Seattle Transit Blog

Why is ridership growth slowing? Route 44 I-976 on hold (new results maps) Ride2 cancelled Which avenue is your bus? Download link

A crowd in Renton gets to question some transit leaders. I wish we had a better canned answer for what cities can do to get better transit service given the service guidelines. More details on reduced Link service this winter. Someone had to say it: the deep-bore tunnel tolls aren’t high enough. Sounder vs. car … Continue reading "News roundup: someone had to say it"

On Monday, Sound Transit announced that the full funding grant agreement (FFGA) for the Federal Way Link Extension project had been sent for Congressional approval, one of the final steps before the grant is awarded. With $790 million in a direct grant and $629 million available through a low-interest TIFIA loan, the final pieces needed … Continue reading "Federal funds on their way for Federal Way Link"

If you’re reading this, there’s some year in which you became very interested in Puget Sound area transit services. For me, that year was 2006, and I found Jim Kershner’s Transit: The Story of Public Transportation in the Puget Sound Region to be a concise, readable, and richly illustrated overview of all that has gone … Continue reading "Book review: Transit"

Last year, a larger percentage of Seattle residents than ever reported using transit to commute to work. Seattle has made remarkable progress this decade in substituting away from drive-alone commuting. Booming employment growth in downtown Seattle and South Lake Union made it easier for workers to access jobs via transit. Large investments in bus and … Continue reading "Seattle transit ridership pauses after years of rapid growth"

Greta’s speech was part of an hour of speeches all worth listening to, if not as incisive as Greta’s timeline explainer. This is an open thread.

It’s been a few months since our last check-in with Northgate Link, and things have changed dramatically around the three stations. Holiday shoppers no longer throng Northgate Mall, which is now split in two and without several of its longtime tenants. Roosevelt has gained the first of two cross-streets and welcomed a few new apartment … Continue reading "Finishing touches for Northgate Link as work continues below"

Supremes uphold the stay on I-976; tax cut is off indefinitely. Cuts coming anyway. A report from the Delridge Station open house. Bus lane enforcement cameras are getting it done in NYC. Seattle rolls out rules for the e-scooter pilot. Metro has a survey on more water taxi routes. Roosevelt over 95% complete. Lynnwood approves … Continue reading "News roundup: a bad year"

Sydney Brownstone in the Seattle Times: This year, Seattle will invest the most it ever has in affordable housing, a total of $110 million, Mayor Jenny Durkan said Monday. All of that funding will go toward the construction and redevelopment of new units, the most ever generated through Seattle investments in a single year – 1,944 … Continue reading "Seattle steps up its affordable housing efforts"

Last week, we reported on the under-performing Ride2 services in West Seattle and Eastgate which have experienced low ridership and outsized costs per rider. Yesterday, Metro announced they were ending both pilots effective December 20. (The news was first reported by West Seattle Blog). The Ride2 services were created as one year pilots, and the … Continue reading "Ride2 in West Seattle & Eastgate will end service"

The latest round of Federal Way Link public meetings came with a website. There isn’t anything of interest in terms of station area design that Bruce didn’t cover in detail over two years ago. Nevertheless, there’s new information about the artists that have been selected for each station. I’m of no use for art criticism, … Continue reading "Federal Way Link survey is out"

Any regular transit rider coming home from Bellevue, in a bus, in an HOV lane on I-405 southbound, knows well the feeling of moving 0-5 mph. Granted, it’s not always like this. There are certainly some days where it zips by traffic at nearly 60, while some other days it takes over 20 minutes just … Continue reading "The cost of HOV-2 on I-405"

This is an open thread.

One of the best improvements in the recent Metro service change was the one that cost essentially nothing: re-timing route 60 and 107 schedules on evenings and weekends to create combined 15-minute headway on the 15th Ave S corridor between Beacon Hill Station and Georgetown. There is more scheduling cleverness still to be milked out … Continue reading "Improving 60/107 frequency to match Link, virtually for free"

Last election cycle, virtually every city council candidate knew enough about Seattle transit to say they supported “better east-west connections.” You don’t have to ride the bus very much to know that getting across town can be a slog. Promising to fix it turns out to be a popular idea. At a series of open … Continue reading "SDOT and Metro have some big ideas for Route 44"

If half of Limebikes are unrentable at any given time, that seems like a problem. ST kicking bikes out of the train between University St and Chinatown during the “Connect 2020” period of great crowding; also, 5 cents/hour bike lockers. In the wake of the Amtrak derailment report, ST sacks its chief safety officer ($). … Continue reading "News roundup: shear wave velocity"

Seattle voters couldn’t be more clear: They demand better transit and they are willing to fund it. Tim Eyman’s I-976 was demolished in Seattle, losing by over 3-1. This follows huge victories in Seattle for transit in 2014 (Seattle TBD), 2015 (Move Seattle), and 2016 (ST3.) Despite repeated and very clear messages from Seattle voters, … Continue reading "Seattle legislators: fund transit now"

King County has piloted several on-demand services that connect people with transit hubs. The services address first/last mile access issues up to three miles around transit centers. Recent data indicates that Via continues to perform well in the Rainier Valley with growing ridership and progressively declining average costs. Meanwhile, the Ride2 services in West Seattle … Continue reading "Via shuttles performing well; Ride2 not so much"

The city of Kirkland recently launched a Safe and Active Transportation survey. The survey is the first chance for public engagement as the city works to rewrite its Active Transportation Plan, which lays out Kirkland’s strategy for moving cyclists and pedestrians through the city. The last time the city updated its Active Transportation Plan (ATP) … Continue reading "Kirkland needs to hear from you about its Active Transportation Plan"

King County has been working with the Equity Cabinet on a new mobility framework contributing to communities, the economy, and the environment. This is an open thread.

At first glance, there is little rhyme or reason to which buses use which avenues in Downtown Seattle. In fact, there is some structure to these allocations, although there are a bunch of exceptions. Assigning rules does point to some situations where a swap or two could allow heavy bus users to commit it to … Continue reading "Which avenue?"

I recently followed the recommendation of a bunch of folks on Twitter and picked up Lizabeth Cohen’s Saving America’s Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban Age. It’s fairly weeds-y, and I’ll admit that I skimmed a few sections here and there. But overall I was glad to read … Continue reading "Book Review: Saving America’s Cities"

All Tacoma public high school students getting free ORCA cards. ST schedules for today and tomorrow. Big development ($) slated for Lynnwood TC. Tim Eyman running for governor. More bike lockers, fewer bike racks at UW Station. West Seattle forum provides some Link planning feedback. Metro drivers pushing for more safety measures. New Seattle Uber/Lyft … Continue reading "News roundup: Happy Thanksgiving"

Implementation of I-976 has been put on hold temporarily pending the outcome of the coalition lawsuit in King County Superior Court. In a decision delivered this morning, Judge Marshall Ferguson also indicated that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of the case. The ruling details testimony about the damage that would ensue … Continue reading "I-976 on hold, likely to be overturned"

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Intercity Transit is looking to make the rare jump to zero-fare service beginning January 1, 2020, pending a board of directors vote next week. Last year, voters in the urbanized portion of Thurston County approved a 0.4 percent sales tax increase to fund more transit service. Riders on Intercity Transit buses currently pay $1.25 for … Continue reading "Intercity Transit looks to go fare-free"

Author’s Note: SEPTA’s 50-cent electronic fare discount has been added since the original post, thanks to an observant commenter. King County Metro is at the mercy of cities for giving right-of-way and signal priority to buses, at the mercy of the State (and Tim Eyman) for being allowed to ask for local tax revenue, at … Continue reading "How the County could reduce downtown gridlock and preserve more service"

Frank and I will tape the next podcast this evening. Leave your questions for us in the comments. The usual question guidelines apply.

Yes, this is an actual commercial by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and this is an open thread.

Paxtyn Merten, Puget Sound Business Journal [$]: Since moving entirely into downtown Seattle’s F5 Tower in August, workers have capitalized on those benefits. Phillips said drive-alone rates among employees are just under 25 percent, down from 55 percent at the former headquarters. … About 29 percent drive and park vehicles, which F5 partially subsidizes within … Continue reading "Policy choices matter"

The Sound Transit Board had its first opportunity to review the results of I-976 at Thursday’s meeting. While expressing confidence they would not be forced to reduce the MVET, and also outlining the litigation strategy they intend to pursue, the Board also heard how an immediate stop to MVET revenues would result in a five … Continue reading "Sound Transit maps next steps after I-976"

Thomas Street Greenway and a “protected intersection” coming to South Lake Union area I-976 could be blocked as soon as next week. Which is good, because I-976 will be very bad for people with mobility-limiting disabilities, especially those in more rural areas. OR and WA are re-starting the Columbia River Crossing. But do they need … Continue reading "News Roundup: Protected"

In October, WSDOT awarded the contract for the widening of I-405 between Bellevue and Renton. With significant construction beginning in the Spring, that kicks off construction on the first capital elements of I-405 BRT South. Meanwhile, WSDOT and Sound Transit have been making complementary investments along the corridor that continue to raise expectations for the … Continue reading "I-405 BRT South moves forward"

Yesterday, we covered the first part of the Cascadia Rail Summit. The next sessions were more technical and covered lessons learned from high speed rail systems around the world and also an overview of rail equipment. Below are only the highlights. Andy Kunz, President & CEO, USHSR Andy Kunz spoke about what circumstances make high … Continue reading "Cascadia Rail Summit recap: part 2"

The Cascadia Rail Summit was held from Nov 6-8. Hosted at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond and organized by the US High Speed Rail Association, the conference brought together some key decision makers from government, consulting, and rail operators and train manufacturers from around the world. Even for a rail skeptic, it is hard to dismiss … Continue reading "Cascadia Rail Summit recap: part 1"

Amsterdam was not always a cycling paradise and London is trying to get there. This is an open thread.

Several improvements to Link station signage are in development. Numbered exit signs will be piloted at downtown Seattle stations next week, and other enhancements will be rolled out with system expansions in future years. The changes were introduced at a meeting of the System Expansion Committee on Thursday as the Committee approved a contract for … Continue reading "Signage changes for Link"

Sound Transit is considering reworking both ST and Community Transit buses that come down I-5 from Snohomish County when Northgate Station opens in 2021. Sound Transit buses 510, 511, 512, and 513 would all turn around at Northgate, allowing them to run more frequently. 800-series Community Transit routes would also turn around at Northgate instead … Continue reading "ST considers stopping some buses at Northgate"

KUOW interviews Pierce County Executive and ST Board dissident Bruce Dammeier on why he voted for I-976 — but he’s wrong on the vote totals and a bunch of other facts. Flixbus is the newest intercity bus company. Serious talks about an Everett Transit-Community Transit merger ($). Sound Transit holding public meetings on the South … Continue reading "News roundup: go it alone"

Last week’s apparent passage of I-976 has given rise to a fair amount of commentary affirming that voters were sending a message, and disagreeing about what they are saying. One could focus on the statewide rejection of taxes on cars, narrow support for car tabs in the three counties served by Sound Transit, a probable … Continue reading "The political economy of the spine after I-976"

Tolling in the new Highway 99 tunnel has finally started. Today is the first regular weekday commute to feel the impacts (as yesterday was Veterans Day). WSDOT is encouraging tunnel users to avail themselves of the Good-to-Go Pass, by giving pass users a $2 discount. (If only someone could explain this principle to King County … Continue reading "First regular weekday of tolling in the Highway 99 tunnel"

New city council I-976 impacts on Sound Transit and Metro (12:49) RapidRide K and a possible small victory in Eastgate (44:56) Sammamish (50:58) Download link

This is an open thread.

Katherine Khashimova Long recently published a fine piece of reporting ($) on how many “luxury” condos have unclear ownership, potentially mere financial assets that are left “empty as the city grows less affordable for its middle- and lower-class residents.” That may very well be the outcome thanks to our many arbitrary restrictions on building enough … Continue reading "Vacant luxury condos are only a problem if you have crappy zoning"

A bus lane and queue jump coming to… Olympia? Seattle car ownership ($) dropping. RapidRide G passes through another gate on the way to opening. If Seattle can’t afford sidewalks maybe just slow down the cars. Public meetings coming for Link extensions to Federal Way and Tacoma. Lawsuits against I-976 from both Seattle and King … Continue reading "News roundup: dropping"

Yesterday Dan laid out the impacts of I-976 on Sound Transit. Now let’s talk about Metro and Seattle. Unlike with ST, the situation is both simpler and more dire. KC Exec Constantine has already pledged a lawsuit, and Mayor Durkan is expected to follow today on behalf of the city. Metro calculates it will lose … Continue reading "I-976’s impacts on bus service"

Last night’s returns indicate I-976 is likely to pass. The next step is likely a court challenge, or several. What if the initiative is sustained? Let’s look ahead at the implications for Sound Transit. If Sound Transit is forced to stop collecting the MVET, that reduces 2021-2041 revenues by $6.9 billion, or 12.3% of what … Continue reading "What next after I-976?"

One can get election results at virtually any local outlet, but since you rightly eschew all news sources besides Seattle Transit Blog, here’s the stuff you won’t get anywhere else. Candidates we endorsed in bold. I-976: Yes (55%) leads No (45%) statewide. King County District 2: Zahilay leads Gossett 62-37 King County District 4: Kohl-Welles … Continue reading "Election results"

Last we heard, just a few weeks ago, Sound Transit’s draft service plan was to discontinue ST 541 (Overlake – University District), along with ST 540 (Kirkland – University District). This week, the Rider Experience Committee is set to reconsider that plan. Up to ten one-way trips will remain on ST 541. That’s significantly less … Continue reading "ST 541 not dead yet"

Tomorrow is election day. If you haven’t mailed your ballot (making use of the free return postage) or a ballot drop box, do so right now. The deadline to drop ballots at the drop boxes is 8 pm Tuesday. Mailed ballots must be post-marked Tuesday. If you don’t mail it tonight, get thee to a … Continue reading "Last call to mail or drop off ballots"