Transit

With right turns set to be prohibited from Westlake Avenue onto Denny Way, streetcar vehicles and buses will no longer be stuck behind turning car traffic. The change will also benefit the high numbers of pedestrians who use this major intersection.

This week, Sound Transit broke ground on a $274 million base in Bothell vital to the region's Stride bus rapid transit plans. The base will support battery electric buses for the S1, S2, and S3 lines, which together compose 45 miles of service spanning from Lynnwood to Burien.

More than 300,000 riders used the 2 Line in July, a 47% increase over June. Averaging more than 10,000 daily riders, the 10-station line rivals the busiest King County Metro routes in terms of usage.

With monthly ridership now exceeding 200,000 on the 2 Line, Downtown Redmond Link has clearly kicked things into a higher gear. Having a light rail station so well integrated into a growing urban neighborhood is likely part of the recipe for success.

Three new all-day bus routes and one peak-only route will launch on the Eastside at the end of the month. These King County Metro changes are the latest step toward a frequent bus network on the Eastside that will be more fully implemented when Sound Transit's 2 Line crosses Lake Washington in 2026.

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.