A tale of two cities.
Redmond city planning led to massive TOD around Downtown Redmond and Overlake Village stations, and expedited the Link planning. (Yet Another Urbanist)
Kemper Freeman’s war on transit. (Yet Another Urbanist)
This is an open thread.
46 commentsPike Place Market’s car-free pilot was recently extended until Spring 2026. During this time the Market will create a comprehensive street management plan that will take effect before the FIFA World Cup in June. We don’t know what the final plan will be, but it may result in Pike Place becoming the third pedestrian street in Seattle. Occidental Avenue was pedestrianized in 1971, and a half block of Pike St was pedestrianized in 2023.
Pedestrian streets significantly improve the local environment of any neighborhood by creating space for people to meet, eat, and relax. Study after study has shown that pedestrianizing an area increases foot traffic and spending at local businesses, while creating a cleaner and safer environment. Seattle needs more permanent pedestrian spaces.
Continue reading “Friday Roundtable: Pedestrian Streets in Seattle” | 76 commentsUpcoming Link Disruptions:
– Several sporadic periods of reduced evening service for construction of Pinehurst Station
– Downtown tunnel (Westlake to SODO) will be closed Saturday, August 23, from morning to 1pm, for East Link testing. Shuttle buses will run every 10-15 minutes.
The first ever bus routes. (The Tim Traveler) Hint: They’re in France and have to do with Blaise Pascal.
Three good things about Metro buses and ST Express by a visitor. (Trains are Awesome)
The London Underground has express services. (Ontario Traffic Man via RMTransit)
This is an open thread.
Seattle has a long history with rail public transit. This map was drawn by Harry Foesig and published in Leslie Blanchard’s 1968 book, The Street Railway Era in Seattle: a Chronicle of Six Decades. Despite the map depicting Seattle 129 years ago, many of the routes shown are still served by Metro routes today.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is wrapping up two projects in Pioneer Square that will make traveling in the area easier for everyone. SDOT is hosting a celebration during the Pioneer Square Art Walk today from 5-7pm at 3rd Ave S & S Main St.
SDOT’s 3rd Ave S & S Main St project redesigned 3rd Ave S between Yesler Way and S Main St. The street now has wider sidewalks, a smoother roadway surface, and improved pedestrian lighting. The bus stop at 3rd Ave S & S Main St is quite busy, serving routes 7, 14, 21, 36, 40, 70, 124, 131, and 132.
Pike Place Market with cars in 2022, and without cars in 2025. (Juan Rodriguez)
Cars were removed from Pike Place in April due to a building construction project blocking a lane. They were supposed to return this month but Mayor Harrell extended the ban to spring 2026. The city is taking advantage of this temporary pedestrianization to study how people are voting with their feet and cars; e.g., any changes in foot traffic or vendor sales. Some people have long advocated for a permanent ban, while some drivers complain about losing the ability to quickly drop into a shop and leave. Some vendors are concerned they may be losing sales as people walk in the middle of the street and don’t see the shop rather than being forced to walk directly in front of the shop. But there’s is a great opportunity to create a truly pedestrianized street to complement the early-1900s market and new overlook walk and waterfront renovation.
Serfaus, Austria, population 1000, has the second-smallest subway in the world. (TFS Transport via RMTransit) Why does it have it? Skiers! Cars are banned in the village. The U-Bahn runs from the consolidated parking garage through the village center to the ski lift.
The smallest subway according to some criteria is the Carmelit in Haifa, Israel. It’s 1.1 miles long with 6 stations. Other contenders can be found by doing a web search for “smallest subway in the world”. It partly depends on the criteria: shortest length, fewest stations, lowest capacity, smallest host city, and whether funiculars (steep-incline services) are eligible.
This is an open thread.
56 commentsOne of the most significant transit gaps in Seattle is on Boren Ave between Jackson Street and Denny Way. Boren Ave is aligned with the downtown grid and runs through the heart of First Hill. The avenue is unique as it is the only road connects South Lake Union (SLU), First Hill, and Little Saigon. The current transit network in the area is still focused on getting people to and from downtown Seattle. Over ten Metro and Sound Transit routes intersect Boren Ave, heading to and from downtown. A route along Boren would connect these many routes and provide a direct route between the International District, First Hill, and South Lake Union.
Running a bus on Boren is not a new idea. Today, peak hour express routes 193, 303, 322, and 630 have stops on Boren. This proposal is focused on adding an all-day, frequent bus route. Over the past 15 years, several STB posts have proposed rerouting a bus to Boren Ave, including Route 7 and Route 106. These proposals are still valid ideas; however, today’s route proposal focuses on a different route: Route 40.
Continue reading “Friday Roundtable: Boren Ave Route Idea” | 116 commentsOn Monday, King County Metro announced fares will increase on September 1, 2025, for multiple Metro services and for the Seattle Streetcar, which is owned by SDOT but operated by Metro.
