Seattle Transit Blog

The downtown tunnel will close early at 11 pm September 15-17 for planned maintenance. This is only in the evenings and won't affect daytime service. The last Link trains through the tunnel each direction will be: Or looking at the entire train runs: 1 Line shuttle buses will run every 10-15 minutes between Capitol Hill ... Continue reading "Link Evening Closure Tuesday-Thursday"

Kitsap Transit's Fall 2026 service change began yesterday, September 12. This change brings significant increases to bus service around the County and the expected reductions in ferry service for the winter months. Route 108 is now Kitsap Transit's first frequent bus route with buses running every 15 minutes during the day on weekdays. This service ... Continue reading "Kitsap Transit adds bus service, reduces ferry service in Fall service change"

J-Man Explores rides the Red and Green Vine BRT lines in Vancouver, Washington, after taking MAX and an interstate C-Tran route from Portland. He argues they aren't BRT but they are frequent. He also takes a walking tour of the upcoming Purple line corridor, which is expected to open next year, in downtown Vancouver and ... Continue reading "Sunday Movie: The Vine"

Yesterday, a coalition of transit advocates launched Hop On Board!", the official campaign urging Seattle voters to pass the renewal and expansion of the Seattle Transit Measure this November. Speakers at the event included Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, ATU 587 President Greg Woodfill, Nondrivers Alliance founder Anna Zivarts, Transit Riders Union ... Continue reading "Hop On Board!" Campaign Kicks Off"

On Wednesday, SDOT announced four new speed cameras will be installed across Seattle in 2027. These four cameras are the first of 10 cameras that will be installed by March 2029, per Mayor Wilson's Vision Zero executive order. The selected locations were chosen as they are some of the most dangerous sections of Seattle's road ... Continue reading "Friday Roundtable: New Speed Cameras"

After a disastrous race last year, Route 8 called for a rematch. Since then, Mayor Wilson issued an executive order to build bus lanes on Denny Way, SDOT designed an eastbound bus lane, and the bus lane was installed. This year, Route 8 actually stood a chance. The race kicked off at Denny Way & ... Continue reading "Race the Gr8"

News and commentary from the past week or so. This is an Open Thread.

The transcontinental railroad, explained. (Daniel Steiner) Why Amtrak's long-distance trains exist. With a trip on the Empire Builder to Seattle. (The Flying Moose) Where are American's trains? A satirical look at the past and present of American passenger trains. (Climate Town) Musical interlude: Trans Europa Express and Trans Europe Express, by Kraftwerk, 1977. The 1991 ... Continue reading "Sunday Movie: The Amtrak Compromise"

The L8 is not so late anymore since an eastbound traffic lane was converted to a bus lane in August. On Tuesday, September 8th, Fix the L8 is organizing another race against Metro's bus Route 8 along Denny Way. Unlike the previous event, the group is expecting to lose as the buses bypass traffic via ... Continue reading "Friday Roundtable: Race the L8 again... and lose?"

Today Sound Transit announced Pinehurst station will open September 30, 2026. Located between Shoreline South and Northgate stations, Pinehurst is the first ever Link infill station. The area around the station has been slow to develop as it is primarily occupied by Jackson Park Golf Course and I-5. The new King County Metro Route 77 ... Continue reading "Pinehurst Station Opens September 30"

This article is brought to you by the numbers 269 and 111. Those were the first routes I wanted to try in the August 29th service change last Saturday. I'd never seen Sammamish except once or twice in a car because it had little bus access, and I'd never been to northeast Renton. So on ... Continue reading "Sammamish and Renton Bus Trip"

News and commentary from the past week. Reminder: most transit agencies will be running Sunday service on Labor Day (Sept. 7). Check your local agency's rider alerts. News: Commentary: This is an Open Thread.

At 9:59am last Friday, I boarded Everett Transit Route 29 at Everett Transit Mall Station. While the six other passengers on the bus were traveling to work, home, or somewhere else, for me this trip was the first segment of my region-wide ORCA speedrun. Transit speedrunning is the process of visiting every station in a ... Continue reading "The Ultimate ORCA Speedrun"

Several comments have raised concerns that the August 29th service change shortened Link's service day, so that it now ends earlier and starts later. This interacts with the launch of ST Express Night Ride" routes between midnight and 4am. These theoretically can replace Link trips. But the ST Express routes bypass several high-ridership Seattle Link ... Continue reading "Link Ends Earlier, Starts Later"

Three urbanist lessons from The Netherlands. (Alex Davis, 4 years ago) Musical interlude: Can't Stay with You Baby (I've gotta to find a car to drive me downtown) (Jimi Tenor). Ghost Town (The Specials, 1981). This is an open thread.

Several transit agencies have their twice-yearly service change today or this week. South King County and Pierce County have the most extensive changes to coordinate bus service with Federal Way Link. East King County implements the almost-last phase of its East Link bus restructure. North King County and Snohomish County have some route restructures too. ... Continue reading "Fall 2026 Service Change Begins"

Transit agencies around Puget Sound are updating their networks this weekend. This service change is more significant than most with restructures in south King County and Pierce County, east King County, and north King County and Snohomish County. In addition to the local transit agencies, Sound Transit is revising its ST Express routes to reflect ... Continue reading "Friday Roundtable: Final Trips"

Thank you to everyone to joined Seattle Transit Trivia on Monday. After a competitive game, top scores are: If you are one of top scorers, please check your email for information about the prizes. This post will share the correct answers for all 39 questions. If you missed the game on Monday but want to ... Continue reading "Seattle Transit Trivia Answers"

Headlines from the past week. This is an Open Thread.

The final phase of the Lynnwood Link restructure will take place in north King County on August 29. These changes are in response to the improved frequency of the 1 Line and 2 Line between Seattle and Lynnwood and the upcoming opening of Pinehurst station. In Snohomish County, Community Transit is opening the Cathcart Park ... Continue reading "Fall 2026 Service Change: Snohomish County and North King County"

Update: Thank you for playing Seattle Transit Trivia! We will share the answers and announce the winners in an article later this week. Welcome to Round 3 of Seattle Transit Trivia! Answer each question below with a comment on this post. There are still a few questions from Round 1 and Round 2 that have ... Continue reading "Seattle Transit Trivia: Round 3"

Welcome to Round 2 of Seattle Transit Trivia! Answer each question below with a comment on this post. Each question is worth 2 points. Good luck! As a reminder: Each question below indicates the type of answer expected. Note the following guidelines for each answer type:

Welcome to Round 1 of Seattle Transit Trivia! Answer each question below with a comment on this post. Each question is worth 1 point. Good luck! As a reminder: Each question below indicates the type of answer expected. Note the following guidelines for each answer type:

Montreal's Wellington Street is pedestrianized in the summer. (Oh The Urbanity!) The 405 and 167 freeway rebuild. (Build Core) Managed toll lanes, Stride upgrades. Horse-drawn buses are the ancestor of modern buses. (J Draper) As a reminder, STB is hosting Seattle Transit Trivia today (Monday). Round 1 starts at 10am. Full details are available here. ... Continue reading "Sunday Movie: Montreal Pedestrian Street & 405 Rebuild"

Outside Cleveland High School on Friday, Mayor Wilson unveiled her Vision Zero Executive Order. This long-awaited executive order re-prioritizes Vision Zero for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and for other city agencies. In 2015, Seattle committed to reaching zero serious injuries or fatalities on the city's roadways by 2030. In the decade since, 280 ... Continue reading "Wilson expedites safety projects and prioritizes Vision Zero across departments"

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is rolling out the red carpet for King County Metro Route 8. At an event on Thursday, Mayor Wilson helped mark a section of the new bus lane on Denny Way between Minor Ave and Yale Ave. Over the weekend, crews will install the eastbound business access and transit (BAT) lane ... Continue reading "Friday Roundtable: Fixing the L8"

Starting August 29, King County Metro and Sound Transit will be revising routes on the Eastside. These changes are primarily due to the full 2 Line opening in March 2026. Overall, this restructure is focused on reducing redundant service with the 2 Line while improving frequency and reliability. The Fall 2026 restructure also includes routes ... Continue reading "Fall 2026 Service Change: East King County"

Transportation: More headlines after the break. Land Use & Housing: This is an Open Thread.

Earlier today, Brent White wrote the 500,000th comment on a Seattle Transit Blog article. Seattle Transit Blog wouldn't be the same without you: our readers and commenters. Thank you for reading and discussing the latest transit news, route proposals, and ridership data with us since 2007. To celebrate this milestone and the incredible community that ... Continue reading "Join us for Seattle Transit Trivia on August 24!"

Starting August 29, King County Metro, Sound Transit, and Pierce Transit will be making changes to bus routes in south King County and Pierce County. Most of these changes are in response to the Federal Link Link Extension that opened in December 2025. Service changes in east and north King County will be discussed in ... Continue reading "Fall 2026 Service Change: Pierce County and South King County"

Seattle is the opposite of every other US city. (Safety First) Is urbanism inherently left wing? (Oh the Urbanity!) (Warning: The end contains a Canadian rant on US policies.) The Alto high-speed rail mentioned in the video will connect Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Peterborough, and Trois-Rivieres at 200 mph. It's currently in planning. Toronto-Montreal ... Continue reading "Sunday Movie: Seattle Difference & Density Politics"

At the Sound Transit Board System Expansion Committee meeting on Thursday, the agency shared a series of updates on the upcoming West Seattle Link Extension. The grand opening for the 3.9 mile extension from SODO to Alaska Junction has slipped from 2032 to 2035. This delay is due to longer than expected construction time for ... Continue reading "Friday Roundtable: West Seattle Link Update"

Correction, 8/12 11:30am: We retract the previous statement about a train derailing and have updated the paragraph below with a comment from Sound Transit. We regret this error. After someone crashed their car into a barrier and pushed it onto the tracks along MLK Way on Monday evening, a southbound train attempted to use the ... Continue reading "Midweek Roundup: ban rental junk fees"

King County Metro has shared an updated high-level design of the RapidRide R Line and is asking the community for feedback. The R Line will travel between Rainier Beach station and downtown Seattle on Rainier Ave when it opens in 2032. First envisioned in the 2015 Levy to Move Seattle, work on this route was ... Continue reading "RapidRide R Line Project Update"

Why the DC Streetcar failed. (Climate and Transit) Why small studio apartments are proliferating. Seattle is mentioned twice. (Stewart Hicks) Musical interlude: Crazy Downtown by Allan Sherman, 1965. This is an open thread.

The eastern half of Bellevue Transit Center is closed for Stride S1 and S2 construction, so several bus stops are relocated to adjacent streets. The current phase will last until October. Then the western half of the transit center will close until January. Currently three temporary bus stops have been established on adjacent streets: Sound ... Continue reading "Bellevue Transit Center Bus Relocations"

Over the past three months, thousands of Seattleites have enjoyed a car-free section of Lake Washington Boulevard (LWB) each weekend. The inadequately titled Bicycle Weekends" program closes 3 miles of lakefront roadway to cars so everyone can walk, bike, roll, and play along the water. Mayor Wilson expanded the program this year to include every ... Continue reading "Friday Roundtable: Celebrate Lake Washington Boulevard"

Preliminary first-count results released yesterday. Coverage by KUOW, by The Urbanist, by The Stranger, by The Seattle Times ($), and by the Northwest Progressive Institute. King County's results are here (PDF); statewide results are accessible here. First-drop preliminary results represent about half of ballots cast; later counts typically trend very progressive in the Puget Sound ... Continue reading "August 2026 Primary Election"

First-drop election results after the headlines. Service changes are coming at the end of August! Summary articles are in the works. Headlines: EDIT, 11:30am: Election Results have been moved to a new post. This is an Open Thread. Election results should be discussed in comments on that post.

Sound Transit's expanded night-owl bus service is starting on August 29 with service between Redmond-Seattle and Lakewood-Seattle. In 2025, the agency originally proposed three night-owl routes that would provide service to most Link stations while trains are not running. While two of these routes will start this month, the north route to Everett has been ... Continue reading "Sound Transit expands night-owl service to Lakewood, Redmond - not Everett"

Update: Normal service on the 1 Line and 2 Line resumed shortly after 2pm on Sunday. Late last night, an empty Link train derailed while turning around using the pocket track at International District/Chinatown station. The train was on its way to Stadium station to help ease the crowds of Ed Sheeran fans waiting for ... Continue reading "Derailed train shuts down Link service downtown"

In 2019 Amsterdam committed to removing 10,000 street parking spaces in 5 years to make a more liveable city, repurposing the space for sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit. Local residents were enthusiastic after they were removed. Now Amsterdam is removing 10,000 more spaces by 2030. (Not Just Bikes) This is an open thread.

Seafair is happening Friday-Sunday at Genesee Park. Metro has a transit access page and area map. Route 50 goes to Genesee Park from Columbia City, Othello, and SODO Link stations. Columbia City station also has a shuttle bus between 9am and 6pm on festival days. The page has a list of Link P&Rs and how ... Continue reading "Seafair Weekend & Ballard Link Update"

This is an Open Thread.

Since smashing ridership records following its blockbuster round-the-clock service during the FIFA World Cup, Link light rail has been plagued by a myriad of disparate service disruptions. Just a few days after the USA vs. Belgium match, an open hatch door took down the catenary wire near UW Station, leading to service being suspended in ... Continue reading "Sound Transit addresses recent post-World Cup service disruptions"

Manila's jeepneys and emerging metro rail network. (Evan Edinger) Evan Edinger and Not Just Bikes tour London's bike path network. They compare it to a decade ago and to The Netherlands. Musical interlude: Via con Me (It's Wonderful). 1950s Rome with scooters and streetcars. This is an open thread.

This is an Open Thread.

After nearly two months of various council deliberations and public commentary, the Seattle Transit Measure is officially heading to voters in this year's November General Election. This measure proposes to renew funding for boosted transit service in Seattle, first enacted in 2014 (and reduced in 2020) for 10 years. Mayor Wilson's proposal in June faced ... Continue reading "Seattle Transit Measure renewal headed to voters in November"

Why have two downtown lots have remained empty for over a decade? The story of the Seattle Times lot and the Pioneer Square Station lot. (Build Core) Housing price dynamics in the US, UK, and New Zealand. (Patrick Boyle) This is an open thread.

Link will have a few maintenance reductions in late July and early August. On Sunday July 26 all day, the Crosslake part of the 2 Line will be replaced by shuttle buses between South Bellevue and International District. The shuttle will run approximately every 10-15 minutes. The 1 Line will run every 8 minutes from ... Continue reading "Friday Roundtable: Link Reductions July-August"