All posts by Nathan Dickey

In April, the King County Council committee on Transportation, Economy, and Environment received a report from Metro providing an update to its 2018 waterfront transit study (pdf). The study was requested by the Council to assess short- and long-term strategies for supporting public transportation on the waterfront as its major makeover nears completion. As the update notes, the COVID-19 pandemic and changing status of several projects in the area put the return of waterfront service on pause on recently.

On May 15, King County Metro staff briefed the County Council’s Regional Transit Committee, (presentation pdf download here) focusing on ridership trends and the agency’s capacity to return to 100% of planned service.

Ridership Trends

First, the good news: Metro ridership continued to grow across almost all modes between 2022 and 2023; Water Taxi service ridership was similar.

Focusing on fixed-route bus service, Metro presented an interesting chart showing how in March 2024, just 20 of the approximately 108 active routes carried half of Metro’s bus ridership. The 20 busiest routes were 2, 7, 8, 14, 36, 40, 44, 45, 60, 62, 70, 160, 372, and the A, B, C, D, E, F, and H RapidRide Lines.

This is an open thread.

Ryan Packer has the scoop on Twitter: Yesterday (May 17), Sound Transit staff delivered a letter to the Sound Transit Board of Directors with an innocuous subject line: “Staff recommendation regarding the South Lake Union area alternatives for the Ballard Link Extension“

A brief history: last year, after the Sound Transit Board had selected preferred locations for the Denny Station (Westlake and Denny) and SLU Station (5th and Harrison), the Seattle Chamber of Commerce lobbied Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell to propose a pair of new alternative locations for these stations in an effort to reduce construction impacts on Westlake and Harrison. In December, the Sound Transit Board approved a “feasibility study” to review whether these locations were technically feasible, and to determine how severe the impact would be to the project schedule if these alternatives were formally added for review.

Link Extension Countdown: Lynnwood Link (August 30). What to expect (Sound Transit).

Transit Updates:

Community Transit boasts 50,355 boardings on Swift Orange Line during its first month of service. Service started on March 30. The World is Orange.

Stride station names survey through May 31.

King County Metro blogs about their hiring and training process. One welcome update: new drivers are moved directly into full-time work, rather than only being allowed part time during their first several months.

WSDOT is finally turning a section of the right lane of southbound SR 305 on Bainbridge into a ferry-only access lane, with upgraded signals at the intersections with Winslow Way and Harborview Drive featuring a phase specifically to move ferry traffic along.

Local News:

The Seattle Times ($) has in-depth looks at first-time Seattle homebuyers moving away, the stubbornness of the Third Avenue homeless issue, mixed-age apartment projects to keep seniors from feeling isolated, and the rising popularity of replacing lawns with climate-friendly vegetation.

SDOT blogs about the opening of Seattle’s first “protected intersection” on May 10, at Dexter and Thomas in SLU. This type of intersection includes extra safety features for cyclists and pedestrians.

In case you missed it: a geo-magnetic of uncommon strength lit up the sky over Washington with the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) this past weekend (Capitol Hill Seattle).

King County Metro has announced that the 2024 season of Trailhead Direct service starts on May 25, operating weekends and federal holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day) through the summer (ending September 15) with routes serving the Issaquah Alps and the Mount Si area. Trailhead Direct is operated by Metro in partnership with King County Parks, the Seattle Department of Transportation, and with promotional support from Amazon.

Trailhead Direct will provide service every 30 minutes from the Sound Transit Capitol Hill Link station to stops at trailheads near Mount Si, Mount Teneriffe, and Little Si. Hourly trips will start at the Mount Baker Transit Center and go to Margaret’s Way, Squak Mountain, Chirico Trail-Poo Poo Point, High School Trail, and East Sunset Way.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently announced grant funding for planning and development of high speed rail (HSR) in several corridors across the USA. Lucid Stew, a YouTube channel dedicated to HSR in the USA, is doing a series of videos on the these corridors. Their most recent video (19:15) was on the Cascade corridor, from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Back in 2017, the Blog did a four-part series on the technical challenges of HSR, identifying many of the same issues discussed in this video.

Until the several tens of billions of dollars are identified to build “true” HSR across Cascadia, incremental improvements to Amtrak Cascades could do the trick.

The Affordable Housing Consortium (HDC), whose membership “encompasses all of the major nonprofit housing developers in King County, as well as local housing authorities, financial institutions, service providers, consultants, architects, building contractors, attorneys, accountants, and government agencies,” is celebrating the 9th Annual Affordable Housing Week, May 13-17.

Founded in 1988 as the Seattle Housing Development Consortium, the HDC serves as an advocate, broker, and convener for affordable housing in King County. Today, the HDC has over 200 member organizations.

The Seattle Times ($) and Capitol Hill Seattle (CHS) blog reported that a man was stabbed multiple times on the platform at the Capitol Hill Station Saturday afternoon, and died after being transported to Harborview Medical Center. Seattle Police closed the station to investigate the crime, forcing Sound Transit to implement a bus bridge between Westlake and University of Washington Stations.

Video report from KING 5.

On May 9, Sound Transit’s System Expansion Committee received a progress update (pdf) on the yet-to-be-opened portion of East Link, currently operating as the abbreviated 2 Line between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology Station. Although the opening of the connection between South Bellevue and Seattle is currently scheduled for late November 2025, Ryan Packer at The Urbanist quotes Ron Lewis, Sound Transit’s Executive Director of Design, Engineering and Construction Management, as saying “We don’t have a day to waste, and this summer is critical.”

As the schedule notes, Systems Integration Testing could start sooner in the year if the systems installation contractor is able to complete their work ahead of schedule. With Lynnwood Link’s systems integration testing finishing this month (pdf), and systems integration testing underway early for the Downtown Redmond Link Extension, any early starts for these critical steps would be extremely welcome.

Link Extension Countdown: Lynnwood Link (August 30). What to expect (Sound Transit).

Transit Updates:

Sound Transit reports that the 2 Line logged 35,000 boardings on its opening day. The Seattle Times ($), compares it to other opening days. Jon Talton (Seattle Times, $) says the 2 Line is good for the climate and the economy.

WSDOT has an online open house for the planned replacement of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal. They are taking feedback until May 24.

Local News:

The Seattle Planning Commission, a independent group of volunteer advisors to the City, says the Draft One Seattle Plan “does not do enough to change existing unaffordable, inequitable, and unsustainable patterns of development.” (PubliCola)

Meanwhile, the Seattle Times ($) reports that the Seattle City Council rejected a bill that would have allowed up to 35 affordable housing projects to be slightly taller.

Seattle Times ($) reports that housing prices are climbing again.

CascadePBS (formerly Crosscut) report that more students are experience homeless than before the pandemic.

The Daily Journal of Commerce ($; passable with a Seattle Library login), reports that Seattle Parks and Recreation is working towards a renovation of Freeway Park, aiming to start next year.

On May 13, King County Metro will restore 79 weekday trips to 6 Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART) service routes. DART routes provide a combination of a fixed scheduled and reservation-based on-demand service along an optional route. There are currently 14 DART routes, which are operated by Hopelink, a non-profit partner of Metro. Services were significantly cut in response to lost ridership and reduced funding during the pandemic, and have slowly been returning. Some services, like Route 630, have been funded by the local municipality to provide supplemental service. When asked, King County Public Relations indicated that increased DART service was made possible by increased availability of drivers.

One of our commentators noticed that Sound Transit updated their ridership data for March 2024 sometime yesterday, revising the results downward but still indicating a noticeable uptick in ridership from the winter and associated closures:

This new data indicates that total March boardings averaged 69,318 per day (an increase of 16% from February and up 3% from 2019).

Sunday boardings in March were up 14% from February and 12% from March 2019.

Saturday boardings in March were up 8% from February and 1% from March 2019.

Weekday boardings were up 25% from February and 3% from March 2019.

The previous article based on the originally released data is retained in strikethrough, below.

This is an Open Thread.

Over the course of about six weeks (May 7 to June 25), Sound Transit will complete five projects in preparation for service expansions and to maintain state-of-good-repair along the 1 Line. These projects will have various impacts on 1 Line service (Sound Transit) more impactful work scheduled for the weekends of June 1-2 and June 21-23. Summarized:

Rail Replacement (May 7 to to June 25): After 11 p.m. on Tuesdays between May 7 and June 25, trains will arrive every 20 minutes until end of service.

Federal Way Link Connection (May 12 to June 22): Multiple reductions of service between SeaTac/Airport Station (SAS) and Angle Lake Station (ALS). On May 12, Link will not operate between SAS and ALS until noon, after which it will run every 16-20 minutes (some trains terminating at SAS; others continuing through) through May 30. There will be no Link service between SAS and ALS on June 1 or before 10am on June 2. After 10am on June 2, trains will run every 16-20 minutes between SAS and ALS through June 21. Link will not operate between SAS and ALS on June 22, but service is expected to return to normal on June 23.

Columbia City Station Tile Repair (June 1-2): Trains will operate every 10 minutes between Northgate and Stadium, with half of the trains continuing through to SeaTac/Airport. The northbound platform of Columbia City will be closed on June 1, and the southbound platform will be closed on June 2.

East Link Tie-In (June 21 to June 23): Downtown Seattle stations will be closed from 10 p.m. on June 21 through the end of service on June 23. Link bus shuttles will run between Capitol Hill–SODO about every 10-15 minutes. On June 21 and 22, trains will run about every 15 minutes between Northgate-Capitol Hill and SODO-SeaTac/Airport stations. On June 23, trains will run between Northgate-Capitol Hill and SODO-Angle Lake stations about every 15 minutes.

For the past 18 years, the Seattle Department of Transportation has relied on a supplemental property tax levy to provide funding for improvements to Seattle’s transportation system, starting with the “Bridging The Gap” 9-year levy (2007-2015), followed by the 9-year “Levy to Move Seattle” (2016-2024). In April, Mayor Harrell released the draft “Transportation Levy” as an 8-year (2025-2032), $1.35 billion package with a big focus on street maintenance and bridge monitoring/repair.

On Friday (May 3), Mayor Harrell updated the proposed 2024 Transportation Levy to $1.45 billion (Office of the Mayor), adding $100 million to the original proposal spread across several categories, with most of the additional funding allocated to transit corridor construction, pedestrian/bicycle safety, neighborhood street improvements, and people streets.

The Seattle Times ($) notes that the levy, if passed, would be the single largest levy in Seattle history. The Urbanist and PubliCola note that while the increased proposal is a small step closer to the desires of a coalition of advocates for transit and safe streets, there is still a push for an even larger levy complete more transportation projects faster. For reference, Ethan Campbell of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways assembled a table comparing the 2024 Transportation Levy to the Move Seattle levy it hopes to replace (Google Sheets).

Link Extension Countdown: Lynnwood Link (August 30). What to expect (Sound Transit Blog).

Transit Updates:

In case you missed it, the 2 Line Starter Line started service on April 27, to much fanfare.

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), an infrastructure sustainability certification nonprofit started in 2010, gave awards to the RapidRide H Line (Metro blog) and the Federal Way Link Extension. The ISI “Envision” awards appear to be similar to the LEED certifications given to buildings for efficiency and sustainability.

Sound Transit is seeking feedback on its study of the feasibility of additional alternative locations for the SLU stations of the Ballard Link Extension. Survey closes May 7.

Local News:

Seattle adopts 20-year transportation plan (Seattle Times [$]). P.S. The CCC streetcar is included.

On the Saturday before Earth Day, a coalition of affordable housing advocates, community organizations, urbanists, and others held a rally at Jimi Hendrix Park calling for changes to the proposed Transportation Levy and draft comprehensive plan update to allow for more public transit and more housing (Komo News).

The Seattle Planning Commission, a 16-member board made of Seattle residents, is looking to fill some vacancies (Seattle.gov). Applications are due May 20. Meanwhile, the Planning Commission says the draft comprehensive plan update “does not do enough to change existing unaffordable, inequitable, and unsustainable patterns of development.” (PubliCola)

King County was awarded $6 million to build over 400 electric-vehicle charging ports throughout the county (Cascade PBS [formerly Crosscut]). Approximately 10% of King County’s vehicle fleet is electric. The charging ports will be publicly available at 55 locations, including nine King County charging sites, 13 apartment buildings, and 16 other locations like Metro bus bases and retail centers.

Countdowns: East Link Starter Line (This Saturday! 11am), Lynnwood Link (August 30).

Transit Updates:

Pierce Transit is hosting a ribbon-cutting event at 12pm today at the Tacoma Dome Station celebrating the opening of the Stream Community Line. Service started on April 1, serving as an express route along the Pacific Avenue/State Route 7 Corridor. All Pierce Transit services are fare-free for the day.

Seattle Times ($) writes about the imminent opening of the East Link Starter Line, features an interactive map of the new stations, and reviews the history of the 2 Line.

Sound Transit is sending workers to survey riders onboard Link, Sounder, and ST Express about their experience. The survey effort will continue into the Fall.

Local News:

Ryan Packer writes about the plan to turn Harrison street in SLU into a transit mall but is concerned that capacity won’t be any near the corridor estimates for 2050.

The Seattle Times ($) writes about the 24 “Neighborhood Centers” chosen for inclusion in the draft One Seattle Plan.

On Tuesday, PubliCola and the Urbanist reported on how Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) original draft of the One Seattle Plan was gutted by Mayor Harrell’s office.

Countdowns: East Link Starter Line (April 27, 11am), Lynnwood Link (August 30).

Transit Updates:

SDOT is closing the Spokane Street Swing Bridge (low bridge) for 10 days starting Friday, April 19 (planned reopening on Sunday, April 28). SDOT is offering free rides on Metro or the Water Taxi for impacted users.

Systems Integration Testing will begin soon on the Downtown Redmond extension of the 2 Line.

Local News:

Erica C Barnett (PubliCola) reports on broad-base advocacy for a more ambitious Transportation Levy. Public feedback on the proposed Levy is open until April 26.

Ryan Packer (The Urbanist) reports on King County Councilmember Mosqueda’s efforts to refine the Preferred Alignment for the West Seattle Link Extension to save businesses in North Delridge that are currently slated to be demolished. The owner of one such business, Matt Larson (The Skylark Cafe), has penned a letter questioning whether ST followed its own property acquisitions and relocation procedures appropriately. Erin Rubin, the owner of neighboring Mode Music Studios, has also starting asking for help to prepare for relocation.

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz writes in The Urbanist about how the Department of Natural Resources is now looking to lease State-owned land to affordable housing developers to help solve the housing affordability crisis.

Opinion/Miscellaneous:

Meet Andre Bacon, the Seattle Central College student who drives the Seattle Monorail (Seattle Collegian)

Tom Fuculoro (author/editor Seattle Bike Blog), parent of a former attendee of Pike Market Preschool, calls for a car-free Pike Place (Seattle Bike Blog). The piece has a neat history of the various changes to vehicle/pedestrian access to Pike Place Market over the decades.

The Seattle Times ($) reviews close.city, the website that lets you build your own walkability map for any city in the USA based on open data.

Reece Martin writes about how many transit plans are stuffed with priority vanity projects, but building transit on a plan that you can actually follow is powerful.

The Urbanist began a deep-dive series on proposed projects in the draft Seattle Transportation Levy, starting with the multi-modal Corridor projects.

It’s been a couple weeks, so the roundup is longer than usual. Today, a total solar eclipse will pass over much of the central and eastern United States.

Countdown Clocks:

April 27, 11:02am: First East Link Starter Line Train from South Bellevue Station. Discover the 2 Line.

August 30, 10am(?): Lynnwood Link Extension (1 Line). No schedule for first train yet. Some neat aerial photos from ST’s drone photographer Ken Lambert on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/SeaTimesFotoKen/status/1776001156394762448

Local News:

Sound Transit hired Terri Mestas, most recently head of LAX’s nearly-complete expansion/renovation, as Megaproject Czar (officially “Deputy CEO for Megaproject Delivery”). ST press release; coverage by The Urbanist and The Seattle Times ($).

Mayor Harrell published the draft Transportation Levy for the fall ballot, proposing $1.35 billion in “maintenance and modernization”. Coverage by The Urbanist, Cascade PBS (formerly Crosscut), and The Seattle Times ($).

Community Transit proposes to formally end collection of the higher fare for commuter buses in the fall, since it will be eliminating the commuter routes after Lynnwood Link opens (Community Transit blog).

Federal Way City Council approved a development plan to bring up to 1,600 homes and a lot of new office/retail space next to the Federal Way Link station (The Urbanist)

Sound Transit modified their contract with Siemens to add 10 link cars to the current contract of 152 new Series 2 light rail cars, totaling 162 new cars by 2028 (The Urbanist). As of February (pdf), Siemens had delivered 125 cars, reportedly enough to fully support East Link and Lynnwood Link service.

Councilmember Kettle (D7) wants to remove the potential pedestrianization of Pike Place Market from the Seattle Transportation Plan (PubliCola).

This week (March 17-23) is Transit Appreciation Week! Be sure to thank your bus driver or other transit operator for the hard work they do.

Sound Transit Announcements:

New initiatives to reduce crowing when Lynnwood link opens; reviewed by The Urbanist.

Link 1 Line single-tracking for late-night station maintenance for the next month: Trains will run every 15 minutes after 11pm March 17 to 25, and every 20 minutes after 11pm April 2-17.

News Roundup:

Port Townsend turns parking mandates into “recommendations” (Urbanist).

“Year of Housing 2.0” mostly died in the Senate (Urbanist).

Bi-annual street parking rate changes kick in on Monday (SDOT Blog).

King County became the 12th most populous county in USA last year (Seattle Times [$]).

Mayor Harrell proposes exemptions to rules and reviews for commercial-to-residential conversions in downtown in accordance with HB 1042 passed last year (Urbanist).

Paris maintains affordability by providing public housing, now serving 25% of the population. (NY Times [$])

Seattle’s first protected intersection is nearing completion (SDOT; Twitter). A protected intersection includes concrete barriers between the bike lanes and vehicle lanes to provide additional protection for cyclists and pedestrians.

Opinion and Miscellaneous:

Comprehensive Plan is not ‘Space Needle Thinking’ (Urbanist Op-Ed).

“Everyone Thinks Their Transit Is The Worst” (Reese Martin of RMTransit).

“Why the Shortest Route Isn’t Always the Fastest” (RMTransit video).

“More of America’s Lost Metro Systems” (UrbanDox video; Seattle focus at 7:04)

Upcoming Open Houses and Events:

March 19: One Seattle Comprehensive Plan at Cleveland High School, 6-7:30pm.

March 26: Drop-in session to hear about changes to the street grid around OMF-S as part of ST’s preferred alternative.

March 28: Chinatown-ID info session regarding racial equity outcomes for Ballard Link Extension. 4 – 6 pm at the CID Community Center, 719 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104.

April 17 and 23: Online webinars reviewing feasibility of potential SLU station location west of SR-99 tunnel at 5th and Harrison. Online Survey opens April 10, closes April 24.

This is an Open Thread.