Transit

Michael Westgaard, a labor organizer with Raise the Wage Renton, is challenging incumbent Councilmember James Alberson, Jr. for Renton City Council's Position 1 seat. Transit emerges as a central plank of his platform in this interview with The Urbanist.

Fast ferry runs will continue between Seattle and Bremerton on Saturdays from May to September, but will no longer be maintained through the off-season after a reduction in state support.

A part of a major Amtrak order in 2022, the sleek new Siemens trains will be rolling out in the Pacific Northwest ahead of other parts of the country. The new Airo trainsets come at an uncertain time for Amtrak funding.

On July 10, more than 200 transit advocates raced a Route 8 bus on foot from Dexter Avenue to Stewart Street, and came out on top. They're demanding bus lanes to make the bus faster than walking.

A few months before construction on RapidRide I Line between Renton and Auburn was set to begin, King County has still not been able to acquire portions of 25 properties needed for the bus project. Now it's considering a measure of last resort: condemnation.

Light rail riders are poised to be able to take 1 Line trains all the way to Downtown Federal Way before the end of 2025, thanks to work accelerating the grand opening. That will pave the way for a full opening of the 2 Line across Lake Washington by spring of 2026.

Two votes next week will align the City of Seattle with Sound Transit, opening the door to West Seattle Link Extension permit applications later this year. The move comes right on the heels of an overhaul of the city's land use code's light rail provisions.

Kitsap Transit is planning a new fast ferry terminal on the Seattle waterfront and eyeing three potential sites, with Pier 48 the clear frontrunner. Through August 11, the agency is accepting comments to guide its study.