Midweek Roundup: State of the City

Note: the site recently experienced downtime due to a clerical error, and is slowly coming back online. Apologies for the inconvenience. - Management.

73 daysuntil theDowntown Redmond Link Extension opens.

Sounder Alert: Sound Transit sent an alert yesterday that the N Line is cancelled until tomorrow evening (2/27) due to a mudslide. ST spokespeople said the mudslide happened at milepost 25.5, near Big Gulch, and BNSF has closed the main line track for 48 hours to clear it.

Local Transit:

• Four bus stops will reopen in Seattle's Chinatown International District (The Seattle Times, $). A few perspectives regarding the temporary closure (Real Change)
• Amtrak Ramps Up Sounder Train Maintenance Work, but Service Still Reduced (The Urbanist)
• Community Transit To Reduce Fares for Some Riders in March (The Urbanist)
• Metro to resume bus fare inspections: What to expect (The Seattle Times, $) The article also has information on ridership and fare-recovery targets.
• Seattle's most dangerous stretch of Light Rail track (KUOW; featuring Martin Pagel!)
• For E-Buses to Succeed, Cities Need to Focus on Charging and Implementation (Transport Matters)
• ST Express fair dropping to $3; day passes to $6 (ST News Release)

Other Transportation News:

• A driver hit three pedestrians in University District on Friday (The Seattle Times, $)
• Tacoma residents will vote on the transformative' Streets Initiative II (The Urbanist)
• The Washington State Senate approved a Sweeping Parking Reform Bill (The Urbanist)
• A panel of experts recently discussed how to estimate transportation projects with confidence (Eno Center for Transportation)
• Research finds electric cars produce less non-exhaust particulate emissions (brake dust, tire particles, etc.) than gasoline cars in urban conditions (Virginia Tech)
• Describing himself as a King, President Trump withdrew federal approval for NYC's congestion pricing (StreetsBlogNYC)
• In his annual State of the City speech, Mayor Harrel proposed a car-free Pike Place among other initiatives (The Seattle Times, $), including an upcoming overhaul of Aurora Avenue and expansion of the Office of the Waterfront to include ST3-related projects (The Urbanist)
• Applications are open to join the Seattle Transportation Levy Oversight Committee (SDOT)

Land Use & Housing:

• Current elevator rules require large elevators, which force developers to choose between expensive equipment or nothing. Last week, the Washington State Senate approved reform of elevator rules to allow smaller elevators in mid-rise construction (The Urbanist)
• Tacoma is aiming for 325,000 residents by 2040 with its new comprehensive plan (The Urbanist)
• Tree advocates dislike Seattle's new zoning rules (KUOW)
• Homeowner Groups Stoke One Seattle Backlash, Planners Hint at Compromises (The Urbanist)

Commentary & Miscellaneous:

• Op-Ed: Convert Street Parking to Trees to Hit Seattle Canopy Goals Sooner (The Urbanist)
• The City's Maritime Industrial Area is No Place for Housing (PubliCola)
• Seattle Should Follow State's Lead on Inclusionary Zoning-By Funding It (PubliCola)
• YIMBY First, Building Reform Second (Pedestrian Observations)

This is an Open Thread.