News roundup: safety
- Avalon residents ask if a station there is really needed (!)
- Missing middle housing bill is dead, but ADU reform is not
- Some advice for YIMBYs on how to win more battles
- Bad behavior on buses and trains ($) is out of control, Metro seeking answers ($)
- New Sound Transit guidelines will avoid pedestrian crossings
- Tacoma Link needs $30m more (from $252m recently, $217m a year ago)
- State Supreme Court hearing arguments ($) that fare inspection is unconstitutional
- Just how fair is it that Metro gets so much Federal money?
- The supply chain comes for Metro’s maintenance ops ($)
- Feds sending $37m for Swift Orange
- If residents don’t want Mt Baker to be “desolate,” the key is lots and lots of commerce
- King County helmet law is gone; city laws remain
- Relatedly, two new safety-oriented positions are open: 1, 2
- How to restructure for Link in Tacoma
- Apple Cup train failure now has a cause ($)
- Driver shortage reaches ST Express
- South Sounder kills pedestrian
- New Amtrak locomotives
- A guide for transit to trails ($)
- Love on the bus
This is an open thread.
Action Alert: SSB 5528 In House Transportation Committee
Senate Bill 5528 is moving! It passed the Washington State Senate with Bi-Partisan Support and is now scheduled for public hearing in the House Transportation Committee on Thursday, at 1:30pm.
We need your help to make this bill become law.
To show your support for more and better transit:
- Go to the House Committee Sign In
- Select position: “Pro”
- Enter your information
- Verify that you are not a robot
- Click “Submit Registration”
- That’s it!
A huge thank you to all of the sponsors of this bill in the Senate: Senators Pedersen, Liias, and Hawkins; and in the House: Representatives Hackney, Berry, Fitzgibbon, Ryu, Valdez, Wicks, Chopp, Pollet, Bergquist, Macri, Lekanoff.
Weekend Open Thread: Art at Redmond Station
WSBLE Deep Dive: Interbay and Ballard
It’s busy season for transit news around the Sound. Amidst the numerous announcements of late (zoning reform, East Link, state funding, oh my) the most concrete development has been the release of Sound Transit’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the West Seattle/Ballard Extension (WSBLE).
With the comment period now open and several virtual public meetings scheduled, we can focus on the proposed alignment. This material is intended to arm prospective attendees of these meetings with, at the very least, a general understanding of the options on the table.
This post will be the first of several in a “Deep Dive” series. Today’s will be “Interbay/Ballard focused”, to match the subject of the first public meeting being held on March 15th.
Sound Transit granted each alternative a memorable label; the preferred alternative for this section is “IBB-1a”. We can refer to this as Alternative 1a.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51873874628_7303e87391_c.jpg
East Link Connections process moves into phase 3
As expected, phase 3 of the East Link Connections restructure proposal is out. It was developed using feedback from phase 2, when the first proposed network was released. In the first network, a clear trend was a dramatic increase in coverage throughout the eastside, with bus service on many corridors that never had any service before. However, a common sentiment in the comments is that Metro is focusing on expanding coverage instead of increasing frequency on core routes. Commenters also wanted to see better weekend and evening frequency.
Continue reading “East Link Connections process moves into phase 3”Improving Metro 40 and D
by ROSS BLEAKNEY
The Seattle Department of Transportation has begun work on making Metro’s route 40 faster and more reliable. With these changes, Metro can substantially improve the transit network in the north end if it alters two very popular routes.
Improvements for the 40
The 40 is often delayed around the Fremont Bridge. It isn’t the bridge opening itself that causes the big delay, but the traffic that backs up behind it. The 40 also experiences congestion close to downtown as well as around Market Street in Ballard. Fortunately, plans by the city address all of these delays and more. Buses will be able to travel in their own lane, avoiding the worst bottlenecks. Not only will this make the 40 substantially faster, but it will make it a lot more reliable. With this increase in speed and reliability, Metro could reroute the 40 and Rapid Ride D in the north end, like so:
Continue reading “Improving Metro 40 and D”Love Fantasy Football? Try Fantasy Transit
from The Public Domain Review (publicdomainreview.org)
Dear Monsieur Jean-Marc Cote. His vision of 2000 didn’t materialize. But was that his lack of imagination or ours? How well can we envision public transit in 100 years? With good news for the future of Washington State public transit in the expected passage of the proposed $16 billion transportation package, it seems a good time to indulge in a bit of fantasy.
So let us indulge in fantasy but not fantasy fantasy. More like Fantasy Football. Constructed within reality. Studying what is at hand and making the most of it. That means no flying buses or “Beam me up, Scotty.” Instead, the fantasy is you as the master puppeteer. The Transit Czar. You calling the shots. You conjuring up your vision firmly within reality.
And our reality? There is the good news of an infusion of cash for local public transit projects. The other local transit news, however, is the loss of fare revenues and the pending Washington State Supreme Court ruling on the legality of fare enforcement on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and rail services.
Continue reading “Love Fantasy Football? Try Fantasy Transit”Weekend Open Thread: Art at South Bellevue
WA Dems propose a $16B transpo package
OLYMPIA – On Tuesday, Senate and House Transportation Committee Chairs Sen. Marko Liias, D – Everett, and Rep. Jake Fey, D – Tacoma, unveiled Senate Bills 5974 and 5975 and House Bills 2118 and 2119 — Move Ahead Washington — a 16-year transportation proposal for Washington state.
The $16 billion package provides historic funding for preserving our infrastructure, combating climate change by reducing emissions, expanding safe, affordable transit options, and addressing harm caused in communities of color from our existing transportation system.
There are technically two distinct bills here being yoked together. One would direct about $5B collected via the Climate Commitment Act towards transit and multimodal projects. This represents an unprecedented investment in transit from a state government that has traditionally left such things up to local jurisdictions. It includes operating funds, free youth passes and a down payment on some unspecified high-speed rail projects.
The second would take $11B from various sources (notably NOT a new gas tax) and direct it towards (mostly) highway projects, including a significant amount of highway widening.
Full lists of projects and revenue sources here. More coverage from the Times.