January 2019 – Page 2 – Seattle Transit Blog

Voters Both Ahead of and Behind Public Officials

January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by Martin H. Duke

Red bus lane in front of UW Medical Center — Popular! (Oran Viriyincy/Flickr)

The Seattle Times published results of an extensive public poll ($) on local transportation issues this week. It asked hundreds of adults in households with registered voters, in both Seattle proper and King County, what they thought about where we are and what we need to do. The results suggest that King County deserve a little more credit than many give them on core questions relating to transit, but are not yet with us on all issues. The wild popularity of measures mired in endless controversy shows the extent to which Seattle politicians have allowed a few extremists to hijack the process.

First, a warning: the report freely admits that the survey over-sampled homeowners, who conventional wisdom suggests are more conservative on these issues. The Times posted the full, “topline” results, but not answers sliced among various demographic groups. These sample segments would be quite small with large margins of error. While some may seize the excuse to not challenge their preconceptions, even given the skew there are things to learn:

Costs and Controversies

January 22, 2019January 23, 2019 by Frank Chiachiere

Mayor Durkan announces the appointment of Sam Zimbabwe to SDOT Director

Jarrett Walker has a typically insightful post on New York’s plan to speed up its buses, bucketing the city’s proposed improvements into two categories: cost and controversy:

The other big step involves controversy rather than money. More bus lanes need to be created, and the space for them will come from some other street use, usually parking lanes, traffic lanes, and versatile curb space for pickups and deliveries. Bus facilities cost money too, but winning these battles is the bigger struggle, so the cost is really in political capital rather than money.

I typically refer to these as capital and political costs, but “cost and controversy” is pithier. It reminded me of a recent exchange between our own Mayor Durkan and the Times‘ Jim Brunner, captured in this tweet from Erica C. Barnett:

.@Jim_Brunner asks if @MayorJenny is deprioritizing nonmotorized transportation in favor of projects that favor cars. She says Seattle is spending far more on transit than it used to, and cites free ORCA passes, "if you want to talk about a mayor who's in favor of transit."
— Erica C. Barnett ericacbarnett on all platforms (@ericacbarnett) November 29, 2018

Post-Viaduct Open Thread Day 6: Accessibility for People With Disabilities

January 21, 2019January 23, 2019 by Brent White

Well-used sign at the lone elevator between SeaTac Airport Station’s kiss&ride and bridge Credit: Earl Gipson The SeaTac Blog

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

If you have a disability that, combined with poorly-planned public infrastructure (such as sidewalk furniture), or a lack of public infrastructure, makes commuting difficult — and this doesn’t just have to be about getting around downtown — let’s talk about that infrastructure.

Let’s also go meta on how accessible Seattle Transit Blog is to people with various disabilities. How can we serve you better?

This is an open thread.

Sunday Open Thread: 7 Days That Changed the Law, if Not Society

January 20, 2019January 19, 2019 by Brent White

Those hoping zoning will hold back the tide of integration are losing in other parts of the country.

This is an open thread.

News Roundup: Gov. Inslee Insists

January 19, 2019January 18, 2019 by Martin H. Duke

SDOT improves SLU streetcar reliability.
Stadium Station office complex gets approval.
Gov. Inslee insists that the Columbia River Crossing will include light rail.
Pictures of Roosevelt Station ($).
ECB discusses the pile of upzone amendments, from all districts, that water down the change. This is disappointing, especially from councilmembers not running again, but we’ll see which amendments are theater and which people will actually fight for.
Microsoft pledges $500m for affordable housing ($), wants sensible policy changes.
Council wants apartment developers to nudge their tenants ($) to not drive everywhere.
Kent trying to keep a light rail maintenance facility away from their planned TOD hub.
Mountlake Terrace comes up with more parking ($) during Link construction.
Not many helmets with bikeshare, but also not many injuries.
WSDOT hiring a bike/ped planner.
Profiling ST’s Ron Lewis.
It doesn’t take money to drastically shorten commutes, it just takes willpower.

The Downtown Streetcar is Alive

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019 by Peter Johnson

But it needs more funding

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced yesterday that the 1st Avenue streetcar will go ahead, if the city can secure $88m in new funding. In a release, the mayor offered her most enthusiastic endorsement of the Center City Connector to date:

“We have the opportunity to create a downtown with fewer cars and where residents, workers, and visitors can walk, bike, and take transit,” Durkan wrote. “A unified streetcar route provides a unique opportunity to build on our investments for the next generation.”

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions on the Fast Track in Olympia

January 17, 2019January 16, 2019 by Brent White

Walla Walla wind farm

photo by Umptanum / wikipedia

The Washington State Legislature opened the 2019 regular session Monday. Seven bills directed at dealing with greenhouse gas emissions had already been pre-filed, with most of them scheduled for hearings this week.

At the request of Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Reuven Carlyle (D – Seattle) introduced Senate Bill 5116, which would:

Post-Viaduct Day 4 Open Thread: Cycletopia Rising

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 by Brent White

Take action for protected bike lanes! Follow this link to send an email urging Mayor Durkan to complete bike lanes on 34th Ave NE and expedite the Basic Bike Network. https://t.co/10D8jxfOV4
— Transit Riders Union (@SeattleTRU) January 16, 2019

We’ve heard stories of how smooth commuting has been for transit riders since the Alaskan Way Viaduct shut down.

We’ve also seen a spike in bicycle commuting, in the middle of a literal Seattle Freeze.

So, tell us what is missing in your cycling commutes that makes you feel less safe.

This is an open thread.

I-405 and SR 522 BRT Will Be Known as “Stride”

January 16, 2019January 15, 2019 by Bruce Englehardt

Stride BRT station concept (courtesy of Sound Transit)

Sound Transit is entering yet another round of public feedback for the I-405 BRT project and has revealed the name of the service: Stride.

In their online open house and an e-mail to STB, Sound Transit described their criteria for choosing the name, the first new ST brand introduced since Link and Sounder were chosen in 1997. Stride (with a set of dangling legs in its logo to presumably represent someone running for the bus) was chosen with help from interviewed stakeholders because it was short, memorable, and integrated well with ST’s other brands.

The name had been mentioned a month earlier, which we only recently noticed thanks to a tip from commenter Robert Norheim. As other comments in the thread point out, the name could also be read as “ST-Ride”, but Sound Transit insists it’s prounounced like the word “stride”. Cambridge defines it as “to walk somewhere quickly with long steps”, which definitely fits the bill of freeway-running BRT with long stop spacing.

Details about the BRT stations and a rant about transit brands are after the jump.

Post-Viaduct Day 3 Open Thread: Please Make Space for Your Fellow Riders

January 16, 2019January 15, 2019 by Brent White

The already-unburied ramps at the south end of the former viaduct (photo by Bruce Englehardt)

Some buses were reported to be skipping stops yesterday when they were “full”. Not all “full” buses are really full, because riders don’t always fill the standing space in the back. So, please be kind to your fellow riders down-route who also need to get on the bus. If you are standing, move all the way back. Fill up that back section where people don’t like to stand. Tell the jerk blocking the aisle to either move back, or let you by. Operators: Please don’t just assume your bus is full. Ask the passengers to please move back so more passengers can board, and tell them you aren’t moving until they move back. If nobody moves, get out, walk to the back, knock on the window, and wave at the aisle-blocking passengers to move back.

And if you are sitting, don’t put your bag on the seat next to you.

This is an open thread.