The recent election of the former head the Seattle Transit Riders Union Katie Wilson to be Seattle’s mayor occurred less than a month after Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck announced her ‘Better Bus Lanes’ Campaign. In the spirit of that campaign I offer suggestions for improvements that can be accomplished in the near future:
Continue reading “Better Buses in Seattle”Weekend Open Thread: Federal Way’s Big Day
We’ll all be at the Federal Way Link opening today. Try out the new stations. Tell us your experiences below.
There will be no Sunday Movie this week. We’re planning a retrospective article after the event, but its timing will depend on what happens today and whether we can assemble the content by tonight for tomorrow. If you have any video from the event you’d like to share, you can email a link to contact at the website.
This is an open thread.
Federal Way Link Extension: New Stations
On December 6, Sound Transit will open the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE). This extension will add three new stations along eight miles of new track south of Angle Lake station. The stations are Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown. Each station will feature connections to local bus service, pickup and drop-off areas, and lots of parking. Wesley Lin discussed the walkability of each station in a previous article.
Kent Des Moines Station
The northernmost new station, Kent Des Moines, is located southeast of Pacific Hwy S & S Kent Des Moines Rd. The area around the station includes Highline College, car-oriented big box stores, a self-storage facility, and I-5. Excluding Highline College, these are far from ideal land uses around a Link station. Sound Transit and the City of Kent plan to develop two plots immediately west of the station, previously used for construction staging.
Continue reading “Federal Way Link Extension: New Stations”Federal Way Link Extension: Sneak Peek
On Tuesday, Sound Transit invited members of the media to preview the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) that opens on Saturday. This extension will add three new stations to the 1 Line south of Angle Lake: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown. Terri Mestas, deputy CEO for megaproject delivery at Sound Transit, welcomed the group and highlighted the recently completed bridge near the McSorely Wetland in Kent. This bridge is a recent addition to the FWLE; it was conceived after a 2022 landslide revealed more unstable soil conditions than expected. At 1,100ft, this is the longest bridge used by Link (so far). After the introductory remarks, we entered Kent Des Moines station and began our journey to Federal Way.
Spoiler Alert: This article has descriptions, pictures, and videos of inside the new stations and from the train. If you prefer to wait and see the new stations in-person, do not continue reading.
Continue reading “Federal Way Link Extension: Sneak Peek”Midweek Roundup: Othello Station Closed
Update at 7:15am: Othello station is open and trains are back to normal service.
Othello station on the 1 Line closed around 2:30pm Tuesday and will remain closed through Wednesday’s morning commute at least, due to an ongoing police investigation. Shuttle buses are running between Rainier Beach and Columbia City stations. Link is running north and south of there. Travel times through the area may be long due to heavy traffic and street closures. The Link maintenance planned Tuesday night in North Seattle was postponed.
This started around 1:30pm Tuesday when police shot and killed a man who was allegedly waving a gun near MLK & South Othello Street. The Seattle Times posted a short followup at 9:30pm.
Sound Transit has a chart of alternative bus routes between 1 Line station pairs if want to avoid a 3-seat ride through the area and potential delays.
Regular roundup news links are below the fold.
Continue reading “Midweek Roundup: Othello Station Closed”Federal Way Link Extension: How We Got Here
In just a few days, the first Link train with passengers will travel to Kent and Federal Way. Since the first official discussions of building light rail to Federal Way over 15 years ago, the Seattle Transit Blog has followed its progress. Take a trip down memory lane as we look back at the discussions, designs, and construction that have led to the celebration this Saturday.
In November 2007, the Roads and Transit ballot measure was rejected by voters. The “roads” part of the ballot measure would have invested in state highways, bridges, and local roads in an attempt to fix key chokepoints. The “transit” part of the package would have extended Link north to 164th St/Ash Way, south to Tacoma Dome, and east to Overlake/Microsoft in Redmond. The plan would have also funded additional ST Express service, the First Hill Streetcar, and planning studies for potential transit extensions.
After the ballot measure failed, Sound Transit went back to the drawing board for ST2. In April 2008, the Federal Way City Council voted to support light rail through Federal Way to Tacoma. However, Sound Transit had a different plan. In July, Erica C. Barnett (then at The Stranger), shared a breakdown of the revised ST2 plan. This plan included:
Continue reading “Federal Way Link Extension: How We Got Here”Federal Way Link Extension: Opening Celebration Details
Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) will open to the public this Saturday, December 6. Festivities begin at 9:30am with speeches from community leaders at Federal Way Downtown station. Following the ribbon cutting at 11am, the first passengers will be welcomed onboard.
Between 11am and 3pm, each of the three new stations will host a community event. The celebration at Kent Des Moines station will feature seven themed “gardens” that highlight local culture, innovation and community. These include interactive art and history exhibits, food trucks, live performances, and youth-led activities. In addition, guests can explore community resources, meet local businesses, and enjoy performances from regional schools and cultural groups.
Continue reading “Federal Way Link Extension: Opening Celebration Details”