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Updated 2024-11-22 00:15
Snohomish County plots out light rail station area growth, wants feedback
by
Bruce Englehardt
on (#52Z2J)
While light rail construction in Lynnwood is temporarily halted, the next extension to Everett will continue early planning and design as originally scheduled. Snohomish County has opened a new survey into their subarea planning for stations at Mariner (128th Street) and Ash Way (164th Street), located in the unincorporated area between Everett and Lynnwood. According … Continue reading "Snohomish County plots out light rail station area growth, wants feedback"
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News roundup: in trouble
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#52XDB)
SDOT closing more streets to cars. A few more suggestions. WSDOT’s budget ($) is in trouble. Pierce Transit buses now serving as WiFi hotspots (!) Snohomish County picks Link station locations ($). Spokane buys some buses for its BRT line. Some construction starting again, including more for Sound Transit. Murals of Capitol Hill. Zillow going … Continue reading "News roundup: in trouble"
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I-976 moves to the Supreme Court
by
Dan Ryan
on (#52WAD)
Yesterday, the Washington State Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge by King County and others to I-976, the initiative approved by statewide voters last November to remove car tabs. Yesterday’s decision fast-forwards the case so it moves directly from King County Superior Court to the Supreme Court without a transfer to the Court of … Continue reading "I-976 moves to the Supreme Court"
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Opportunity cost of a parking garage
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#52TZV)
Dan’s report on the ever-increasing cost of Sounder parking garages demands a little rough math. The per-space arithmetic is damning enough. But the opportunity costs are the practical reason to hope for something better. The most expensive of these is Auburn Station, which is now to cost $120m in year of expenditure (YOE) dollars for … Continue reading "Opportunity cost of a parking garage"
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Metro ridership shifts hint at the future
by
Dan Ryan
on (#52S1S)
Via a recent Metro briefing comes a striking map of how Metro ridership has shifted in the COVID era. The 10% of routes with the greatest ridership losses all serve the Eastside or a few Seattle neighborhoods close to the water. Very nearly all of the 10% of routes where ridership has been most stable … Continue reading "Metro ridership shifts hint at the future"
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Metro introduces passenger limits
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#52QFA)
As ridership plummets and the union advocates for tougher safety precautions, Metro is following the lead of other agencies and limiting the number of people on a bus. You may have to wait for the next one if the bus exceeds these limits, although the driver is supposed to take everyone at the stop when … Continue reading "Metro introduces passenger limits"
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Sunday Open Thread: What if we had treated it as an emergency when we still had time…
by
Brent White
on (#52PH2)
This is an openly thread.
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Miss your favorite bus or train? Get a sticker!
by
Frank Chiachiere
on (#52NDD)
With Puget Sound transit ridership down to a trickle, no doubt many of you are missing your favorite bus or train route. Cheer yourself up with a Transit Supply sticker pack! All the local agencies are represented here in adorable sticker form. Transit Supply is the brain child of Chris Arvin, a San Francisco-based designer. … Continue reading "Miss your favorite bus or train? Get a sticker!"
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Sound Transit Board sharpens pencils for ST3 program savings
by
Dan Ryan
on (#52M12)
Yesterday’s Sound Transit Board meeting saw first steps toward the realignment of ST3 projects that now appears inevitable. In a preview of discussions to come, the meeting featured unusually intense questioning of spending on Sounder fleet procurement and parking garages in Auburn, though both moved forward. Chairman Keel set the tone: No project and no … Continue reading "Sound Transit Board sharpens pencils for ST3 program savings"
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Rethinking ST3?
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#52JBF)
Sound Transit 3, from its inception, has been a compromise between various regional interests. With likely economic trouble and a failed bridge to West Seattle, some people are interested in reopening the bargain. Some of these people never liked taxes for transit in the first place, and seek a rhetorical opening for a redo. Others … Continue reading "Rethinking ST3?"
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News roundup: bad news
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#52GKY)
Mayor Durkan suggests combining the two bridges we have to build to West Seattle. The Urbanist agrees! SDOT closes some streets to cars to increase social distancing. The Edmonds waterfront, too. ATU demands hazard pay ($) and stronger protections. Nationwide, almost 100 transit workers have died of Covid-19. Bad news: they may have to close … Continue reading "News roundup: bad news"
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How much is too much for a transit parking garage?
by
Dan Ryan
on (#52EVT)
Several future parking expansions for Sounder South stations are projected to come in far above earlier cost estimates. On Thursday, the Sound Transit Board is expected to approve a 675 stall garage at Auburn Station that will cost $120 million, 54% more than the previously approved financial plan. At Sumner Station, Sound Transit intends to … Continue reading "How much is too much for a transit parking garage?"
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RIP, Samina Hameed
by
Brent White
on (#52D3N)
On Thursday, King County Metro operator Samina Hameed passed away after contracting COVID-19. She had driven for Metro since 2017. Her husband is also a Metro operator. Hameed is the first Metro employee to succumb to the virus. STB wishes to express our deepest condolences to the family. She joins Scott Ryan, a Community Transit … Continue reading "RIP, Samina Hameed"
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Sunday Open Thread: First Hill Streetcar in a Pandemic
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#52BV0)
Via CHS.
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Sound Transit and Metro announce more service cuts
by
Bruce Englehardt
on (#52B1H)
Beginning this weekend, Sound Transit and King County Metro are once again reducing service to meet demand for essential travel with fewer available drivers. They join several suburban agencies who have done their own second-route cuts, even as federal relief aid is expected to land here. For Sound Transit, this means another frequency cut for … Continue reading "Sound Transit and Metro announce more service cuts"
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Losing the West Seattle Bridge
by
Dan Ryan
on (#529PQ)
On Wednesday, SDOT revealed bad news about the deteriorating West Seattle Bridge. The bridge now seems certain to remain closed through the end of 2021. It is not clear whether it can ever reopen to traffic. Any repairs are unlikely to yield more than another ten years of useful life. (The coverage of the technical … Continue reading "Losing the West Seattle Bridge"
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Podcast #92: Take the Link to Capitol Hill
by
Frank Chiachiere
on (#5283K)
We take questions from the reader mailbag. Download link
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News roundup: smart thoughts
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#52642)
With the cuts more or less done for now, its getting slooooow in the transitsphere: Another way to report badly parked bikeshares. If able bodied, you could just, you know, move it. ECB writes about the plight of the bus driver today. Seattle and Uber/Lyft reach a deal: not pushing unionization, but a minimum wage … Continue reading "News roundup: smart thoughts"
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Podcast Mailbag Time!
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#524TV)
Frank and I will tape tonight. Please leave your questions for us in the comments.
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It’s not too late for a November transit measure
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#524TW)
A lifetime ago, King County floated a countywide 0.2% sales tax increase for the August ballot, to replace Seattle’s expiring Transportation Benefit District (TBD) and expand its benefits to rest of the county. Weeks later, King County Transportation Chair Claudia Balducci had to shelve it as the virus ate everything. The last day to file … Continue reading "It’s not too late for a November transit measure"
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Sound Transit considers ST3 delays as financial outlook worsens
by
Dan Ryan
on (#52334)
Local transit agencies are facing financial challenges as revenues from fares and sales taxes decline precipitously. Federal aid has mitigated the most immediate operational impacts, but the affordability of the ST3 expansion plan is now in question. Sound Transit on Thursday signaled it was looking at a re-prioritization of planned capital projects. Decisions on delays … Continue reading "Sound Transit considers ST3 delays as financial outlook worsens"
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Sunday Open Thread: Quiet City
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#521XT)
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Property tax exemptions
by
Frank Chiachiere
on (#5216N)
The Seattle Times editorial board recently performed a rare bit of service journalism: Fortunately, limited-income seniors, disabled homeowners and veterans are getting a break, with a more generous property-tax exemption taking effect this year. This change is past due and needs to be communicated broadly, so everyone eligible is aware of the opportunity. This is … Continue reading "Property tax exemptions"
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New Sound Transit naming scheme favors numbers over colors
by
Frank Chiachiere
on (#51ZXS)
Last fall, Sound Transit announced a new naming scheme, and then quickly backtracked after community criticism over the term “red line.” Various schemes have been proposed in the meantime, including here on our site. Yesterday ST unveiled the revised scheme to the public. STB alum Zach Shaner explains the changes on the Sound Transit blog: … Continue reading "New Sound Transit naming scheme favors numbers over colors"
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Snohomish County express buses to be more frequent under Northgate truncation plan
by
Bruce Englehardt
on (#51YGD)
A few months ago, we mentioned that Community Transit was considering a truncation for many of its commuter routes to Northgate Station in 2021 to re-use bus hours for frequency. The second phase proposal for the restructure was presented to the CT Board on Thursday and is now available for online public comments. The changes … Continue reading "Snohomish County express buses to be more frequent under Northgate truncation plan"
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News roundup: by reservation only
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#51WCE)
Plan for West Seattle Bridge is not fully baked. For other SDOT projects the work goes on. Intercity Transit is now by reservation only. Sound Transit shuts down most construction projects till at least May 4, but East Link work on the I-90 bridge, and the new O&M facility, must go on. It’s asking a … Continue reading "News roundup: by reservation only"
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What does COVID-19 mean for density?
by
Sherwin Lee
on (#51TYJ)
We like to style ourselves a pro-transit blog but I think it’s more accurate to say that we’re actually pro-density. Among density’s chief benefits is the ability to capture efficiencies from people living close together. Yet under COVID-19 guidelines, we’re being taught to live the opposite: socially distance, keep six feet apart from one another, and … Continue reading "What does COVID-19 mean for density?"
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Move Seattle’s 2019 Annual Report
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#51S8Z)
As the 9 year, $900m Move Seattle levy nears its halfway mark this year, it’s a good time to take stock of what small projects are already done, and if the big-ticket items are on track. SDOT’s Annual Report provides some clues. The 2018 Levy Assessment recalibrated SDOT’s objectives given spiraling costs and the $300m … Continue reading "Move Seattle’s 2019 Annual Report"
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Sunday Open Thread: Serving Those Who Serve Us
by
Oran Viriyincy
on (#51R2H)
This is an open thread.
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New round of service cuts announced for Sound Transit and Pierce Transit
by
Bruce Englehardt
on (#51Q5W)
Last updated: April 7, 2020. Beginning on Monday, Sound Transit and Pierce Transit will be among the agencies to cut back their service further in response to low ridership, staffing shortages, and cost-saving measures. King County Metro is bucking the trend by restoring some of its service that was cut in the initial reductions last … Continue reading "New round of service cuts announced for Sound Transit and Pierce Transit"
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CARES Act grants $521 million in relief funds for local agencies
by
Bruce Englehardt
on (#51NTH)
On Thursday, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced their appropriations for $25 billion in national transit relief funding from the CARES Act, which was passed by Congress a week ago. The relief package includes $521 million in funding for transit agencies in the Seattle area, as well as an additional $133 million for other agencies … Continue reading "CARES Act grants $521 million in relief funds for local agencies"
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ST3 BRT projects delayed
by
Dan Ryan
on (#51M21)
Bus Rapid Transit on I-405 and SR 522 is likely to be delayed. Only the Burien to Bellevue service is now expected to open on time in 2024. Expectations for service on the northern part of I-405 and SR 522 have slipped into 2025. The delays were first publicly shared at last Thursday’s Sound Transit … Continue reading "ST3 BRT projects delayed"
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News roundup: finally
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#51HTJ)
We finally have a printed schedule for Link again. I-976 on its way to the Supreme Court. More CT drivers ($) have Covid-19. RIP Scott Ryan ($). Sound Transit suing longtime ally Microsoft ($) over land easements for Redmond Link. Metro adds back some trips it just cut, “to better promote social distancing”. It’ll become … Continue reading "News roundup: finally"
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Podcast #91: Now more than ever
by
Frank Chiachiere
on (#51GGW)
Special guest Alex Hudson, Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition Federal funding & Covid-19 response County ballot measure is…dead? (13:23) Legislative update (21:19) Fare enforcement (26:57) Eastside restructure (33:02) West Seattle bridge (38:34) Download
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Transit app estimates local transit ridership decline
by
Frank Chiachiere
on (#51EV3)
The people behind Transit, one of the more popular trip planning apps, have put together an estimate on how Covid-19 has affected every transit agency they track. Here are the figures for the Puget Sound. The company says that the percentage declines are approximated based on previous years’ app usage, since they don’t have actual … Continue reading "Transit app estimates local transit ridership decline"
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Sunday Open Thread: The science behind the Coronavirus
by
Brent White
on (#51DMH)
This is an open thread.
0 comments
Additional Sound Transit service cuts coming March 30
by
Alex Kvenvolden
on (#51CPB)
With the Puget Sound region largely shut down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is a dramatic drop in public transit ridership across all areas of the region. Though Sound Transit was already one of the transit agencies that opted to temporarily reduce service starting this past Monday, those changes were relatively light on … Continue reading "Additional Sound Transit service cuts coming March 30"
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News roundup: packing it in
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#51ART)
Water Taxi delays its spring schedule. Victoria Clipper packing it in till May. Finally, some TOD near TIBS. Star Lake P&R is closed for construction. 2 ST employees test positive for Covid-19. 4 CT drivers, too. PSRC completes its environmental review for its “Vision 2050” process. APTA needs you to contact Congress to help transit … Continue reading "News roundup: packing it in"
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Sound Transit set to adopt low income fare program, update enforcement policies
by
Dan Ryan
on (#519G9)
This afternoon, the Sound Transit Board will consider participating in King County’s program to offer free transit passes to participants of several state benefit programs that are income-based. King County intends to eventually expand the program to all households with income below 80% of the federal poverty level. At the same meeting, the Board is … Continue reading "Sound Transit set to adopt low income fare program, update enforcement policies"
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Greater Eastside Transit Map
by
Oran Viriyincy
on (#517T4)
A new map for a new bus network for the Eastside
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West Seattle Bridge closed; Metro scrambles
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#515CG)
In what would have counted as a transportation catastrophe were it not for the much bigger ongoing catastrophe, SDOT discovered “accelerated concrete cracking” in the West Seattle Bridge yesterday. They closed it indefinitely to all traffic 7pm Monday. Mike Lindblom reports the repairs will take on the order of months ($). Metro posted a transit … Continue reading "West Seattle Bridge closed; Metro scrambles"
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Other states issue stay-at-home orders while transit gets less-social-distancy here
by
Brent White
on (#5141W)
Update: Governor Jay Inslee issued a “Stay home, stay health” order, with a list of essential workers who are exempt, Monday afternoon. It may seem like an Age ago, but it has been less than two weeks since the United Nations’ World Health Organization declared covid-19 to be a pandemic. By the end of last … Continue reading "Other states issue stay-at-home orders while transit gets less-social-distancy here"
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Sunday Open Thread: Life inside China’s quarantine
by
Brent White
on (#5131K)
This is an open thread.
0 comments
Coronavirus: Many agencies offering free fares, some cut service
by
Bruce Englehardt
on (#5122H)
In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, several transit agencies in the Puget Sound region have announced that they are switching to fare-free operations and some are also cutting service. As we’ve been tracking on our updated coronavirus dashboard, there are a lot of changes ahead as the situation evolves. The general consensus is that … Continue reading "Coronavirus: Many agencies offering free fares, some cut service"
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A bit more about Metro cuts
by
David Lawson
on (#511EW)
Thanks to Metro’s Jeff Switzer, we have a bit more information on the Metro cuts starting Monday. Metro was able to tell us the total number of trips cut from each route on weekdays. While that gives a very incomplete picture, it allows us to start drawing a few conclusions about how the “Reduced Schedule” … Continue reading "A bit more about Metro cuts"
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Another Link closure this weekend; “normal” service Monday
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#5112M)
The contractor has fixed last weekend’s failed electrical test. There will be an additional Link closure this weekend “for final testing and safety certification of the new trackwork and systems,” says ST’s David Jackson. Once again, shuttle buses will run between Sodo and Capitol Hill. ” Monday we should return to two-track service in the … Continue reading "Another Link closure this weekend; “normal” service Monday"
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Metro to impose 25% service cut Monday; details still unclear
by
David Lawson
on (#510S4)
On Wednesday, Councilmember Rod Dembowski was the first to share the news of upcoming Metro service cuts, made in recognition of sharp drops in both ridership and sales tax revenue during the COVID-19 crisis. Late yesterday, Metro told us that those cuts would start Monday, and that the agency would cut about 25 percent of … Continue reading "Metro to impose 25% service cut Monday; details still unclear"
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Metro service change: All about the North Eastside
by
David Lawson
on (#50YHS)
KEY UPDATE: This post was written several days before Metro confirmed service reductions beginning Monday. It is likely that the frequencies described in this post will be reduced, but we won’t know how they are being reduced until Metro makes a detailed announcement, which we expect tomorrow. Watch this space for an explanation of the … Continue reading "Metro service change: All about the North Eastside"
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Metro ridership plunges during social distancing measures
by
Martin H. Duke
on (#50WSR)
As most reasons to leave the house (much less travel to the big hubs) disappear, transit ridership is going down with it: King County Metro has analyzed preliminary estimates and extrapolations to create an unofficial estimate of ridership. The results show an estimated 45% reduction in Metro bus ridership ­– or a drop of 185,000 … Continue reading "Metro ridership plunges during social distancing measures"
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No King County transit ballot measure this year
by
Dan Ryan
on (#50V5E)
King County voters will not be asked to vote on a Metro funding measure in August after all. In a statement on Monday afternoon, Claudia Balducci announced the decision not to proceed with the countywide measure. This seems to clear the way for Seattle to run a replacement of the expiring taxes for their transportation … Continue reading "No King County transit ballot measure this year"
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