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Beginning on January 1, Seattle’s monorail operator is ending free transfers to other transit services for riders who rely upon ORCA E-purse. The change could turn a $4.00 trip into a $7.00 trip for monorail riders deprived of the transfer credit.
Recent Posts
Rebecca Saldaña Announces Run for Girmay Zahilay’s Former County Council Seat
State Senator Rebecca Saldaña announced a bid for the open King County Council District 2 seat in the 2026 election, positioning herself in the progressive lane and pledging to fight back against Trump attacks and defend the working class.
Thousands Pack Trains for Launch of Federal Way Light Rail
Transit riders and elected officials alike celebrated light rail's arrival in South King County, as Sound Transit held a grand celebration to tout its three new stations and cut the ribbon in Federal Way.
Sound Transit Brokers Streetcar Swap Between Portland and Tacoma
At first glance, the deal appears to be heavily lopsided in favor of Sound Transit, which will trade aging Skoda streetcars for ones that are essentially brand new. But the Brookville cars leaving Portland experienced significant issues that could follow them to Tacoma.
Op-Ed: Looking Back at the Movement That Elected Katie Wilson
John Burbank looks back to a series of progressive victories that paved the way for the most significant mayoral victory in Seattle over the past 100 years, with Katie Wilson about to take office.
Everything You Need to Know About Federal Way Link
The three stations of the eight-mile Federal Way Link light rail extension open December 6. Here's your guide to the new line and the opening day festivities.
Op-Ed: Sound Transit’s Station Naming Policy Has Run Amok Again
With three “downtown” stations and counting, Sound Transit must overhaul its station naming policy and name its stations less confusingly so that riders can easily navigate a growing system.
Op-Ed: Seattle Council Must Reject Harrell’s Police Guild Contract, Demand Accountability
Seattle's proposed police union contract once again fails to deliver even the meager reforms and accountability promised eight years ago, opines Howard Gale. With Seattle City Council set to vote on the contract this month, here's the case for rejecting it.
Two Weeks Until The Urbanist’s Winter Holiday Party
Get your ticket to The Urbanist's annual holiday party while supplies last. Our speaking program on December 9 will feature Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and other urbanist leaders and newly elected officials.
Join Us for The Urbanist’s November and December Events
Join for The Urbanist for our upcoming social meetups, Comprehensive Plan organizing, and our big holiday party extravaganza.
Join Us for The Urbanist Winter Holiday Party on December 9th
The Urbanist's Annual Holiday Party is the biggest gathering of local urbanists and elected officials of the year. Mingle, celebrate our recent wins, and hear about the future of urbanism in the Puget Sound. Get your tickets today!
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Mayor Scrambles to Protect ‘Character’ of Old Bellevue with Emergency Controls
Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson's request would bring an emergency action to require facade preservation along Main Street as a condition of future development, while the city considers permanent regulations. While there was majority support for retaining the character of the area, some councilmembers cast doubt on the urgency and emergency framing.
Sammamish Hits Pause on Town Center Planning after Backlash Election
Following an intense debate over the future of Sammamish's fledgling Town Center area in this month's elections, three growth skeptics are set to join the city council. Now the question is just how dramatically things get scaled back in 2026.
Kirkland Voters Maintain the City’s Course, Rejecting Anti-Growth Push
Despite significant spending to steer the Kirkland City Council toward a more slow growth direction, voters elected progressives in three out of four races. In the end, the election seemed to show most Kirkland residents are happy with the city's current direction.
More Eastside Coverage posts »
Op-Ed: Making Seattle Neighborhoods More Accessible by Design
Four case studies show how Seattle's new middle housing zoning incentives align with demographic shifts to meet housing demand.
Seattle Council Sets the Stage for a Potential Multiplex Boom
The Seattle City Council added a series of series of height and density bonuses for stacked flats as they amended Mayor Bruce Harrell's proposed update to the City's Comprehensive Plan in September. The bonuses could unleash the city's former single family zones to create a stacked flat multiplex boom, ranging up to 12-plexes.
School Board Directors Are Begging Seattle to Allow More Housing
A majority of the Seattle School Board joined the push for additional neighborhood growth centers last week, pointing to a link between additional housing density and stable student enrollment.
More One Seattle Plan posts »
Urbanist Podcast Election Extravaganza: Puget Sound Progressives Prevail
The Urbanist Podcast is back after a hiatus, just in time to break down 2025 election results. In this episode, Urbanist publisher Doug Trumm and reporter Amy Sundberg discuss what happened in Seattle, with progressive mayoral challenger Katie Wilson's dramatic victory, and other interesting races across the region.
An Audio Recap of The Urbanist’s ‘Future of Seattle Housing’ Panel
Want a deep dive on the latest in Seattle housing policy? The Urbanist has you covered. Check out this recording and transcript of our April housing panel with experts.
Urbanist Reporters Appear on Hacks and Wonks Podcast
The Urbanist's contributing editor Ryan Packer and reporter Amy Sundberg appeared on back-to-back episodes of the Hacks and Wonks podcast this week. Be sure...
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