Microsoft is adding new routes throughout the Eastside and other suburbs, and cutting service a bit for the Ballard Route. I’ve only taken the Connector a few times, and I have mixed feelings about it. The buses are nice and comfortable, not very crowded and have wi-fi. But the reservation system is cumbersome, the buses are rarely on time, and I always seem to fall asleep on them.
Have any of you taken the Connector? What are your feelings about it, whether you’ve taken it or not?
The first Prop. 1 debate was Tuesday in Bellevue. Both the P-I and the Times wrote about the debate. I don’t really have much to add, just that it’s interesting to contrast the coverage from the P-I with that from the Times.
Did anyone go?
The P-I notes when the next two debates are:
At least two more debates between the two sides are scheduled: Oct. 9 before the Seattle P-I’s editorial board and Oct. 16 at CityClub in Seattle.
Washington State DOT Ferries Division has came to a decision regarding replacing the aging ferries and solve the Port Townsend – Keystone issue. DOT has also added 3 new 144-car ferries to the plan as well.
The plan and time-line as it stands now will be 2 Island Home type ferries . These ferries will have the capacity to hold 64 vehicles and a capacity of 600-700 passengers. The time-line is the first vessel will be ready in April 2010 and Fall 2010. The 2008 Transportation Budget (ESHB 2878) provides $84.5 million to construct new vessels for the Port Townsend/Keystone route.
Meanwhile the 144-car ferry will be based off the popular Issaquah class boats. These 3 new vessel will mean the retirement of the 1947 60-car Rhododendron and the 1954 87-car Evergreen State. These boats will be in service Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012 respectively.
Funding for the 144-car ferries was originally approved by the Legislature in 2003, and $30.2 million has already been spent on design, engineering and procurement.
The currently projected design-build contract price is between $60 and $80 million for each ferry. The actual total contract price will depend on the contractor’s price proposal and the results of the price negotiations required by SHB 2378.
The 2008 supplemental budget provides funding for the purchase of up to three 144-car vessels. The total project cost is $283.2 million and the 2007-09 planned expenditure is $49.7 million.
And finally, Pierce County is allowing WSDOT the continued use of the Steilacoom II on the Port Townsend – Keystone route with a lease extension until August 2009.
It appears per the WSDOT website that the M Street to D Street connector also known as the Point Defiance Bypass for Sounder and Amtrak trains is currently under funded by as much as $14.9 million dollars. It is currently unknown what may be cut in the project itself or if the City of Tacoma or Lakewood would fork over the extra money to supplement the lack of funding.
This project delays multiple projects such as;
Extending Sounder to South Tacoma and Lakewood stations which just opened this past weekend.
Adding an additional 2 Amtrak Cascades trains between Seattle and Portland (after 3 other projects are installed as well, not just the sole reasoning for delay)
A trip reduction for the Amtrak Cascades service between Seattle and Portland that could save almost 6 minutes.
For more information, check out the WSDOT Folio of the project or the main project page.
This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.
We’re Number 1! We’re Number 1!
Renovation of the historic King Street Station began this week with work beginning immediately on the roof to stop the leaks which have pledged the ailing station for years. The $26.2 million dollar project is scheduled to be completed in 2011 with a bigger waiting room, improved heater and air conditioning, new ticket counter, new baggage claim area, flooring, and much much more. Already the Compass room at the main entrance has been renovated but that work stopped earlier last year while the City of Seattle and BNSF Railway worked on a deal regarding the station.
For more information on the project, check out the City of Seattle’s King Street Station page. While the last update was July 15th, 2008, I’m sure they’ll start working on the page as work ramps up further.
I stopped by King Street Station last night to see how full the new trains were and I’m happy to report that a huge chunk of the new trains were full with the first 4 trains being standing room only. The new 6:30pm train was about 40% full.
The reverse commute trains maybe had 20-30 passengers at best – Some work needs to be done to get the word out about the reverse trains to pick the ridership up.
Everett trains were running at 3 cars except for one which had 2 engines and 2 cars and for the most part full.
The Seahawks train last weekend which had 6 cars did not go as smoothly as Sound Transit had hoped – the platforms for Everett – Seattle are only good for 5 cars except for Edmonds and Seattle which both can fit a 8 or 9 car train.
For a group that comes out against any transit measure, anytime, anywhere – the ETA sure gets a pass from the P-I. In yesterday’s debate, Dick Paylor of the ETA was on the ‘stop anything’ side, and apparently the P-I has taken at face value the group’s claim that they’re in support of buses!
So, exactly which buses? They sure weren’t in support of Transit Now – even though RapidRide is exactly the kind of service they claim to want. They still claim that Proposition 1 is some absurdly high percentage light rail – I keep hearing 99%, or 95%, depending on which opponent is talking. So where does this come from?
Opponents, however, said the system would make little difference despite its large capacity. Dick Paylor of the pro-bus Eastside Transportation Association said more people could be carried at less cost on an expanded bus system than on light rail. (emphasis mine)
I suspect, in fact, that the ETA has never been in favor of any transit service, except strictly in theory. Once there’s a cost, that’s another story.
I think what’s interesting here is that they talk about the free market – that people should ‘be able to choose’ their mode of transportation. That’s fine – before the federal government started contributing to highways, we were traveling on rail. If they still want that now, maybe they should come out against projects like the 405 expansion – as it’s not paid for by toll revenue, it’s paid for by everyone in the state. Not just those who ‘choose’ to drive on it.
Several bus routes in Seattle are seeing more service, funded by the city! I had no idea this was coming, except that Eric seems to have his finger on the pulse of city projects, and sent an email about it. I have no idea where he found it.
The Bridging the Gap measure passed in 2006 funds projects all over town – and apparently, adds 20,000 hours of bus service this year, starting last weekend, improving the 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14, 26, 28 and 44. This will increase next year, with 25,000 more service hours. It sounds like that would be a continuation of the 20,000 with an additional 25,000 on top of that, but I’m not entirely sure. All this service will continue until the end of 2015 – and as we get University Link shortly thereafter, Metro will have more Seattle funding to dole out by then.
Just more kudos for Greg Nickels, paying attention to transportation on all fronts. You can read the press release here.
This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.
Nice piece on the Prop. 1 campaign’s efforts to ride the Obama wave in the Times, with shout-outs to the boys at STB. Also some national recognition from Matt Yglesias.
Not to be a pain in the ass, but the Times’ accompanying graph has a small error in it. Husky Stadium is part of the blue, University Link extension, not the red, Prop. 1 extension. The map has Brooklyn Station labeled as “Husky Stadium.”
Best comment, from Yglesias’ post:
Sandra Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 pmRe: prop1
Although I no longer live in Seattle I do remember a model very much like this at the Seattle World’s Fair 46 years ago.
The centerpiece was the monorail that was to be expanded to include all communities around Lake Washington.When I go home to visit I always think of that grand plan while sitting in gridlocked traffice.
Hope they get to it this time around.
Me too, Sandra. Me too.