All posts by Martin H. Duke

In the latest installment of uneasiness around ST3, Bruce Harrell rejected the idea ($) of jettisoning West Seattle or Ballard from the plan to balance the books. I would expect nothing less from the Mayor of Seattle. He also proposed another advisory group and some regulatory reforms.

No doubt, regulatory reforms would help. But it’s worth understanding why we’re here. Costs are spiraling ($) because construction dates keep slipping, and they’re slipping because the Sound Transit board — in particular, the Seattle delegation — is not making key decisions.

We are in year nine of ST3, and we still don’t know where many of the stations will be, much less started design. There is plenty of reporting, here and elsewhere, on all of these stations. But to illustrate, let’s focus on Chinatown.

The youth fare is abolished effective Sept. 1st. This year’s transportation package in Olympia sends transit agencies a bunch of money in return for getting rid of the fare, neatly solving the dilemma of encouraging ridership by either cutting fares or using the money to improve service. Agencies across the state quickly fell into line.

Personally, I say good riddance. Youth ORCA is a pain to get, and if you have a few kids (as I do) round trips get expensive fast. There are also benefits to creating a broadly shared generational experience with transit, and in avoiding interactions with fare enforcement. With a state subsidy, there is no downside, unless it causes transit facilities to become (more of?) a place to hang out and behave anti-socially.

The main news is overwhelmingly positive. However, explanations of the formal policy are a confusing muddle.

Too little internet content is about unironic appreciation for people doing the right thing. So good for Dan Strauss, trying to put the light rail station where the people are in his district:

“Placing the station to the east undermines our city’s work to create a densely connected community,” Strauss said. “This is infrastructure that will last 100 years, and we can’t afford to get it wrong.”

Moreover, Seattle’s preferred alternative presentation contains a lot of good advice for Sound Transit, particularly in the all-important tunnel north of Chinatown. Seattle Subway has written previously about the best choices for future riders. Though I don’t agree with 100% of either document, I invite you to compare results.

Elsewhere in old friend Lizz Giordano’s report for Publicola, there’s less exciting news. Lisa Herbold is extensively quoted about “impacts” without much apparent regard for future riders. Maybe Sound Transit should just build the Gray Line and no one would be impacted at all. Most notably in her district, Seattle requests a Delridge station by the steel plant to keep it away from neighborhoods, and thus from potential riders.

I don’t like this framework for thinking about the project, but at least there’s a recommended decision that can move us forward! That’s more that can be said about the City’s Chinatown advice:

• How the state transpo budget affects area projects
• New ORCA TVMs on their way
• Sound Transit’s service change
• and Metro’s
• SBB reflects on the bike helmet law repeal
• Disagreement as to whether ST vehicles are lawless, dangerous or not
• Brooke Belman will be the interim ST CEO after May 31
• Kent’s microtransit experiment is called Pingo
• Bill would provide raises for Uber/Lyft drivers ($)
• CT cutting 164 daily trips due to driver shortage
• New bus stops in Pioneer Square
• Hilltop Tacoma Link now to open 1Q2023
• Streateries overwhelmingly popular

This is an open thread.

• 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.

Metro usually gathers a citizen sounding board when it’s planning a major service change. It’s a way to gather impressions after detailed technical discussion instead of drive-by comments.

They’re currently collecting applicants for the service change associated with Lynnwood Link. If you’re willing to approach it with an open mind, think about the community as a whole instead of your own needs, and commit the necessary time, it can be a rewarding experience and do some good for the region. Please consider it!