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by Martin H. Duke on (#1ZH7R)
I was going to write a final piece about I-732 is a very important ballot measure, arguably more important than ST3, but Ramez Naam’s essay is perfect. Capitol Hill and First Hill upzone proposals. Tacoma Transit goes deep on the potential PT restructure. New zoning “bargain†will make it harder for new construction in poor […]
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Seattle Transit Blog
| Link | https://seattletransitblog.com/ |
| Feed | https://feeds.feedburner.com/seattletransitblog/rss |
| Updated | 2026-04-02 09:48 |
by Bruce Englehardt on (#1ZGC2)
Community Transit has released their proposed 2017 budget, which estimates $19 million in additional sales tax revenue thanks to the passage of the 2015 ballot measure, for a total of $172 million in operating revenue and $134 million in operating expenses. CT plans to use the additional funding to increase bus service by 6 percent, […]
by Zach Shaner on (#1ZDJB)
With the (60′) trolley replacement project now complete, the last of the Breda trolleys will take its final in-service ride tomorrow afternoon with a ceremonial trip from Beacon/Spokane to Atlantic Base. The lovably awful buses – dubbed ‘Frankenbuses’ by many – have a complicated and storied history in Seattle. Originally a “DuoBus†of electric trolley and diesel […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1ZCPQ)
One of the most practical objections to agency-built parking is that it is a very expensive way to lure a rider to the system. The tens of thousands of dollars spent to build a space could fund other capital improvements that would also build ridership, while using the land more intensively would cost nothing and […]
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by Brent White on (#1Z9JT)
If you haven’t ever registered to vote before, you still have time. If you turn 18 on or before November 8, you are eligible to register and vote. If you are registered in another state, and want to vote in Washington State instead, you still have time to register here. But you have to go […]
by Zach Shaner on (#1Z8GV)
Eight months after Kevin Desmond’s abrupt departure for Vancouver, BC, Metro again has a General Manager. Later this morning, County Executive Dow Constantine will name Interim GM Rob Gannon as the permanent General Manager. By deciding against a wider candidate search and going with an internal hire, Gannon represents a choice for continuity. Metro appears content […]
by Kevin Duffy-Greaves on (#1Z5W6)
On October 5th, the University of Washington released its draft Seattle Campus Master Plan (CMP) along with an accompanying Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Plan governs the University’s future development on campus between 2018 and 2028. The document is particularly important because pursuant to the City-University Agreement signed between UW and the City of Seattle […]
by STB Editorial Board on (#1Z57G)
These are STB’s endorsements for this November’s General Election. As always, candidate endorsements are meant to only reflect their positions on transit and land use. Ballot Measures YES on Sound Transit Proposition 1. Our full endorsement is here, and much more material is here. This measure, informally known as Sound Transit 3, would build 62 miles […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#1Z262)
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#1YZ0R)
Whether you think of park and ride lots as a necessary service for suburban transit or a sprawl-inducing evil, we can hopefully agree that maximizing utilization of existing parking capacity near transit is a good thing. With that idea in mind, WSDOT conducted an interesting evaluation of park and rides (via KIRO). They visited 17 lots in […]
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by Dan Ryan on (#1YVY0)
Bellevue has a progressive transportation levy on the ballot next month that will step up investments in neighborhood safety and connections. The levy augments baseline spending in Bellevue’s Capital Improvement Plan, accelerating local projects that would otherwise wait many years for funding. Bellevue is growing quickly, and the growth has been accompanied by increasing public demands […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#1YRSB)
In a move that will surprise no one who has been paying attention, The Seattle Times endorsed a NO vote on ST3 ($), apparently less interested in quality transit than the Tacoma News-Tribune, among others. It is fundamentally insincere and dishonest about why they oppose the package. As usual, they apply arbitrary and vague objections they wouldn’t apply […]
by Brent White on (#1YQZQ)
Ballots for the November 8 general election have been mailed out. Numerous drop boxes open today, as do a limited number of accessible voting centers. Be sure to sign your ballot envelope and include contact info in case the county questions your signature. If you mail your ballot, put postage on the return envelope worth […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1YN2H)
Local climate scientists strongly urge a YES vote on I-732. PSRC declares ST3 conforms to regional goals. No-on-ST3 campaign funded by all the right enemies. Seattle task force to address bike safety and the CCC. West Seattle Water Taxi breaks ridership record, around what a middling bus line carries. Lake Forest Park Council endorses ST3. So […]
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by Bruce Englehardt on (#1YM0P)
Vancouver’s C-Tran, one of the largest suburban transit agencies in the state, will open its bus rapid transit system, “The Vine“, on Sunday, January 8, during a weekend of celebrations. It is the first bus rapid transit system in the Portland region, and has been over a half-decade in the making. The $53 million project […]
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#1YH01)
Replacing Pronto: Part 1, Part 2 (5:10) ST3 isn’t perfect, but it’s good (27:20) Crosscut: the history of Forward Thrust (33:30) Metro multifamily Park & Ride pilot (41:10) http://traffic.libsyn.com/seattletransitblog/STB_podcast_027.mp3
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by Zach Shaner on (#1YG6Q)
September 30 was a glorious day for transit ridership in many respects. Link broke 100,000 for the first time, and our system bent but didn’t break under the simultaneous pressure of a regular afternoon commute, a Mariners game, and a relatively rare weeknight Husky football game. But the darker side of this is that regular […]
by Zach Shaner on (#1YCG0)
After a few years of steady but slow progress for Pierce Transit (PT), things are beginning to accelerate in a positive direction. After hemorrhaging service hours in the recession – with most routes cut to hourly service and span of service barely extending past dinnertime – PT is back with a bold new service proposal that restores a […]
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by Brent White on (#1Y98S)
This is from a meeting of the 34th District Democrats on July 16. Video by West Seattle Blog
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#1Y6E7)
After my piece yesterday regarding Seattle’s choice for a new bike share vendor, I spoke with Andrew Glass Hastings, who runs SDOT’s transit division. Glass Hastings has been deeply involved with the procurement process to date and provided some great insights about the state of negotiations with Bewegen, the preferred vendor, as well as SDOT’s overall vision […]
by Frank Chiachiere on (#1Y33W)
Seattle recently entered negotiations with a vendor to replace Pronto, the bike share network that became insolvent last year and required a $1.4M taxpayer bailout. Tom at Seattle Bike Blog did a fantastic run-down that I highly recommend. The high scorer of the six bids is an all-electric proposal from a young Quebec company, Bewegen. Motivate, […]
by Zach Shaner on (#1XZ9K)
Sound Transit 3 is far from a perfect package. For the technically-minded advocate, election seasons must be maddening in their necessary binary framing, with nowhere for the pro-transit ST3 skeptic to turn. Such purists repeatedly cite particulars as a reason to reject the whole, seeing ‘undeserved’ rail lines outweighing the value of the indispensable ones, or […]
by Bruce Nourish on (#1XWN7)
Cliff Mass is sounding the alarm on his blog, about some pretty serious weather incoming from the Pacific: Starting Thursday, we will enter a period of extraordinarily active weather with the potential for heavy rain, flooding, and a highly dangerous windstorm with the potential to be an historic event. The coastal waters and shoreline areas […]
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by Chris Colgan on (#1XW2K)
In 2016 Cascades performance numbers are getting better. Ridership, on time performance, recovery rate, and other metrics, as of August, are better than last year and likely the past two years. Cascades 2016 ridership data looks very promising. 2016 is currently a better year than both 2015 and 2014 when comparing ridership totals up to […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1XVF6)
Municipal League Foundation endorses ST3. The Tacoma News-Tribune is also on board. But Sammamish is a no. Metro pilot program will help passengers find private parking spaces near routes. A focus group suggests people are willing to pay $44 to $110 per month for a guaranteed space. Seattle’s mode splits for commuters. Kitsap experimenting with an […]
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by Guest Contributor on (#1XQQ3)
BY SEATTLE SUBWAY A lot of the discussion of Sound Transit 3 (ST3) – the transportation expansion package you’ll see on your November Ballot – has centered around regional mobility. ST3 will deliver a lot of value for the region, but what Seattle is getting can sometimes get lost in discussions about Everett and Tacoma. […]
by Zach Shaner on (#1XM11)
[Update: Facebook commenters pointed out that the behavior I’m advocating for is already legal per Washington Administrative Code 468-510-020, which lifts the “keep right†requirement for the 40-mile stretch of I-5 from Tukwila to Everett, and on I-90 between I-5 and I-405.] Every June, the National Motorist Association uses its own Lane Courtesy Month to produce a rush […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1XG49)
OFF THE RAILS – Official Trailer from Adam Irving on Vimeo. Sorry for the late notice, but this movie is screening at Grand Cinema in Tacoma on TODAY at 2pm (part of the Tacoma Film Festival).
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by Brent White on (#1XE4H)
Bike racks at Metro base, photo by VeloBusDriver Recently, a couple applicants for King County Metro driving positions who were turned down complained they were turned down for not owning cars. I checked with Jeff Switzer, at King County Department of Transportation, who told me car ownership is not a requirement. However, you will need […]
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by Zach Shaner on (#1XBSK)
The I-5 express lanes are an underutilized asset. A relic of the days when peak flow into Downtown by car was the primary engineering concern, the express lanes generally flow freely with the exception of single-occupancy vehicles clogging the ramps at Mercer and Stewart. Meanwhile, reverse-peak freeway transit is probably one of the most miserable […]
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#1XAMA)
If ST3 wins / if ST3 loses (4:30) Metro budget (25:20) Center City Connector funded (32:30) South Lake Union tech shuttles (37:10) http://traffic.libsyn.com/seattletransitblog/STB_podcast_026.mp3
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by Zach Shaner on (#1X7QC)
This morning Sound Transit released ridership numbers for September 30, the day a perfect storm of Mariners, Huskies, and an afternoon commute converged. And ridership lived up to the hype, with an estimated 101,000 riders, 18% higher than the previous record of 85,000 on August 25th. Sound Transit stretched its undersized fleet to the limit – running […]
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by STB Advertising on (#1X7FV)
The election for Pierce County Executive may not seem relevant to our efforts for mass transit in our city and region. However, this year’s Pierce County Executive election will be pivotal for us. Rick Talbert, a strong mass transit advocate, is facing Bruce Dammeier, a vocal opponent to Sound Transit 3. The next Pierce County […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1X6S2)
Seattle ready to waive some environmental process for infill development. Stabbing at TIBS. Fourth Avenue quietly gets a bus lane. ST survey shows that Link riders mostly walk to the train, and most of the rest take the bus. Riders are also disproportionately poor. Not really news, and I’m not one to hit a news […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1X39Y)
The worst case scenario has occurred. Regional voters have turned away from the generational opportunity to expand traffic-separated transit, listening instead to a series of micro-objections about marketing budgets and email address management. Or perhaps they blanched at a $54 billion price tag that didn’t really mean anything. And at least a few voters thought that if they voted […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1X328)
The STB Editorial Board is starting work on its General Election Endorsements. If there are any non-obvious races where a particular candidate stands out on transit or land use, please let us know in the comments. Links to your claims about the candidate are very much appreciated.
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by Guest Contributor on (#1X0D9)
By VLAD GUTMAN-BRITTEN Over the coming several years, more than half of Washington’s emissions will come from the transportation sector. If we don’t act now, Puget Sound’s booming population will mean more people will clog our roads—cars will spend more time idling in traffic, dirtying our air not just with dangerous greenhouse gases but also […]
by Bruce Englehardt on (#1WZR5)
For the past few months, Community Transit has been celebrating its 40th anniversary, culminating this week with a Customer Appreciation Day this morning, Employee Appreciation Day on Wednesday, and a special board meeting on Thursday with Governor Jay Inslee in attendance. Community Transit is the largest suburban agency in the Seattle area, barely eclipsing Pierce Transit […]
by Zach Shaner on (#1WYWW)
The insane Night Owl loops of Routes 82, 83, and 84 will finally meet their end under a new proposal by King County Metro and SDOT announced this morning. Remnants of pre-Metro Seattle Transit that have remained mostly unchanged since the 1950s, the Night Owl routes have always been poorly-ridden, difficult to understand, and unnecessarily complex. Routes 81 and […]
by Martin H. Duke on (#1WW2V)
If Sound Transit 3 wins in November, Sound Transit will have its hands full. It will operate Sound Transit 1 (“Sound Moveâ€) services, execute the final seven years of Sound Transit 2 construction (including 18 new stations by 2023), and stand up project delivery for Sound Transit 3. This ambitious list of obligations will dominate […]
by Brent White on (#1WV4W)
October 10 is the deadline to register to vote online (DO IT RIGHT NOW!) or to walk in at a county elections office and register, in order to be eligible to vote in the November 8 general election. If you turn 18 on or before November 8, you can vote, but you must be registered […]
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by Oran Viriyincy on (#1WQTK)
It’s transit maps in motion! Here’s a really well done presentation of the rapid transit projects in Measure M, which is Los Angeles County’s version of ST3 Regional Prop 1.
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#1WN49)
Martin was a guest on a recent episode of the Seattle Growth Podcast, which covered transportation. Martin starts at the 30 minute mark, but the interview with SDOT director Scott Kubly is interesting as well. You can listen right here: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/284892469-seattlegrowthpodcast-ep-10-seattle-transportation.mp3 I’ve been enjoying the series from the first episode. If you’re interested in diving […]
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by Brent White on (#1WJGP)
@SeaTransitBlog @SoundTransit #MitchHedberg pic.twitter.com/1bpImyY7t2 — Kevin Pittman (@KevnTweets) September 29, 2016 The only exception I can think of is SeaTac Airport Station, where most passengers are pulling wheeled luggage. Addendum 1: All escalators at UW Station were working Friday, when they were desperately needed. Thank you, Sound Transit, for making sure they were all in […]
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by Frank Chiachiere on (#1WHHW)
Nat Levy, GeekWire: Amazon plans to debut its own pilot commuter service Monday, joining the ranks of major tech companies that offer private shuttles as a perk to employees and a way to counteract the headaches caused by traffic congestion, GeekWire has learned. “Amazon Ride†will run six times in the morning and six times in the evening at 20 […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1WERB)
Seattle and Vancouver leaders bat around ideas for genuine High-Speed Rail. They could start here. KCDOT looking for a new communications manager. Big transit measures on the ballot all over the country. Siemens LRV order, first reported here, now final. South Sounder delays for the rest of the year due to track construction in Auburn. […]
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by Zach Shaner on (#1WDVS)
On Monday, County Executive Dow Constantine released his $11.3B biennial budget proposal for King County, and the Metro portion of the budget represents a positive and ambitious forecast for the next two years, and one that telegraphs the expected adoption of the Long Range Plan in the next few months. The proposal adds 300,000 total […]
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by Martin H. Duke on (#1WBH0)
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) is hosting their conference in Seattle as I write this. If you’re one of the urbanists pouring into our fair city this week, you may be interested in the article we wrote for Rail~volution in 2013, which focuses on attractions in Seattle of interest to urbanists and transit […]
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by Brent White on (#1WA7F)
Bruce Englehardt contributed to this post. The shuttle service for Friday’s 6 pm game against the #7 Stanford Cardinal will be significantly different from the Metro-operated shuttles that serve Saturday Husky games. First, they won’t be operated by Metro, which is busy using its whole fleet and workforce covering its regular routes. Second, there will […]
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