Seattle Transit Blog

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"

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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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"

Frank and I will tape tonight. Please leave your questions for us in the comments.

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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?"

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"

This is an open thread.

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"

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"

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"

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"

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

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"

This is an open thread.

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"

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"

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"

A new map for a new bus network for the Eastside

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"

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"

This is an open thread.

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

Sound Transit, yesterday: Work to complete the construction joining new light rail to the Eastside into the existing system, known as Connect 2020, will require additional time to complete due to issues identified over the weekend. On Monday morning Link light rail will continue to operate every 15 minutes and on one track in the downtown … Continue reading "Connect 2020 not done yet"

Wednesday, March 18 is Transit Operators Appreciation Day. This is an open thread.

Community Transit has released a set of proposed route changes for southern Snohomish County that would take effect in September 2020 and March 2021. These changes are a continuation of other small tweaks to the route network that are meant to prepare local connections for the arrival of Lynnwood Link in 2024, which will involve … Continue reading "Community Transit proposes new corridors and additional peak trips"

Paid parking in Everett ($)? Kent-Des Moines Station will have food trucks ($)! Metro suspends fare enforcement to increase social distance. Legislature gets rid of parking requirements for ADUs close to transit statewide — thanks to Sens. Liias and Das, and Reps. Fitzgibbon, Gregerson, and Barkis. Judge hints I-976 may mostly take effect as early … Continue reading "News roundup: left for dead"

Heidi Groover, The Seattle Times: The bill would allow a pilot program for the new cameras, to run through mid-2023. Seattle could use the cameras to detect drivers who stop in an intersection or crosswalk, drive in a transit-only lane or stop or travel in a restricted lane. The cameras would be allowed in limited locations in … Continue reading "Bus lane cams finally pass the legislature"

Way back in August, Frank told you about a raft of service changes that would accompany RapidRide I (Renton/Auburn). Although RapidRide will open in 2023, the Metro network revision will happen in September. The status quo The current Renton/Kent/Auburn corridor is far from the frequent grid ideal. There are two frequent routes. The 150 goes … Continue reading "South King County changes to finalize this spring"

Commute Seattle has released their 2019 mode split survey, and it shows a slightly higher percentage of single occupancy vehicle (SOV) drivers compared to last year, while remote work increased substantially, despite the fact that the survey was conducted well in advance of the 2020 Coronavirus semi-quarantine or Connect 2020. Transit use unfortunately decreased for … Continue reading "Teleworking, solo driving rise in latest Commute Seattle report, transit use drops"

King County is contemplating a 0.2% sales tax increase that would replace the expiring Seattle TBD taxes and raise a total of $160 million annually for Metro. The package under discussion would extend the service hours funded by Seattle’s 2014 levy, currently about 350,000 hours annually in Seattle. It would add new funding for 450,000 … Continue reading "The regional revenue proposal for Metro"

Luxembourg no longer charges for in-country public transport for all 614,000 citizens and visitors, as of March 1. This is an open thread.

Last updated: March 12, 2020 As you may have heard, there is an ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 novel coronavirus, a new strain of virus that is able to be transmitted from person to person. Several major employers have activated work-from-home policies and several large events have been cancelled and postponed. For those who need to … Continue reading "Transit agencies respond to COVID-19 novel coronavirus"

It’s hard to believe that Route 40, now the most obvious way to move between Ballard, Fremont, and South Lake Union, didn’t exist only a few years ago. It’s younger than STB, and yet it’s hard to imagine transit travel in that corner of the city without it. It draws 13,000 riders a day while … Continue reading "SDOT plans Route 40 improvements"

Free bus passes for the very low income formally passes the Council (for Metro). Student U-Pass to go up $2/quarter. Covid-19 tips for transit riders ($). Metro hiring a “Reduced Fare Programs Chief“ The Union Street/Symphony name is now officially dead; we’re back to University Street pending further developments. 130th St Station now officially planned … Continue reading "News roundup: reduced fare"

Like many cross-lake commuters, I often find myself waiting for a connection on the Montlake Boulevard concrete island where Eastbound SR-520 buses pick up before traversing the lake. My favorite activity while stranded on this island is to refresh One Bus Away and watch the bus schedules go to hell as the U-district jams up … Continue reading "The case of the missing Montlake queue jump"

Metro’s long range plan and the countywide ballot RapidRide R (17:41) Monorail expansion (28:15) Car sharing (31:30)