All posts by Nathan Dickey

Earlier this month, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) has published a paper titled “The False Promise of Microtransit,” (pdf) a critique of flexible transit services like King County Metro’s “Via to Transit” and Pierce Transit’s “Runner“.

From the ATU’s press release:

“The reality of microtransit, like other technology fads, is that it’s less impressive and more expensive than proponents suggest,” said ATU International President John Costa. “It doesn’t reliably deliver cost savings, real environmental benefits, or equitable service. What microtransit does do is threaten good transit jobs – real, long-term careers – by shifting service to gig workers and setting off a race to the bottom. Nobody wants to talk about that.”

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.