hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses as part of its zero-emissions transition, like Community Transit. Meanwhile, the King County Auditor has highlighted issues with Metro's transition implementation. Also discussed in the Seattle Times ($).

Amtrak is on-track to break its annual passenger ridership record.

New WA State Ferries head Steve Nevey says the ferry system has moved from crisis to recovery.

Local News:

Construction on the Route 40 TPMC project started this week.

Several other SDOT projects are moving forward in coming months.

Sound Transit staff are recommending delaying Sounder Capital projects and increasing service instead.

Seattle City Council is considering several amendments to the proposed Transportation Levy.

Statistics show more people die on South Seattle streets where wide streets encourage fast driving.

Opinion and Miscellaneous:

On Seattle's underdeveloped Stadium District ($).

The double-decker battery-electric buses coming to Stride.

What's up with all these [construction] bids?

Takeaways from Seattle Greenways' Building Great Streets event.

The symbolism of congestion pricing.

The constitutional case against exclusionary zoning.

This is an open thread.