Annual Roundup: 2025

This year the Federal Way Link Extension opened earlier than expected. Photo by Alex Kvenvolden.

The past year was another tumultuous and exciting one for transit and land use in the central Puget Sound. Dow Constantine became CEO of Sound Transit and the agency began seriously reckoning with its massive long-range financial gap. The eagerly-awaited extension of the 2 Line to Redmond opened on-time, but opening of the 2 Line's crossing over Lake Washington was delayed (again). Meanwhile, the 1 Line extension to Federal Way opened sooner than expected, Rainier Ave South got more red paint, and Fix the L8" advocates hop-scotched from Dexter Ave to Stewart St faster than Metro's Route 8. November elections put several transit-oriented Urbanists in positions of power across the region including TRU's leader Katie Wilson as Mayor of Seattle.

Here were Seattle Transit Blog's Top 10 Most Read (by number of views) and Top 10 Most Discussed (by number of comments) articles:

Most Read:

1. First Snow of 2025 by Mike Orr (January 31)
2. I-5 Toll Conversion by Wesley Lin (January 31, too!)
3. Issaquah Gondola by Martin Pagel (February 27)
4. Sound Transit Proposes Night Owl Service by Michael Smith (October 6)
5. Open Payments coming to ORCA by Nathan Dickey (January 23)
6. Accelerated Federal Way Opening by Alex Kvenvolden (July 13)
7. SLU to Capitol Hill Gondola by Martin Pagel (March 17)
8. Link 1 Line in Downtown Seattle reduced to shuttle train" April 14-23 by Nathan Dickey (April 12)
9. We Are Here Because No One Will Make A Decision by Martin H. Duke (October 4)
10. East Link Connections by Michael Smith (March 20)

Most Discussed:

1. No New Tunnel Downtown? Sound Transit Explores Ballard Link Alternatives by Wesley Lin with 195 comments (December 15)
2. West Seattle Link Forum by Martin Pagel with 195 comments (February 6)
3. ST Downtown Tunnel Board Meeting by Mike Orr with 188 comments (December 18)
4. Accelerated Federal Way Opening by Alex Kvenvolden with 180 comments (July 13)
5. ST Express 2026 restructure by Mike Orr with 174 comments (October 7)
6. Brainstorming Fixes for ST3 by STB Editorial Board with 170 comments (June 23)
7. Route 255 to Downtown Seattle by Wesley Lin with 169 comments (June 28)
8. Build the Best Parts First by Nathan Dickey with 165 comments (December 16)
9. 2025 Trailhead Direct Routes Michael Smith with 152 comments (May 16)
10. Better Buses in Seattle Ross Bleakney with 137 comments (December 8)

Previous years in review: 2024, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.

This is an Open Thread.