Midweek Roundup: Block Party

New Link station and new Amtrak trains! Pinehurst Station opens today, and Amtrak Cascades has begun running new Airo trains.

Week Without Driving is October 1-8, 2026. Transit Trekker and King County Parks are leading a Transit Trek on Maury Island tomorrow.

News and commentary headlines from the past week.

• Bus route changes, improvements for University of Washington, college campus connections (Metro Matters).
• King County Council Debates Future of its Transportation Funding District (The Urbanist).
• The Graham Street Station Is Fully Funded. Now Comes a Block Party (South Seattle Emerald).
• Keep Pierce Moving' Campaign Touts Major Bus Service Expansion Plan (The Urbanist).
• Dow Constantine Secures Three-Year Extension as Sound Transit CEO (The Urbanist).
• Renew and Reinvest: Metro's zero-emission fleet generates nearly $1.5 million in clean fuel credits (Metro Matters).
• Free transit program drives big savings for Snohomish County workers (CT News).
• Clyde Hill Brokers Deal to Settle Growth Plan Complaint (The Urbanist).
• Mayor Wilson's 2027-2028 Proposed Budget Supports a Resilient Seattle Transportation System (SDOT Blog). Alternatively: Pending Fiscal Cliff at SDOT Prompts Major Budget Shifts (The Urbanist). More review of Mayor's budget proposal provided by PubliCola and by South Seattle Emerald.

• Op-Ed: The $10 Billion Question Sound Transit Has Never Asked (The Urbanist).
• Hunter Boulevard Park, South Seattle, 1931 (Seattle Now & Then).
• Amid SDOT KILLS SMALL BUSINESS' signs, city denies permit for advocate community group's street party (Capitol Hill Seattle Blog)

This is an Open Thread.