All posts by andrew

Andrew M. Smith started the blog in April 2007, after he moved back to Seattle and discovered there was a campaign for light rail that year. Andrew grew up in Scotland, Capitol Hill and Wallingford, and has lived in Tokyo, where he discovered his love for transit and walkability, and San Francisco. Andrew stepped down from the blog in May 2009 but returned in February 2011.

Capitol Hill Business Mitigation

Posted on by Andrew Smith

jack in the box
Details on the Capitol Hill station construction mitigation. Sound Transit spends a lot of money, in this case $610,000, on construction mitigation for businesses around projects, and the Capitol Hill station is smack in the center of a major business district. Sound Transit will even have a full-time staff working in the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce office.

The article details a lot of the potential problems that might surface, especially the part around hauling truck-fulls of dirt down Olive Way.

BRT in Eugene

Posted on by Andrew Smith

Here’s a video of the EMX BRT in Eugene, where they use the same sort of coaches that Rapid Ride will use. Here’s a news story on the system. The BRT system, entitled the “Emerald Express”, has 60% of its route in a dedicated lane, which is always the sign of a good transit system. Currently there is no fare for rides on the route.

I’ve seen this from a car, but I don’t know anything else about this system, have any of you been on it?

FTA: $813 Million for Univesity Link

Posted on by Andrew Smith

The Federal Transit Administration announced to Congress today it’s plan to fund University Link to the tune of $813 million. The notification is the second to last step to ensuring the full funding grant agreement between the FTA and Sound Transit. After today, Congress as 60 days to discuss the agreement, and if nothing unsurprising happens, the FTA will be able to execute the agreement. So by the middle of January, the FTA can start giving Sound Transit money to for University Link.

The press release, I can’t find a link, includes this quote:

University Link will provide a reliable option for drivers and transit users who are stuck on I-5, a facility that operates over capacity for up to eight hours a day, with vehicle speeds running between 15 and 35 mph. Already, buses can run up to 30 minutes behind schedule due to congestion. Compared to bus service, University Link travel times will be almost three times faster. From the University District, it will take 9 minutes instead of 25 minutes to get downtown and 3 minutes instead of 22 minutes to get to Capitol Hill.

Three minutes from the UD to Capitol Hill. Amazing.

Viaduct Replacement Options

Posted on by Andrew Smith

WSDOT has this site detailing eight options for the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement. The plans differ pretty remarkably, from a “low capital” surface-option with little built to deep-bored tunnel, and even a covered four lane elevated structure, with a sky-bridge and development underneath the roadway. Definitely view the plans, and check out the interactive flash map.

Each option seems to include either the Alaskan Way Viaduct or the “Central Streetcar” line on First Avenue, with the exception of option ‘d’, the new elevated highway. I don’t actually know if any of these options include funding for these transit improvements. Option ‘e’ is doubling down on the viaduct, with a truly massive, super-structure on the waterfront. I’m partial to ‘b’, the surface-transit option.

Which do you prefer? What is the worst? Let us know in the comments.

H/T to the estimable Gordon Werner.

“Terminal” vs “Not in Service”

Posted on by Andrew Smith

Something I learned at the meet-up yesterday: you can board a bus whose board says “Terminal”, “East Base” or “Atlantic Base” bus if you wave the bus down. It is still up to the driver, but the drive can accept passengers. However, a bus marked “Not in Service” will not stop.

Interesting. I guess next time I’m on my way to Tukwila, I’ll look for “Atlantic Base” buses.

Metro Budget Shortfall

Posted on by Andrew Smith

Bus Shelter with light
Image by Oran, from the STB flickr pool.
I can’t get a link to the specific post, but here at the King County Council’s budget blog, there’s a post entitled “A proposal to save Metro Transit service but cut $70 million in costs” that outlines the progress on covering Metro’s funding gap. The good news is that Metro seems to be able to cut $30 million from the budget with no service cuts. The bad news is the shortfall is $70 million.
Continue reading “Metro Budget Shortfall”