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Staff Biography

Stephen Fesler

Senior Reporter

Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With long stints in great cities like Bellingham, Cork, and Seattle, Stephen currently lives in Kenmore and primarily covers land use and transportation issues for The Urbanist. He previously served as Publication Director and a boardmember of The Urbanist from February 2014 through August 2017.

Recent Articles

A four-story parking structure with a blue decorative screen.

Sound Transit Charts an Expanded Paid Parking Program

Sound Transit has outlined several alternatives to expand its parking management program with paid parking. Some or all stations with parking could be affected by the changes in the next year. Exactly what the...
Elliott Bay view of a water taxi arriving at Colman Dock downtown Seattle on a very cloudy day.

West Seattle Water Taxi To Maintain Summer Service Levels Year-Round

King County Metro's passenger-only ferry between West Seattle and Colman Dock at Pier 50 will mostly see summer sailing service maintained year-round. That means midday and weekend sailings will continue as part of the...
An articulated RapidRide branded bus runs as Route 49 in Capitol Hill.

Metro Floats Reviving Route 47 in Flawed Bus Restructure Proposal for RapidRide G

The proposal resurrecting Route 47 brings deeper cuts to Routes 10, 11, and 49, which seem unlikely to curry support. King County Metro is wrapping up its second round of proposed bus restructures around the...

September 2023 Transit Service Changes Bring Mix of Cuts and Additions Across Puget Sound

The fall service changes are coming to Puget Sound transit agencies as soon as Saturday. Most transit agencies will be adding back service, but King County Metro is taking a big leap backward with...

Op-Ed: Metro’s Alarming Latest Bus Restructures Illustrate the Need for Reform

King County Metro recently unveiled its final proposal for a bus restructure in parts of North Seattle and North King County as well as a second round bus restructure proposal for Capitol Hill and...