Seattle Transit Blog

Last Thursday, the Sound Transit Executive Committee heard a staff update on a potential restructure of Link fares, likely in 2024 if approved. Link fares haven't been touched since 2015 and - given openings of new extensions on the horizon - are due for a refresh. Alex wrote about some of his ideas back in ... Continue reading "Sound Transit mulls feedback on Link fare restructuring"

Link's N minutes to next train" displays are off again. An ST email announcement says: The most recent update to the Passenger Information Management System (PIMS) increased uncertainty for train arrival times. To avoid giving passengers incorrect information, they have been temporarily turned off in stations until the issue is resolved. The 2-minute proximity alert ... Continue reading "Open Thread 23"

Sound Transit and the city invited the public last Wednesday (Oct 25th) to the Alki Masonic Center to review their plans for station access along the West Seattle Link Extension (WSLE). Sound Transit had been planning the extensions for West Seattle (WSLE) and Ballard (BLE) together but has now separated them. Ballard planning has been ... Continue reading "West Seattle Station Planning"

When COVID hit in 2020, many transit agencies across the country paused fare collection for public health reasons. Even after fare collection resumed, much of it went unenforced, partly due to the socioeconomic complexities of the post-COVID world, and partly due to equity concerns raised after George Floyd's murder. Since then, Sound Transit has implemented ... Continue reading "Fare enforcement is back, somewhat"

Hopeful news to counteract your transit blues. RapidRide J has finished design and will now select a contractor to start construction in 2024. The email announcement didn't have any specifics on the alignment beyond what's on the project page. The J will replace route 70 from downtown to Fairview Avenue and Eastlake Avenue to U-District ... Continue reading "Open Thread 22"

The Seattle Transportation Plan has added new project proposals to the draft and extended the comment period to October 31. This is a 20-year plan. There are 42 new proposals related to transit, sidewalks, freight movement, complete streets, etc. SDOT or a future Move Seattle levy can fund only some of them in the medium ... Continue reading "Seattle Transportation Priorities"

Sound Transit has a passenger experience survey open until November 22. I'm sure readers will have plenty to say, and all of it will be positive. Respondents can participate in a raffle for a gift card, or apply to a sounding board. There's a text box at the end for free-form comments. Beware that you ... Continue reading "Open Thread 21"

by DR. KARI WATKINS Hello Seattle Transit Community - For more than a decade you have loved and supported OneBusAway. As many of you know, Brian Ferris and I created OBA as two PhD students thinking that we could make transit information better in the Seattle area. Since then, the app and backend have expanded ... Continue reading "OneBusAway Needs Help"

The Seattle Times has an analysis of ridership recovery ($) high and low areas since the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. A stop on the 7 now has higher ridership than in 2019, and the Aurora Village transit center has recovered 95% of its ridership. 2021 saw an early recovery in southwest Capitol Hill; parts of downtown; ... Continue reading "Metro Ridership Recovery"

CityNerd visits Seattle and discusses Link's Northgate station area. Bonus: He grew up in the Maple Leaf neighborhood, so this would have been his station. He also did a recent video on Portland's multimodal transit network and bicycle infrastructure.

West Seattle Link (WSLE) has an online open house now, and an in-person one October 25th. Sounder South (S Line) has a survey on potentially shifting its focus to more off-peak service. This would cancel plans to make trains longer peak hours, and reduce peak frequency from 20 to 30 minutes. Respond by October 29th, ... Continue reading "Open Thread 20"

One of the FTA's stated goals is to help metropolitan areas meet national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by reducing overall vehicle emissions and the pollutants that create smog" and to reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions." So we just need to build more transit, right? But what about construction-related emissions? The recent Seattle ... Continue reading "Environmental Impact of Transit Projects such as the West Seattle Link Extension"

Yeah, that's great and all, but how are you going to pay for it?" Such is the buzz of a rhetorical torpedo which has sunk a thousand good ideas. The problem with this question isn't its deeper truth-we live in a world of limited time and resources-but in how selectively it is deployed. Obstructionist deficit ... Continue reading "Transportation Project Spending: 2023-2029"

SDOT Asks for Input on Latest Plans around 130th Station Bike/Bus Stop Work on Roosevelt Soon Open House for New Building Next to Burien Transit Center UW Researchers Release Study of Second-Hand Drug Exposure on Transit - Transit Agencies News Release Congratulations to Lisa Nault for becoming Metro's Operator of the Year This is an ... Continue reading "Open Thread 19"

Rethink the Link: A West Seattle movement advocates the No Build" EIS alternative for West Seattle Link. This one seems to be not just nimbys but people concerned about effective transit. As this blog has discussed, existing bus routes fan out from the West Seattle Bridge in a stick-shift pattern, connecting West Seattle neighborhoods to ... Continue reading "Open Thread 18: Rethink the Link"

Globally, people rarely use public transportation because of morality; they use it because it is cheap. The reason it's cheaper to take the bus than to drive in Russia, for example, is not because the government there cares about reducing emissions. It's because transit utilizes resources more efficiently, and frees up resources to be used ... Continue reading "Inflation and Transportation"

The T line phase 2 in Tacoma opened today, with tour guides and festivities until 5pm. The original T line runs north from Tacoma Dome station on Pacific Avenue and through downtown Tacoma on Commerce Street. The extension turns west on 6th Avenue Division Street and south on MLK Way. This is Tacoma's First Hill", ... Continue reading "Open Thread 17: T Line MLK Opens"

In the 1980s, Domino's declared 30 minutes too long to wait for a pizza delivery. Is it reasonable to expect a person to wait for a bus longer than it would take for them to order and receive a pizza to said bus stop? No. Originally, I was born and raised in a car-dependent Chicago ... Continue reading "Reasonable Transit Expectations"

There is a new grass roots movement to fix the often delayed Metro 8. Jarrett Walker shares his thoughts on an automated bus pilot in Scotland. (Human Transit) SDOT is planning around the future 130th Station. (SDOT) Ryan Packer writes about potential Link overcrowding and changes to the 5. (Urbanist) Sound Transit delays the Real-Time-Arrival ... Continue reading "Open Thread 16: Normal Transit"

Now that Sound Transit has paved the way for an East Link Starter Line (ELSL) opening for next Spring, it's worth deep diving into the projected ridership numbers. At the last Sound Transit Board meeting, early ridership estimates were pegged at a modest 6,000 average weekday boardings, reflecting limited demand until the 2-Line is fully ... Continue reading "Breaking down East Link Starter Line ridership"

Metro's service cuts announced in May go into effect tomorrow, September 2nd. These are due to the driver shortage, mechanic shortage, and supply-chain bottlenecks for bus parts. Metro is shrinking the schedule to fit the available resources to minimize mid-term or last-minute cancellations. Normally new schedules are available a week ahead, but I just saw ... Continue reading "September Service Cuts"

This was in the last open thread but deserves a feature position. Glimpses of Link in a few places. This is an open thread.

RapidRide G is set to open next year as what many consider the first (and only) Bus Rapid Transit system in the state. The buses will run quickly, traveling in the center lanes on Madison for much of the way. Just as importantly, the bus will run every six minutes every day until 7:00 PM, ... Continue reading "High Frequency Network Surrounding RapidRide G"

Sound Transit is inviting anyone who rode Link during the recent 1-Line disruptions to participate in a survey. Service was reduced between August 12th and 20th to fix sagging tracks at Royal Brougham Way. 1-Line service continues to be impacted due to platform reconstruction work at Othello and Rainier Beach stations. Service disruptions are certainly ... Continue reading "Sound Transit soliciting feedback on 1-Line disruptions"

Link remains at 15-minute service with single-tracking at Othello and Rainier Beach stations through September 17. Phase 2 of the T Line opens September 16. This extends Tacoma Link to what we might call Tacoma's First Hill. Page 2 has an article on a Jefferson Street funicular in Seattle's First Hill. King County explores redeveloping ... Continue reading "Open Thread 14: Rural Transit"

The Sound Transit Board green-lighted the much-anticipated East Link Starter Line (ELSL) earlier today, approving a resolution that authorizes up to $43 million on implementing passenger revenue service in Spring 2024. Previously, the Board had approved $6 million to study the idea of a phased East Link opening, per the urging of King County Councilmember ... Continue reading "Sound Transit Board approves Spring 2024 opening for East Link starter line"

Top 10 US metros with the highest bus ridership per capita. Seattle is #4. (CityNerd video) Washington congressional delegation asks FTA to fund Cascadia high-speed rail study. ($) Trolleybuses vs battery buses. (City for All video) The advantages of green tram tracks; i.e., grass between the rails. (City for All video) A Taylor Swift fan ... Continue reading "Open Thread 13: Hope"

(Part of a series highlighting high-performing transit routes in the Puget Sound region) Metro 8 performs well at all times of the week, with its particular strength being the amount of rides it carries for its level of service. Its total ridership is eighth among Metro routes, with 4,828 rides per weekday, but it does ... Continue reading "Metro 8: Connections Comprehensive"

I've come up with a few suggestions based on the latest proposal for Metro's network following Lynnwood Link (P3). My goal was to improve the proposal while retaining as much of it as possible. As has been the case in the past, I've made a map to make it easier to understand the suggestions: As ... Continue reading "Bus Restructure for Lynnwood Link"

August is the month ot Link maintenance. Service will be reduced for five weeks from August 12th to September 16th to replace sagging tracks over weak soil at Royal Brougham Way, to replace platform tiles at Othello and Rainier Beach, to inspect high-voltage power equipment, to build track ties for East Link near International District, ... Continue reading "Link Month of Reductions"

Prior to the pandemic, I-90 was a major transit commuting corridor, composed of overlapping Metro and Sound Transit routes with an array of different service patterns. The convergence of these routes at both Eastgate and Mercer Island often meant sub-5 minute headways and crush-loaded buses in the peak. The post-pandemic landscape is far grimmer: the ... Continue reading "Streamlining I-90 commuter service"

Meetings Sound Transit: There was a Citizens Accessibility Committee Meeting on August 1 (details), and on August 3, a public hearing on the 2023-2028 Transit Development Plan (details), an Executive Committee Meeting (details), and a Rider Experience & Operations Committee Meeting (details). Community Oversight Panel Meeting: Wednesday, August 9, 5:30pm - 8:15pm. details System Expansion ... Continue reading "Transportation Events August 2023"

Initial results of the primary election in King County. Daily updates will be available at 4:30pm each day. Seattle Times coverage ($). This is an open thread.

On July 10, the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners gathered to examine a new plan for the Pacific Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which would build the first line in Pierce County's Stream" BRT network. The hope was that this would be a workable solution to the financial problems that have been growing for ... Continue reading "Pierce Transit Trying to Salvage BRT Project"

Link will have another split-spine repair period August 12-19 similar to the reduction in April. This time it's to repair a section of track that has settled at Royal Brougham Way. For the first two days the downtown tunnel will simply be closed, with a bus replacement between Capitol Hill and SODO. Then for six ... Continue reading "Open Thread 12"

Along with route paths, the latest proposal for the bus network after Lynnwood Link includes the expected frequencies of each route. This is listed on the page for each individual route (e. g. the 45). Inspired by Davis Lawson's excellent chart displaying the frequency of routes a few years ago, I made a similar chart ... Continue reading "Bus Frequencies of Lynnwood Link Restructure Proposal"

Carmageddon comes this weekend. ($) Taylor Swift has concerts Saturday and Sunday at 6:30pm ending near midnight. There are also Mariners games, a Storm game, the Bite of Seattle, the Capitol Hill Block Party, the Chinatown Seafair parade, a 520 bridge closure, and partial closure of I-5 northbound. Pike Street will be closed between Broadway ... Continue reading "Open Thread 11"

Metro has released an updated bus restructure plan for Lynnwood Link. We wrote about the previous plan here, while also making various suggestions. Some of the proposal incorporates those suggestions, while there are other significant differences to the previous proposal. Dealing with the 130th Station The 130th Street Station is a major station from a ... Continue reading "Metro Updates Lynnwood Link Restructure Plans"

SDOT published a long RapidRide J FAQ in March discussing the alignment details and responses to community concerns. Here's the project page and a map. Construction will start in 2024 and it will open in 2027. The J will replace Route 70 between the U-District and downtown, running on Eastlake Avenue East and Fairview Avenue ... Continue reading "RapidRide J Update"

(Link photo at 4:00.) Just coincidentally, several Link and Metro decisions are being made: Sound Transit's 2024 service plan is published. Provide feedback by August 6th. Virtual information sessions are July 17 and 26. There are separate pages for North, East, and South. STB commentators have already started talking about it. Read the links for ... Continue reading "Getting Value in Transit"

Introduction We are excited to share our 2023 primary endorsements for Seattle City Council and King County Council. Seattle Subway has been endorsing local races since 2015 and our methodology has changed slightly over the years. For the primary this year we're endorsing candidates that are most aligned with our vision and interests in a ... Continue reading "Seattle Subway Primary Endorsements 2023"

Everett Link planning has expanded to two dozen alternatives for the six stations, one provisional station, and the maintenance base (OMF North") in the extension north of Lynnwood Station, according to Stephen Fesler in The Urbanist. (Thanks to Anonymouse for the link.) We just covered this extension two weeks ago, but the opinions continue to ... Continue reading "Everett Link Again"

Metro, Sound Transit, Kitsap Transit, and the Seattle Streetcars will be free July 11-12 (Monday and Tuesday) fo the All-Star Week baseball tournament. This includes Link, Sounder, buses, streetcars, the King County Water Taxi, and the Kitsap Fast Ferry. Other agencies are not participating (i.e., not Community Transit, Pierce Transit, the Monorail, or Washington State ... Continue reading "Transit Fare Holiday"

Meetings Sound Transit: Rider Experience & Operations Committee Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting (typically first Thursday of the month) are cancelled. Community Oversight Panel Meeting: Wednesday, July 12, 5:30pm - 8:15pm.details System Expansion Committee Meeting: Thursday, July 13, 1:30pm - 5:00pm.details Board of Directors Meeting: Thursday, July 27, 1:30pm - 4:00pm. details King County Metro: ... Continue reading "Transportation Events July 2023"

On Thursday northern Link at noon was standing room only with half the aisles filled. And I regularly see a dozen or more people getting on each train and another dozen getting off at Capitol Hill in the afternoons. This made me think Link has quietly reached a European level of ridership in the northern ... Continue reading "Open Thread 10"

The Sound Transit board on Thursday refined the Everett Link plan ($). Mike Lindblom in the Seattle Times reports that the main Everett Link station is moved to the downtown arena. This puts it right in the middle of Everett's most walkable streets like Broadway, Hewitt Avenue, and Colby Avenue. The arena is where the ... Continue reading "Everett Link Station Moves Downtown"

A few more changes in the downtown Link tunnel. At Westlake Station, the eastern escalator/stairs to the platforms are in alcoves. A few months ago ST moved the ticket machines (TVMs) from the back walls to the front of the alcoves. Now ST has added a yellow stripe on the floor in front of the ... Continue reading "More Yellow Stripes"

In the video Reese argues that German U-Stadtbahn trams work well because they only have a short tunnel in the city center. Beyond that you should either have surface light rail or tunneled high-capacity metro, but not light rail with extensive tunnels. He mentions Link and a few other cities as what not to do. ... Continue reading "Video Roundup"

Meetings Sound Transit: System Expansion Committee Meeting: Thursday June 8, 1:30pm - 5:00pm. details Community Oversight Panel Meeting: Wednesday June 14, 5:30pm - 8:15pm details Board of Directors Meeting: Thursday June 22: 1:30pm - 4:00pm details King County Metro: Transit Advisory Commission Meeting: Tuesday June 20, 6:00 - 8:00pm. details Regional Transit Committee Meeting: Wednesday ... Continue reading "Transportation Events June 7 - July 5"