Image description: a sketch of a Link light rail train at an elevated station with text reading: Move Redmond 12:00 to 4PM May 10th Redmond 2 Line Opening Celebration - trails 2 transit presented by Sound Transit at Downtown Redmond Station..

Commentary

A rainy downtown Seattle street scene with bus 590 approaching.

America’s Pessimism Isn’t Economic, Stupid – It’s Human 

Economists are trying to figure out the dissonance between a recovering economy and America's deep pessimism. They're looking in the wrong place.

How Link Service Could Be Right-Sized in ST3

Splitting up the four-line, 116-mile system into smaller segments allows greater frequencies with fewer traincars. Link is in trouble. Service planning estimates widely missed the...

Flat Fare Push Shows Sound Transit Is Embracing a Self-Defeating Suburban Identity

The agency is squeezing riders who take short trips to subsidize long rides and a suburb-focused service profile. Sound Transit is poised to implement flat...
Three bike-wielding cops form a barricade around a sweep with a large contingent of officers behind

Seattle’s Pioneering Bike Cop Experiment

An excerpt from my new book, Heartbreak City, shows how Seattle kicked off a nationwide bike policing trend. A distant frontier city that had only...

Two Visions for South Tacoma’s Future and the Pursuit of Environmental Justice

How a proposed (and now permitted) large industrial development intersects with plans to engage South Tacoma Way in community-led planning. Residents of South Tacoma who...
A passenger exits a Metro Flex van and waves to the driver.

Metro Flex’s Mixed Bag of Reviews May Impact Its Future

In March, King County Metro launched Metro Flex, an on-demand neighborhood van transit service. With a handy app, users can book rides to destinations...

Seattle Is Building a Citywide Bike Network That Cannot Handle Its Own Popularity

Seattle's climate plan calls for doubling bicycling, but SDOT is not building its bike facilities to handle the load. To bike to Climate Pledge Arena,...

Spokane’s Permanent Middle Housing Rules Should Set a Statewide Standard

Last week, Spokane finalized its year-long effort to legalize more housing choices across the city. Their new code sets a statewide standard, and it...