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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3S75J)
After a bit of inactivity, the flurry of Lynnwood Link news continues for yet another week. The baseline schedule for Lynnwood Link has been set, and the last round of design open houses we mentioned have been scheduled for later this month and late next month. Like all open houses, the online version has all […]
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Seattle Transit Blog
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| Updated | 2025-06-07 23:33 |
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by Brent White on (#3S4T7)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Assembly Speaker Corey Johnson have struck a deal that will give low-income New York City transit riders a roughly 50% fare discount starting next year, under a program called “Fair Faresâ€. Up until the past week, Mayor de Blasio resisted the discount, saying the state should […]
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#3S2E0)
The West Seattle Link extension was promised to voters as three stations (Delridge, Avalon, and Alaska Junction) running on an elevated guideway. Some West Seattle residents are advocating for the removal of Avalon station to pay for a tunnel under the Junction. Sound Transit has pushed back on this idea, arguing that removing a station […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#3S0NE)
To put Hong Kong in perspective, imagine the entire population of the state of Washington in a territory slightly larger than King County’s urban area of which less than 25% is developed.
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3RZ9W)
While work Northgate Link moves past construction and into cleanup and testing, developers have been busy drawing up plans for new housing near its stations. Opening day is only three years away, so projects that have started early design review should be able to finish up around the same time that light rail service begins […]
by Brent White on (#3RXGD)
SODO Station and the SODO busway: Future home of West Seattle – southside train transfers Photo by Joe Kunzler / flickr When ST3 is built out, it will have two major downtown transfer hubs, at already-very-busy Westlake Station and International District / Chinatown Station. In all likelihood, transfers at these stations will not be fast, […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3RTYJ)
Class action lawsuit filed against Sound Transit on car tab fees One step closer to free transit for high school students Metro kicks off Eastside mobility survey the death of America’s small apartments Lynnwood link online survey California going big on EV charging Meanwhile, plenty of hypocrisy to go around with BART and housing What […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3RS97)
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been nearly a year since Seattle became the first American city to have a large dockless bike share presence. With the initial permits set to be reviewed this summer, SDOT’s Joel Miller reported to the committee last week on the system, which now includes 10,000 bikes provided by 3 […]
by Bruce Englehardt on (#3RRWK)
This week, crews started demolition work along the 9th Avenue wall that runs along the edge of Convention Place Station and its bus layover lot. The demolition work will be conducted primarily on weekends from now until October and is being done to prepare for the eventual turnover of Convention Place to the convention center […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#3RP4B)
Last week, Sound Transit kicked off a summer of public events centered around SR 522 BRT. “Project Refinement†will be done in early 2019, the board selects a final project for preliminary engineering in January 2020, and the line should actually open in 2024. This phase collects input on station locations, parking location and type, […]
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3RKMA)
When Lynnwood Link begins construction early next year, it will be joined by two major residential projects in southern Snohomish County as cities begin to attempt their own transit-oriented development. In Mountlake Terrace, work has begun on the “Terrace Station†project, which will build a complex of three apartment buildings just south of the future Link […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#3RHQM)
Tomorrow, Capital Metro in Austin launches a Houston-style network restructure they call Cap Remap that streamlines routes and expands frequent service to more of the city.
by David Lawson on (#3RG9C)
In response to several requests, this post is adapted from a recent Twitter thread that readers seemed to like, even though I impulsively started it during a break at work while irritated at some tweets. There’s a straw man that gets a lot of abuse in online housing debates: that the more-market-oriented variety of pro-housing activists […]
by Bruce Englehardt on (#3REX0)
The third and final (for now) installment of our photo tours is here, and covers the most exciting and fastest-changing part of East Link. Continuing from Tuesday’s tour, the downtown Bellevue tunnel will emerge at the east end of Bellevue Transit Center, and has a mixed bag of public views. These photos were all taken […]
by Brent White on (#3REB3)
Correction: The original post referred to a “carbon tax†in I-1631. The initiative actually refers to a “pollution feeâ€, a methodology different from the carbon tax in Initiative 732. I recently ran into a couple stack petitioners seeking signatures for four initiative petitions, starting with Tim Eyman’s latest $30 car tab effort, and ending with […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3RCGD)
First Hill station is not to be (1:21) Electeds bail on First Hill the process rears its ugly head Napkin math analysis Backyard cottages (42:12) Single family rentals leveling off Pierce County & Lyft (50:21) http://traffic.libsyn.com/seattletransitblog/STB_podcast_061.mp3
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3RBQJ)
Some suburban cities looking to slow growth Growth in single-family home rents also slowing Diminished budgets for Seattle’s transit corridors Mariners-Link promotion extended to July 8 Mixed-use TOD near Mountlake Terrace station Local mayors learning about bikes in Copenhagen (Pipeline trail in Pierce Co. looks 🔥) High gas prices straining some transit agency budgets Mobility workshops […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#3R9M0)
It appears we’re not going to get a formal study of building the Midtown Station on 8th Avenue, much less further up First Hill. However, a little searching can give us an idea of costs and benefits. Call it the discount version of the study Sound Transit will refuse to give us. Costs Back in […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#3R7JN)
The nice thing about BRT is that it doesn’t take forever to open. After we approved BRT on SR522 in 2016, it will open in 2024. ST is holding two community meetings this week to start public planning for the project: Bothell Public Meeting Wednesday, May 30, 6-8 p.m. (presentation at 6:30 p.m.) Northshore Senior […]
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3R75Z)
It’s been just over two years since Sound Transit broke ground on East Link, the 14-mile light rail line that will funnel Eastside traffic into Downtown Seattle and points beyond. As promised last week, I’ve got more photographs and recommendations across the entire first phase (as the Downtown Redmond segment hasn’t quite started), but will […]
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3R52E)
On Thursday, the Sound Transit Board approved the baseline budget (in other words, the budget for when we can say a project is truly under/over budget) for Lynnwood Link, which has been under its own financial problems for a few months, and set it at $2.77 billion. As we covered earlier this month, a few of […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#3R3K5)
BART extended further east this weekend using DMUs.
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by Tim Bond on (#3R20M)
In a Request for Proposals released April 13th, Sound Transit outlined a set of system upgrades for its passenger information systems (PIMS). The most visible component of these systems are the realtime arrival information for ST trains and buses, but they also include backend systems that collect and process the data. This project has three […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3R03J)
Estonia on the free transit tip Bellevue’s Spring District getting more offices NTSB holding a hearing on last winter’s Amtrak Cascades derailment Even when you think you’re done paying for parking garages, you still gotta maintain ’em Deep dive from the Times on bike lane costs [$]. Spoiler: most of the money wasn’t for the bike […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#3QXXG)
I have long been skeptical that Sound Transit would build a First Hill light rail station. When the staff doesn’t want to do something, it takes a combination of grassroots pressure and an aggressive leader to make them do it. For over a year, there was no organized campaign and no elected champion for the neighborhood. […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3QVS3)
In September 2014, when the median single family home price in Seattle was $431,000, the city council passed a resolution aimed at increasing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). In 2016, when the home price was $513,000, neighborhood activists sued to stop the policy, forcing the city to conduct an environmental impact statement (EIS). Now, in 2018, […]
by Bruce Englehardt on (#3QV3T)
Early Tuesday morning, a construction foreman for Kiewit-Hoffman was killed after falling 30 to 40 feet from a column on the East Link guideway, near the 148th Avenue interchange on State Route 520 in Overlake. The accident, only the second fatal incident at a Sound Transit construction site, triggered a one-day halt in girder work on […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3QRKS)
After returning with additional modifications, Metro gained approval from the Burien City Council for RapidRide H improvements (previous coverage here). See Omaha Sternberg on Twitter for the play-by-play. You can read Metro’s full proposal (Alternative C) on the Burien website (PDF). RapidRide H, the upgraded version of Metro Route 120, will use Business Access and Transit (BAT) […]
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3QPE9)
Northgate Link is slowly inching its way towards completion, still scheduled for June 2021, but a substantial amount of progress can be seen from street level. This photo tour will hopefully be the beginning of a semi-regular series to track construction progress on Link’s extensions, for the benefit of readers who aren’t up for a […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#3QMSQ)
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#3QKC6)
Last Thursday, the Sound Transit 3 “Elected Leadership Group,†a supergroup of local elected officials (the Infinity War of transit oversight, if you will), met to consider which of Sound Transit’s Level 1 alternatives should advance to Level 2. The ELG’s recommendations, like those of the nonelected “Stakeholder Advisory Group,†are nonbinding. The final decision will […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#3QHGC)
Beginning Monday, potential riders in some areas of Pierce County will have the option of a free Lyft ride to or from a nearby transit hub. The Federal Transit Administration is providing the $205,000 for this one-year pilot. From the press release: The Limited Access Connection project’s goals include addressing mobility challenges for those with […]
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3QFEJ)
On Monday, Sound Transit announced that it had received a $75 million Small Starts grant from the FTA for the Tacoma Link Extension, which will extend the current streetcar-like Tacoma Link through the Stadium District and Hilltop neighborhood west of downtown. This project isn’t to be confused with the Tacoma Dome Link Extension, which will […]
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#3QETP)
After much debate, a compromise version of Seattle’s employee head tax is now law The Tom and Curley Show is on point on affordable housing Portland streetcar breaking ridership records Slower streets, not autonomous cars, are the real safety breakthrough (Props to Wired for publishing this bit of techno-skepticism) The feds pony up $75M for […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#3QCQG)
It’s come to my attention that our hiring of a paid staff reporter has introduced a little confusion into the process for volunteer contributors. Transit enthusiasts who are not seeking payment for writing, and are able to commit to contributing articles on a regular basis, are welcome to start the much simpler process to join […]
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by Guest Contributor on (#3QC05)
by KATIE WILSON There’s a new book out called Free Public Transit: And Why We Don’t Pay to Ride Elevators. On Monday, May 21st, the Transit Riders Union is hosting a book launch and a panel discussion of past, present and future efforts to advance the vision of free public transit here in the Seattle […]
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by Guest Contributor on (#3Q8W5)
by Jon Scholes, President / CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association Thanks to businesses, elected leaders and community groups that shaped and endorsed it, Sound Transit 3 is moving forward, with planned expansion to Ballard, West Seattle through downtown in the form of a new tunnel. Community leaders from across Seattle have thoughtfully considered the future […]
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by Dan Ryan on (#3Q61W)
A week ago, the Everett Herald carried an Op-Ed by three Sound Transit Board members from Snohomish County. The authors, Paul Roberts, Dave Earling and Dave Somers, criticize Sound Transit for not completing the light rail spine as quickly as possible. They go on to argue the strict subarea equity policy, where Sound Transit investments […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#3Q3TZ)
“Trolleybuses…a dying race gradually being pushed from our roads by the deadly diesel.â€
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by Martin H. Duke on (#3Q21E)
Every big transportation project starts with a cost estimate. The tedious debate on whether the project costs too much, or is just right, is a proxy fight over whether it’s a good project or not. The estimate spirals upwards, which breeds cynicism among opponents while providing an opportunity to revisit all of the old arguments. […]
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#3PZM4)
Island Transit, a long held example of fare-free transit, may adopt its first fares for regular routes since it began service 30 years ago. The agency has been financially unstable since the recession, during which voters rejected a 0.3 percent sales tax increase to fund service, and has determined that current sales tax revenues would […]
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#3PWPK)
PSRC survey on regional attitudes towards growth and transportation (PDF) Could “industrial areas†be put to better use? XKCD nails it on driving SnoCo pols want faster light rail to Everett (but without mentioning the airport-sized elephant in the room) Indoor market could come to King Street Station WS Ferries wants a battery-powered fleet ($) […]
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by Dan Ryan on (#3PTKD)
Many residential buildings are built with more parking than their residents need, and even more parking goes unused during daytime hours when residents are away. So it was encouraging to see a recent announcement from GarageHop. GarageHop is providing 40 spaces for commuter use in an apartment building at the South Kirkland Park & Ride. […]
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#3PSWY)
Negotiations on the bus tunnel closure (1:28) The head tax (25:46) Burien RapidRide (45:30) http://traffic.libsyn.com/seattletransitblog/STB_podcast_060.mp3
by Martin H. Duke on (#3PQH6)
We’ve received a number of interesting applications already, but it’s not too late to apply for our part-time reporter position. If you’d like to apply, send an email with a resume and three writing samples to contact@seattletransitblog.com by May 11th.
by Martin H. Duke on (#3PPVC)
Yesterday, the Council passed the alley vacation for the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) that the Transportation and Sustainability Committee approved last week, as we reported. The O’Brien amendment that would have gotten more money for transit from the WSCC in the event of serious service degradation failed 6-3, with only O’Brien, Sawant, and Herbold […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3PKVF)
The next RapidRide H, which will replace King County Metro route 120 from downtown Seattle to Burien in 2020, could reduce travel times by almost five minutes between Burien and the West Seattle Bridge, assuming the transit agency and its partner DOTs make the recommended upgrades to the route, which is among the 10 busiest in the […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#3PHWS)
Wuppertal has the oldest suspended railway in the world. Here they’re testing new trains in a way unique to the system.
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by Martin H. Duke on (#3PG00)
On May 1st, Seattle’s Transportation and Sustainability Committee reviewed the alley vacation for the Washington State Convention Center expansion, which will close the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to buses. The core measure passed unanimously, but the most interesting discussion centered around exactly when buses would have to leave the tunnel. The question has come down […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#3PDH7)
Excellent deep dive ($) on Seattle’s exclusionary zoning and its impact on house prices Relatedly, the Talaris development in Laurelhurst could have a lot more housing Job opening at the City of Kirkland: Transportation Strategic Advisor Sound Transit board adopts equitable TOD policy Community Transit adding even more double deckers Motivate, operator of Seattle’s defunct Pronto […]