At a town hall this week at Ballard's National Nordic Museum, Sound Transit walked through its path to be able to get to Market Street by 2042. That work involves needing to find $8 to $10 billion via cost savings, new revenue, or creative borrowing over the coming years.
Beautiful autumn weather might be giving you the itch to get outside. Bob Svercl's tour videos, featuring park destinations within a close walk of light rail stations across the region, are a great source of inspiration.
Compared to plans presented earlier this year laying out how the existing Route 7 would be converted into a RapidRide line, designs released this week only include two new stop pairs. That adjustment is unlikely to assuage concerns around decreasing access to transit in the Rainier Valley.
Pierce Transit's Prop 1 asks voters for a 0.3% sales tax increase to give local bus service a major boost. Tacoma transit advocate Cameron Johnson breaks down what the measure entails and what it could mean for transit riders across Pierce County.
Released as Sound Transit reaches 30% design on the future 3 Line, the new renderings show the full 3.9 mile line that will run between SoDo and Alaska Junction until connecting with the rest of the light rail network as soon as 2042.
King County would move $64 million out of a total $91.2 million cost for the R Line project to its upcoming budget, in a bid to accelerate bus upgrades along Rainier Avenue. Executive Zahilay has turned the R Line into one of his administration's central transit commitments.
Transit advocates are criticizing Sound Transit's process to solicit outside ideas to reduce Ballard Link costs and accelerate the timeline. The Request for Information process was poorly publicized, narrowly defined, and closes today.
Throngs of transit fans packed onto the station plaza near I-5 and NE 130th Street Wednesday to check out the new station, which had initially been scheduled to open in 2031. Criticized for a high price tag and bad adjacent land use, Pinehurst is a catalyst for future improvements.
Pinehurst Station opened today as a new light rail stop between Northgate and South Shoreline. While a new crosstown bus and street upgrades preceded the station, neighborhood upzones are tied up in legal appeals, stunting housing and business growth in the vicinity.
Pierce County transit advocates are confident that this is the year they can overcome the history of voters not getting on board with adding bus service funding in the South Sound. If Prop 1 is successful, Pierce Transit plans to ramp up service by 49% in the coming years.
Community organizer Renee Staton recounts how Pinehurst Station went from a distant dream to reality delivered ahead of schedule due to more than a decade of advocacy.
Sound Transit is set to have Dow Constantine at the helm into 2030s after the agency approved a three-year contract extension with two additional one-year options on Thursday.
If approved in early November, Community Transit would take over Everett Transit operations on April 1, 2027, with the existing Everett Transit network as its service baseline. A 50% increase in bus service would follow, to be fully implemented by 2030.
Elevating the next light rail line through Downtown Seattle could save $10 billion, more than enough to close Sound Transit’s systemwide budget hole and get rail to Ballard much sooner. There’s just one problem: The agency has never officially studied the idea. It’s high time.
A 2 Line train stall on Sunday likely stemmed from a misaligned pantograph, the metal arm connecting the overhead wire and the train. Sound Transit is pledging a full investigation and potential refinements to rider communications during service outages.
Bus travel times are up to three times faster along a troublesome stretch of Denny Way after SDOT installed red bus lanes all the way to I-5. On Tuesday, Mayor Katie Wilson joined transit fans for a reprise of last year's 'Race the L8'... with very different results this time.
Pinehurst Station now has a launch date: September 30. The infill light rail stop will serve a projected 3,400 daily riders between Northgate and South Shoreline and provide a new location for bus-rail transfers.
Two aging bridges along S Jackson Street carry more than 1,400 buses every weekday, and are past the end of their design life. A new SDOT study confirms that major changes would need to be implemented if the City of Seattle ever pursued their replacement.
The Sound Transit Board approved $6 million to design fare gate retrofits at up to 14 light rail stations. The gates would go online in 2029 or 2030, pending a further allocation of construction funding.
The draft environmental analysis for the Everett light rail extension will be released September 18, Sound Transit said, thanks to a federal greenlight.
Ballard Link faces a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall, but one revenue tool could help get the project back on track: a value capture strategy using tax-increment financing. Here's how that would work.
The August 1st train derailment was a one-off incident, not likely to be repeated, Sound Transit said, noting "additional testing and inspections across the entire system" to check track switches for issues. Boardmember Claudia Balducci is pushing for tighter protocols during unplanned outages.
An ordinance from Rod Dembowski would have thrown a wrench into King County Metro's next service change, set for August 29, by restoring Route 372 without any funding to do so. Ultimately, the move seemed to be symbolic to show support for impacted riders.
On Thursday afternoon, Mayor Katie Wilson and Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck made the trip up to Denny Way to put the final touches on a Route 8 bus lane being installed this weekend at a major bottleneck near I-5.
With Sound Transit's failure to deliver light rail to Ballard by 2035 as originally promised, now is the moment for Sound Transit and Seattle to build a no-frills, quick-build station near the Ballard Locks to connect people to Sounder commuter rail service that’s already up and running.
Sound Transit's expected opening date for West Seattle light rail has slipped three years to 2035, agency top brass confirmed Thursday. The board is set to allocate $765 million later this month to advance property acquisitions along the route.
The proposal would spend $6 million planning and designing fare gates at 14 Link stations, with a future Sound Transit board vote expected to allocate the full $87 million construction cost. The agency expects this targeted gate program to pay for itself within two to three years.
Bus routes across North, South, and East King County will see adjustments starting August 29, with most intended to improve connectivity with light rail. The biggest changes are set to happen in South King County, where weekend service levels will dramatically increase.
Sound Transit recently revealed light rail won't reach Ballard until "around 2060" without further intervention. Seattle Subway lays out a path to greatly accelerate this delivery date, which they call “wildly unacceptable.”
The new 2060 timeline for light rail stations in Interbay and Ballard assumes Sound Transit isn't able to unearth any major cost savings or unlock additional financial tools. But the agency painted an optimistic picture about being able to make inroads in those areas, pushing the opening to 2042.
King County Metro's new bus network in North Seattle and the North Shore communities is intended to improve access to light rail and bring increased frequencies throughout the day. But a plan to retire Route 372 between Lake Forest Park and UW has raised concerns among city officials.
The R Line is set to replace the Route 7 by 2032, with County Executive Girmay Zahilay promising to "fast track" the RapidRide project last year. But amid the bleak federal transit funding landscape, Metro won't count on those dollars any longer.
Sound Transit is weighing a cut to light rail service spans to allow larger maintenance windows and is proposing to drop the Seattle-tail of Route 560 to boost frequency on the remainder of the route. The agency’s survey on its service proposal is open through July 26.
The number of weekday round trips between Bremerton and Seattle will drop from 20 to 13, with a major gap created between mid-morning and afternoon. The end of supplemental state funding coincides with a pivot at the legislature away from fast ferries.
If approved in November, the 0.3% sales tax measure will ramp up city-funded Metro bus service on 10 to 15 additional routes on top of maintaining extra service that exists today. Signing the measure would mark a full-circle moment for Mayor Katie Wilson.
Long-awaited upgrades to one of the city's busiest bus corridors are just a few days away, with SDOT set to permanently close the often-clogged slip lane onto Yale Avenue on August 1. A full eastbound bus lane will be installed by the end of August.
While amendments from the Council did make a mark on the Seattle Transit Measure renewal, it still largely resembles Wilson's initial proposal. Amendments that would have scaled it back in scope and duration were both defeated Thursday.
Councilmember Bob Kettle's proposal to slash the Seattle Transit Measure renewal by one-third drew significant pushback this week at a public hearing on potential amendments. Among those strongly advocating against the move was the Seattle Transit Advisory Board and the Amalgamated Transit Union.
The 0.3% sales tax bump going onto the November ballot would increase service by around 40% by the mid-2030s, the biggest expansion of transit service in Pierce County in decades. Since May, the proposal has been tweaked to include free rides for seniors.
A surge of World Cup fans for the U.S. vs. Belgium match pushed Sound Transit to new heights on July 6, with a whopping 309,000 light rail boardings. The agency also beat its monthly ridership record in June.
Join transit advocates rallying to defend the Seattle Transit Measure proposal from cuts at a public hearing on Monday, July 13. Attend the rally or send in a letter ahead of the big vote to send the package to voters.
Spokane County voters have an opportunity to fund transit service with a 0.2% sales tax renewal on their August 4th ballot. Here's how you can help put the measure over the top.
By far the most impactful amendment set to be considered to Katie Wilson's proposed transit measure renewal, Kettle's proposal would lead to more than 1 million fewer service hours over the course of 10 years.
Transit Riders Union's survey of nearly 500 people showed the importance of investing in transit and can help guide investments to maximize benefits from the expanded Seattle Transit Measure going to voters in the fall.
A $406 million budget amendment approved Thursday is intended to get West Seattle Link ready for construction, a key promise in the wake of a Sound Transit board vote last month to rebalance the ST3 plan. Another $16 million advances design work on Ballard Link.
Sound Transit set a new light rail ridership record on Friday, June 19, collecting an estimated 280,000 boardings as Seattle hosted a World Cup soccer match. Lime also set a new record for scooter and bikeshare usage.
On June 27, King County Metro is launching a new summer-only bus route connecting beachgoers to Golden Gardens Park, temporarily closing a hole in the agency's bus network thanks to Seattle Transit Measure funding.
In remarks to a transportation advisory committee, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin painted a clear picture of the need to increase bus frequencies in the city as Sound Transit advances plans for light rail and the city accommodates significant population growth in the coming years.
Rallying with transit advocates ahead of a council meeting on the Seattle Transit Measure renewal, Wilson defended the 0.15% sales tax increase contained in her proposal. Over the coming weeks, councilmembers are poised to discuss divvying up the funding for their own policy priorities.
Sound Transit's lofty Enterprise Initiative was aimed at getting ballooning budgets under control without cutting or delaying planned light rail projects. However, that may have been an overly ambitious goal, since the agency did have to resort to pulling those levers last month.
Last week, Community Transit operated its last bus to Seattle, with the retirement of Snohomish express commuter Route 424. The agency added the Bellevue-bound Route 908 to replace it, with six other routes seeing tweaks.
The Metro's Next Stop plan rolled out last week by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay eyes a 12% increase in bus service by 2038. But a presentation this week at the county council paints a more dire picture of Metro's financial outlook over the near term.
The Move All Seattle Sustainability Coalition is calling on City Council to approve Mayor Katie Wilson's proposed Seattle Transit Measure renewal to fund vastly more bus service and expand fare subsidies to the lowest income Seattleites. Here's why.
A press briefing this week with CEO Dow Constantine clearly sought to assuage concerns that Sound Transit wouldn't be able to get all the way to Ballard. With a six- or seven-year "runway" to close a $7 to $9 billion gap, the pressure is clearly on to follow through on that commitment.
Sound Transit's first head of "megaproject delivery" will depart after just over two years in the role. Terri Mestas' departure comes at a critical time, with significant attention on how Sound Transit will get the full voter-approved ST3 portfolio on track.
With a 0.15% sales tax bump, Seattle would be poised to see 100,000 more bus trips per year, boosting popular routes like the D Line and the 36. At a meeting Thursday, councilmembers got a deeper look at possible investments.
With the boost from the expanded 2 Line, Seattle's Link rail system is humming along at 160,000 daily riders, according to new April data. That makes it the busiest light rail system in the U.S.
Robert Cruickshank explains the ballot initiative he has filed to reform Sound Transit's board governance, arguing the overhaul is needed to ensure ST3 rail expansions are delivered as promised.
Installing fare gates at a focused number of light rail stations would pay for itself within two to five years and boost fare revenue by more than $30 million, according to Sound Transit. If given the green light later this year, gates could be in place by 2029 or 2030.
Even though the 4 Line was delayed from 2044 to 2050, Issaquah leaders including Mayor Mark Mullet hosted a community celebration Monday night. Mullet sees staying on the calendar as the first step in getting the timeline for the Eastside's next light rail line moved up.
While hesitant to alter plans or go back to voters for funding, Sound Transit board members approved a "Request for Information" that could unearth more affordable plans for light rail to Ballard. Even so, the path to get the project back on schedule remains murky at best.
Most transit systems across the world have integrated retail within stations. It’s time for Sound Transit to join the party by streamlining its fledgling vendor program.
The City of Seattle's investment in King County Metro service would jump by 60% over the life of the proposed 10-year renewal of the Seattle Transit Measure. While backed by a sales tax increase, Wilson framed the measure as a path to affordability and access.
To meet the Independent Bookstore Day challenge, two book worms used transit to visit 33 bookstores scattered around the Puget Sound region in just 10 days. Here's how they did it and what they learned.
The Sound Transit board voted Thursday to overhaul expansion plans, prioritizing the rail spine from Tacoma to Everett, while deferring indefinitely stations in Tukwila, Interbay, and Ballard. Seattle leaders got Graham Street back into plans, but lamented the stations put on ice.
The long-promised Graham Street light rail station would go from limbo to back on track if Sound Transit board members approve an amendment advanced by Katie Wilson, Girmay Zahilay, and Teresa Mosqueda. The proposal promises "last in" funding from King County and Seattle.
The Sound Transit Board will soon decide whether to deliver on the decades-old promise to South King County to build light rail stations at Boeing Access Road and Graham Street. They should not break their promise again, writes King County Councilmember Rhonda Lewis.
An amendment from boardmember Dan Strauss would direct Sound Transit to prioritize a "starter line" between Westlake and Ballard ahead of a new tunnel in Downtown Seattle, flipping the script on Ballard Link. With a vote on Thursday, the timeline to consider such a move will be brief.
Direct service between light rail stations in Seattle and Bellevue and several major Eastside trailheads starts Saturday, and runs on weekends and holidays through August 30. Seattle's transit funding measure provides a big source of the dollars to operate the shuttles.
On Saturday, Amtrak delivered its first ‘Airo’ class trainset to Seattle for testing and deployment on Amtrak Cascades this fall. The trickle of train photos is already building anticipation for the enhanced service they will provide.
An amendment put forward by King County Councilmember Steffanie Fain would cap Seattle's participation in a new pass-through funding program to well below the city's proportional share, resulting in millions less going to the city.
King County should expand its wildly popular Trailhead Direct transit shuttle service. Here are a handful of ways to enhance service and get even more hikers and bikers to regional trailheads.
Local leaders plugged expanded transit options for Seattle's World Cup matches this summer and shared their goal for 80% of fans to arrive without a personal vehicle. Here's what is planned.
Seattle leaders have been urging Sound Transit to provide a date estimating light rail's arrival to Ballard in light of plans to defer the station indefinitely, but the agency is insisting it doesn't know. This has not sat well with advocates.
Thanks to a 0.3% sales tax increase that voters could consider as soon as November, Pierce Transit is touting a plan that would result in 40% more transit service across South Sound. That increase would be a game-changer for a part of the region that has long lagged behind in transit service.
At a rally Monday near Seattle’s future Graham Street infill light rail station, advocates demanded Sound Transit not cut two long-planned infill stations as it rebalances ST3 plans. Speakers flagged issues with racial equity and restoring trust with voters.
The "affordable ST3" plan still leaves $11-$13 billion in projects unfunded, as Sound Transit board members vow to look for additional revenue and cost savings. With a May 28 board vote fast approaching, the rebalancing proposal looks mostly baked at this point.
Riding the bus regularly can help officials make better policy decisions. Nondrivers Alliance wants your help to invite them to participate in the annual Week Without Driving this fall.
At a Tuesday forum, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, and Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss pushed back hard against Sound Transit's proposal to defer Seattle light rail stations in Ballard, Interbay, and Hillman City.
A proposal to close a $34.5 billion gap in the voter-approved ST3 plan is on a fast track to a Sound Transit board vote on May 28. Developed by Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, it would prioritize completing the regional rail "spine" while deferring and delaying multiple other major projects.
One of Seattle's most dangerous, crash-prone streets will see a big jump in transit riders once construction on West Seattle Link light rail gets fully underway, closing the SoDo busway. Upgrades at two key intersections are just the start of mitigation work.
Facing a cost-cutting scenario from Sound Transit that may see trains stop short of Tacoma, South Sound leaders on the board look to be laser focused on delivering that light rail connection. The agency might need to get creative with other projects in South Sound.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the biggest rail project in the Sound Transit pipeline is months overdue, with delays stemming from a Federal Transit Administration review to blame. Until that document is released, the board can't advance the project into final design.
Dignitaries cut the ribbon this week on 235 low-income apartments next door to Northgate's light rail station. Phase 2 of the project, for the remaining five acres of King County Metro's land, is stuck in planning limbo.
The City of Everett has maintained its own independent transit agency since 1969, but merging with Community Transit is likely to bring major benefits for the city's transit riders. Thanks to a 2025 change in state law, the move won't require a public vote.
A new eastbound transit lane will go in on Denny Way between 5th Avenue and Stewart Street this August, in addition to a permanent closure of an infamously congested slip lane at Yale Avenue. The improvements are sure to bring joy to Route 8 bus riders.
At an April 14 rally in Everett, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin repeatedly stressed that finishing the light rail "spine" to Everett and Tacoma would be their top priority, while backing a plan to defer getting to Ballard.
Sound Transit can halve the cost of light rail to Ballard and West Seattle by building them as a connected automated light rail line with slimmer stations, according to two transit experts who have launched the Sound Transit Now campaign.
King County Metro restarted fare enforcement on its buses last spring after a five-year hiatus. But between May and December, the agency issued just eight citations for repeated non-payment, with none of those citations being resolved.
Amtrak's $300 million expansion of its SoDo trainyard hit the 50% complete mark this month and is on budget and on track to open in 2027. Officials welcomed local media for a tour of the facility on Thursday.
Seattle's Mount Baker light rail station opened in 2009, but two sites that Sound Transit acquired for construction staging are finally moving forward with redevelopment plans that could add hundreds of homes.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Tukwila Mayor Thomas McLeod have been sticking up for a pair of infill light rail stations that have been on the books for a long time, with a clear goal of making sure they don't fall through the cracks as Sound Transit makes budget cuts.
Transit advocates shared ideas to save Ballard Link light rail from being cut or severely delayed at a rally Saturday. A ballooning budget has Sound Transit considering drastic measures, but advocates see a path forward to get to Market Street.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has a public survey out on the 2025 State Rail Plan through April 24. Let them know that improving frequency, reliability, and connections for Amtrak service is a priority.
The Urbanist newsroom discusses the big opening day for Sound Transit's crosslake 2 Line, how we got here, and what it means for the future of light rail expansion in the Seattle region.
A total of 205,000 transit riders hopped on light rail trains on the first day of full 2 Line service between Seattle and the Eastside. It was the second busiest day in Sound Transit history.
The recent opening of Judkins Park Station is a big step forward for transit access, but Seattle's South End must not be left behind in the next round of light rail expansion.
Tens of thousands of riders came out to ride the 2 Line across Lake Washington Saturday, as Sound Transit inaugurated the light rail link between the east and west metro.
Today's events celebrating the region's newest light rail connection start at 9am, with the first train across I-90 taking off shortly after 10am. As the only light rail line to cross a floating bridge anywhere in the world, the full 2 Line is a major achievement.
The Seattle region will take arguably its biggest leap forward in transit connectivity ever on Saturday, with Sound Transit inaugurating crosslake 2 Line service. Here's how we got here.