Bus Rapid Transit

Sound Transit's four new members join other reappointments and board members whose terms are not up for renewal. This new freshman class will not have much time to get adjusted before being faced with major decisions around the future of the region's transit system.

Corridor-wide bus revamps have been hitting delays and are often taking ten years to deliver, or more. A new King County Metro report released this fall outlines the myriad reasons RapidRide lines fall behind, as the overall program faces an uncertain future.

The $433 million contract with MV Transportation extends through 2032, and includes full start-up costs for the three Stride lines. It's the first time that Sound Transit has contracted with a private operator for core transit services.

Flanked by a crowd of transit advocates, Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck announced a "Better Bus Lanes" campaign on Wednesday, demanding expanded and improved bus lanes on the city's busiest routes. The press event took place at the site of a recent victory by bus advocates: a new bus lane for Route 2 on Union Street.

King County Metro has slashed the budgets for the K and R Lines by 20% to 25%, which could scale back planned reliability improvements and rider amenities. The move raises serious questions about the future of the overall RapidRide program.

Pivoting away from full-scale bus base retrofits that go all-in on battery electric buses means that Metro won't face a fiscal cliff until the early 2030s, according to budget writers. Metro's General Manager also framed the move as one that helps to preserve core bus services.

Assuming bottomless motorist demand and no mode shift to transit made the Seattle Department of Transportation's study of Denny Way bus lanes effectively worthless. Route 8 upgrades deserves real consideration.

After considering a broader slate of property condemnations to keep the RapidRide I Line on track for a 2027 opening, the council is poised to approve a compromise measure much narrower in scope.