Ridership Patterns on Route 27
Similar to Route 14, Metro’s Route 27 has deep roots, extending back to the 1888 construction by Seattle Electric Co. of a cable car on Yesler from 2nd Ave to to Leschi Park, where the original rail bridge still stands. In the 1940’s, when Seattle’s streetcar network was dismantled, the cable car was replaced with motorcoach service which (I believe) alternated between Lake Dell Road and Frink Place, serving Lakeside in two different segments; at some point, the route was consolidated into the existing alignment that serves Lakeside from Alder St to Colman Park.
For students of Seattle neighborhood history, and lovers of the city generally, I highly recommend a ride on the 27. The route goes through diverse and historic parts of First Hill and the Central District that are changing fast. Ride out to Lakeside Ave, then enjoy Leschi and Frink parks, which are particularly beautiful in the fall. Walk north on Lakeside to Madrona Park, which has public piers jutting out into Lake Washington, and catch the 2 back downtown from its terminal.
Chart and discussion after the jump.
Sunday Open Thread: Valdez Tells It Like It Is
Roger’s rant brings STB to stardom.
This is an open thread.
Ridership Patterns on Route 14
Route 14, like many of Seattle’s trolleybus routes, can trace its alignment back more than a century, to Seattle’s original streetcar system, connecting the Mount Baker neighborhood to Downtown via Jackson St and 31st Ave. With the opening of Central Link, Route 14 was extended to Mount Baker TC; or, to be more exact, it now detours to Mount Baker TC before continuing to serve the older tail to Hanford St. Ridership chart and discussion, after the jump.
Water Taxi Now Accepting U-Pass
For more than a year, University of Washington students, faculty, and staff were unable to use their U-Passes as a fare payment method aboard the West Seattle Water Taxi. With the Water Taxi no longer under Metro jurisdiction and subsumed by the King County Ferry District, the agreement to accept the U-Pass was not carried over. Just yesterday, UW Commuter Services announced that KCFD would be restoring the U-Pass as an accepted payment method.
From an e-mail sent out by Commuter Services:
Commuter Services at the University of Washington is excited to announce that U-PASS members now have unlimited access to the King County Water Taxi system that includes both the Vashon Island/Downtown and West Seattle/Downtown routes as part of their U-PASS program benefits. With one-way fares starting at $3.75 for the Vashon taxi and $3.00 for West Seattle, it’s easy to see the savings add up quickly
The move essentially gives U-Pass users nearly the same benefits as those with an ORCA passport monthly pass, but at a fraction of the cost.
Tom Rasmussen’s Commute
by TOM RASMUSSEN
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of City Councilmembers writing about bus trips in advance of the Proposition 1 vote.
On Wednesday morning, I took the 54 to get to City Hall. I wanted to see how folks were switching to transit and adapting from their normal commute during the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Riding the 54 was also important because I wanted to write about how the route will change both with RapidRide and with the improvements to the route if Seattle’s Prop 1 passes.
The 54 is one of Metro’s workhorse routes. It goes from White Center along Roxbury to the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal then along California Ave SW to the Alaska Junction. It then heads down the hill on Avalon and onto the West Seattle Bridge and into downtown via 4th Avenue. Along with the 120 bus that runs on Delridge, the 54 carries most of West Seattle’s daily bus passengers.
Next fall, most of the 54 will be converted into Metro’s RapidRide C line. Today the route runs at about 15 minute intervals during the peak commute hours. RapidRide will bring more frequent bus service throughout the day, but it won’t make a difference if those buses are stuck in traffic. That’s where Prop 1 comes in.
Prop 1 will build on improvements already funded through Bridging the Gap, including more queue jumps that allow buses to get a head start at busy intersections and bus only lanes through stretches of the route where buses typically get backed up. Bus bulbs will be added to allow buses to more quickly load passengers and get moving again without having to merge in and out of traffic.
If Prop 1 passes, the combined SDOT investments in this corridor will reduce the time it takes to get downtown by 16% and will provide a level of reliability that makes it dramatically easier to plan your commute. More after the jump.
News Roundup: Smartphone Optimized
- Road diets work. Cars do move a bit slower, but speeding declines, as do both the number of accidents and their severity.
- Bellevue approves some elements of the East Link alignment, stalls for time on approval of the Memorandum of Understanding with Sound Transit, and wants ST to buy out more homeowners.
- Federal Way tries again to have a dense downtown.
- The war on pedestrians.
- Many people are unaware of I-1125’s potential negative impact on light rail.
- First Hill Streetcar vehicles will be built in Seattle.
- Seattle Bike Blog on trends in bike trips.
- Another segment of Mountains to Sound trail basically complete.
- I give Kemper Freeman credit for granting an interview to The Stranger.
- Sound Transit now has a smartphone-optimized website.
- Seattle area a good place for commercial real estate investment.
- Using trams to haul freight?
This is an open thread.
Op-Ed: TOD’s First Alight on South Sounder at Kent Station
by STEPHEN FESLER
While TOD around Sounder stations has had little coverage around here, one of the first examples may be making its way to Kent Station. Local developer Goodman Real Estate has been chosen by the City of Kent as the preferred bid to spearhead a mixed-use development of the City Center site. Goodman has also brought architecture starlet Studio Meng Strazzara along for the ride to create a modern urban statement.
More below the jump.
Continue reading “Op-Ed: TOD’s First Alight on South Sounder at Kent Station”
Seattle Waterfront Meeting Tomorrow
by MARK DUBLIN
There’s a public meeting about Seattle’s waterfront tomorrow night:
October 27, 2011
5:00pm – 9:00pm
Bell Harbor Conference Center, Pier 66 – Elliott Hall
2211 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98121Enjoy local food trucks and live music at 5:00 pm.
Design update presentation by James Corner at 6:30 pm, followed by interactive stations to share your ideas.
Everyone interested in transit should show up ready to discuss three critical ideas about the Waterfront , both with designers and with our elected representatives who give them their orders:
One, that transit on First Avenue is not close enough to serve the mile and a half of shoreline three steep blocks to its west.
Two, that on the new Waterfront itself, public transit vehicles are not obstructions to public enjoyment, but critical tools to ensure it.
And three, that productive industrial workers hosting interested visitors create great “hospitality.” Vancouver BC’s Denman Island’s industry is its greatest “draw”.
Transit modes? A working Waterfront needs the technology of street rail along with the pedicabs. As Dresden shows: street rail can operate across a lawn!
STB 2011 General Election Endorsements (II)
These are the rest of STB’s general election endorsements. We endorsed in races where one candidate clearly stood out. Part I is here.
We are deeply indebted to the Transit Riders’ Union, who shared their questionnaire results with us. We drew heavily from them.
Snohomish County Executive: Like all County Executives, Aaron Reardon has a lot of sway over staffing the Sound Transit Board. He is also one year into this his two year term as Chair of Sound Transit’s Board of Directors, which obviously makes him a leader on regional high capacity transit. He’s turned in a solid performance to steer Sound Transit through a period of steeply falling revenue and strife with Bellevue.
Tacoma City Council #7: David Boe is a retired architect who knocks it out of the park when it comes to land use and transit. His flagship positions view increased residential and mixed-use density as a solution to strengthen the local tax base and support expanded transit. Boe is also an urban design wonk who has written a column for the local Tacoma blog Exit 133.
Tacoma City Council #8: Ryan Mello is outstanding on our issues and is the kind of council member we love to endorse. He previously worked for the Cascade Land Conservancy and advocates for all of the transportation and land use beliefs we hold. Mello, along with other like minded council members, are pushing Tacoma forward as a regional leader in building sustainable and livable city.
Kirkland Council #2: Bob Sternoff supports a number of positions that align with ours, including Metro reform, expanded taxing authority and a strong understanding of the importance of land use in transit development. His involvement on the Regional Transit Committee as well as a few growth management boards indicates a dedicated track record that supports transit and better land use policies.
Kirkland Council #4: Jessica Greenway has basically sound pro-transit views by Eastside standards. She supported the $20 CRC to save Metro service and opposes I-1125. Her challenger, Toby Nixon, not only opposed the CRC but also believes Metro should raise fares to a 100% farebox recovery rate. This view alone is troubling enough to warrant an automatic endorsement for Greenway.
Kirkland Council #6: Dave Asher’s impressive knowledge of our regional transit system is well indicated by his positions, which include support for Metro’s Strategic Plan, broader promotion of ORCA, an alternative transit funding source to the sales tax, and repealing the 18th Amendment. On land use and density, he’s a strong advocate of smart growth and incredibly knowledgeable about the market forces associated with parking. Since our endorsement in the primary, Dave Asher’s opponent has withdrawn from the race.
Renton Council #5 : Robin Jones has some interesting ideas on how to improve transit in Renton. He wants to increase police presence at the Transit Center and put in more curb bulbs, both sensible, small-bore improvements for a city like Renton. His opponent is Ed Prince, who doesn’t seem to have much of a transportation platform. Jones is endorsed by Michael Taylor-Judd and Bobby Forch, both of which are transportation-oriented Seattle Council candidates we have previously endorsed.
Shoreline Council #2: Incumbent Chris Eggen has sound ideas about transit-oriented development and bus priority. His statements indicate deep understanding of the problems facing transit riders in Shoreline and strong awareness of broader transit issues in the County.
Shoreline Council #6: Robin McClelland has a regional planning background, is a regular transit user, and her positions are what one would expect. She understands the relationship of density to various regional goals and has deep understanding of the region’s long-range plans.
Shoreline Council #4: Janet Way supports upzones in major transit corridors, and is a strong proponent of bikeshare programs.
Federal Way Council #7: We don’t agree with everything Keith Tyler thinks about transit, but in the areas most important for City Council — land use and priority treatments for buses — he is absolutely correct. He’s interested in TOD, less surface parking, and more signal priority and bus lanes for RapidRide. His opponent shows no apparent emphasis on either subject.