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.
While bleak news portending delays took center stage following the Sound Transit board retreat, the event helped get board members on the same page when it comes to a path forward. Here's what you need to know.
By framing a reduction of reliance on Russian oil as a matter of national security, Latvia offers a useful example of how to reduce car dependency and make real our climate goals. Latvia's ubiquitous and frequent transit network was on display during my recent visit.
The first new RapidRide bus line in South King County in over a decade, the I Line will connect riders with some of the area's busiest transit hubs including Kent and Auburn Stations and the forthcoming South Renton Stride station. Construction is expected to extend through 2027.
At a board retreat Wednesday, Sound Transit weighed three cost-cutting approaches that all included deferring light rail stations in Ballard and Interbay to a later date when funding allows. Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss pushed back against that approach.
The $350 million contract with Hoffman Construction, expected to be approved later this month, sets up a major piece of Sound Transit's system expansion puzzle. "OMF South" will be the agency's third train base.
To speed up transit, King County Metro is officially allowing all-door boarding on buses systemwide starting Saturday, March 28, coinciding with the spring bus service change and Sound Transit's big crosslake 2 Line launch
State lawmakers declined to unlock a financial tool that Sound Transit sought to get through a coming financial crunch, and approved a tax package that is expected to bring the agency a big revenue hit.
Thanks to newly revealed cost-saving measures, the cost to bring rail to Alaska Junction is now just $700 million to $1.1 billion over the amount baked into Sound Transit's financial plan, a major change compared to where things stood just 18 months ago.
2026 had been an opportunity to get Seattle and King County on the same page when it came to sustainable, long-term funding for Metro. But King County leaders are signaling they need more time.
After House transportation chair Jake Fey blocked a bill giving Sound Transit’s authority to issue longer-term bonds up to 75 years in length, the sponsor in the state Senate amended the provision into a different bill that remains alive, giving the effort a new lease on life.
Taking lessons from the YIMBY movement, Robert Cruickshank charts a path forward to build out the 116 miles of light rail promised to voters in the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, leveraging popular support to press for additional funding and lasting reforms to control costs.
WSDOT’s concept would remove the northbound ramp from I-90 onto Rainier Avenue and improve safety at the other freeway ramps. A clear step in the right direction, the unfunded plan is not as bold as some transportation advocates would like to see near such an important light rail station.
When it opens in 2028, the S3 rapid bus line will provide riders across Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, and Shoreline with a more frequent, reliable transit option and extend the reach of Sound Transit’s light rail network.
Ray Delahanty of CityNerd ranked the top transit cities in North America based on ridership per capita at the metropolitan scale. Seattle narrowly makes Ray’s top 15 list. Check out who is above Seattle.
The crowded community meeting was the first step in an advocacy campaign intended to persuade members of the Sound Transit board about the value of continuing light rail expansion on the Eastside. Issaquah city leaders are bringing ideas to the table they say could cut costs.
Civic leaders from Issaquah say they’re ready to deliver a light rail line that costs less, a station area that generates ridership through housing rather than garages, and a city that is ready to share the work with Sound Transit rather than just make demands.
The service boost will come in part from the restoration of 80,000 service hours that have been suspended since 2020. With the new network, Metro takes a big step toward a more frequent, all-day network in South King County.
Sound Transit tallied a record-smashing day, exceeding 200,000 boardings on Link light rail during Seattle’s victory parade day. Lime added nearly 60,000 rides on its shared scooters and e-bikes.
Hoping to avoid simply delaying projects or shortening lines, Sound Transit has been looking high and low for potential cost savings. Those options are set to be contemplated at a March 18 board retreat that will set the stage for major decisions in the months ahead.
The Pierce Transit Board is considering a ballot measure in November 2026 that would boost funding to expand bus service, make routes more frequent, and create new connections to light rail. Two advocacy leaders make the case for this measure.
The proposal to empower local governments across Puget Sound to set up their own passenger ferry districts fell short in the Senate after passing the House last year. Its sponsor is pushing even harder this year, seeking to bolster the precarious state ferry system.
The $5.6 billion to $6.3 billion light rail line between South Kirkland and Issaquah is currently set to open by 2044 but could see further delays. Newly elected Mayor Mark Mullet wants the project to serve as an example of how to get creative in response to funding shortfalls.
On Saturday, February 14, simulated service on the full 2 Line will commence, with train operators mimicking the service patterns they intend to operate after the March 28 grand opening. Light rail riders will be able to benefit from doubled train frequency in stations from the International Distric
The full list of 430 levy-funded projects across Seattle was mostly assembled before Mayor Katie Wilson took office. But it contains significant opportunities for the new administration to shape transportation investments over the years ahead.
Getting King County on board with going to the voters for a supplementary funding source for Metro bus service has long been a goal of regional transit advocates. But making it happen this year will likely be a tall order, given the need for intense coordination between two newly elected leaders.
Anticipation is building for the 2 Line extension March 28, crossing Lake Washington and tying the Eastside into Sound Transit’s broader light rail network. But much work remains to get the next set of expansions right, and removing Claudia Balducci as System Expansion Chair launches that work on a
A pair of bills advancing this week at the state legislature would finally allow Sound Transit to rise above the local permitting fray in several key areas. The reforms could save as much as nine months on key transit projects, according to the agency.
Panelists at a recent Tacoma On the Go event laid out ways that the Grit City could break car dependence and become a city of walkable 15-minute neighborhoods.
Revive I-5 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reduce car dependency and encourage transit, walking, rolling, and biking, but the Seattle region is letting it slip between its fingers. It’s not too late to fix that, opines Kadie Bell Sata.
Claudia Balducci, the second longest serving member of the Sound Transit board, will no longer be a member of the committee she’s lead since 2018. The swap out comes just as the board faces critical decisions around the future of the Sound Transit 3 expansion plan, work that will largely be hashed o
Eagerly awaited by transit riders, the full 2 Line light rail connection will finally bridge Seattle and the Eastside and bring expanded train service all the way from Redmond to Lynnwood. The expansion will bring stations at Judkins Park and Mercer Island online.
As the First Hill Streetcar celebrates a decade carrying riders, questions mount about the future of the Seattle Streetcar network as a whole. With a plan to finally connect the two existing lines being declared dead, the status quo is likely not sustainable.
With creative tools needed to get the entire Sound Transit 3 network across the finish line as planned, Sound Transit is turning to the idea of 75-year bonds. If the Washington State Legislature OKs the concept, the move would mean extending debt to finance light rail projects into the next century.
Pierce County is facing financial challenges that are straining budgets, leading to health department layoffs and lagging transit service levels. Federal chaos could make the problem worse in years ahead.
Late-night bus service starting March 28 will give riders with late flights at Sea-Tac more breathing room. The pilot is one element of Sound Transit’s planned overnight bus network queued to launch this fall.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson rolled out two executive orders on Thursday morning, seeking to get major initiatives rolling: expanding emergency housing for homeless residents and bus lanes to speed up the Route 8 bus. Wilson has set a deadline of April 17 for a Denny Way bus lane implementation plan.
The Urbanist recently sat down with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson to get the latest on initiatives she has cooking now that her team is in office. We touched on emergency housing, bus lanes, World Cup preparations, Sound Transit, culture change at the police department, and more.
Sound Transit needs a systematic strategy for closing its $35 billion funding gap. Delivering the expansions promised to voters is possible, but requires political leadership and an appetite for a sea change within the agency. A former SDOT director offers a road map.
New cost estimates on the long-planned Interstate Bridge Replacement over the Columbia River reveal a funding gap that could range from $5 billion to a staggering $13 billion, an amount that neither Washington nor Oregon is prepared to absorb.
1 Line light rail service will be disrupted starting 10pm Friday through Sunday, January 11, as Sound Transit conducts signal work in preparation for the 2 Line extension. Stations from Capitol Hill to SoDo will be closed with replacement bus service offered. WSDOT is also launching Revive I-5 work
With simulated light rail service across I-90 less than a month away, Sound Transit appears poised to beat its deadline of opening the full 2 Line by May 31. Simulated service will also bring increased train frequency between International District and Lynnwood, a big boost for riders.
With 46,000 workers commuting to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport every day, Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa shares the Port of Seattle’s plans to improve transportation options and encourage transit use.
Ring in the new year with free transit on King County Metro, Sound Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Intercity Transit.
In time for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup matches in Seattle, transit riders will have two new fare payment options, including a special three-day pass.
The cost of additional delay and reduced resiliency in the light rail system were cited as reasons to set aside the idea of dropping Ballard Link’s planned tunnel under Downtown Seattle. But the discussion is likely to set up a broader debate of just who benefits from that tunnel — and who pays for
Tabling a second light rail tunnel through Downtown Seattle and redesigning Ballard Link to use the existing tunnel could save $4.5 billion, and Sound Transit has been too quick to dismiss the idea, Scott Kubly argues. The money saved could reduce delays and fund important transit upgrades elsewhere
Sound Transit’s analysis, prompted by a request from King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, looks at ways to get to Ballard without a new tunnel under Downtown Seattle. While the potential cost savings could be as much as $4.5 billion in 2025 dollars, but staff is stressing delay and risk.
The board motion advanced this week asks for one final look at where fare gates would make sense in Sound Transit’s light rail system before implementing a potential pilot program before the end of 2026.
The Seattle Monorail should serve local residents, not just tourists. Unfortunately, the plan to end transfer credits in 2026 will gouge local riders and discourage ridership. The City should demand that monorail honor transfers between other transit services.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Homebuilding activity is anemic near the three Sound Transit light rail stations opening this month in South King County. The Urbanist reviews the 3,000-plus homes in the development pipeline, and explores the obstacles standing in the way.
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.
Sound Transit gave reporters a sneak peak at the three new light rail stations set to open in Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Downtown Federal Way. Check out the station designs and their custom artwork ahead of the grand opening Saturday at 11am.
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.
With several vacancies opening up on the 18-member Sound Transit board, a West Seattle Link “visioning event” this week looked to many like an audition. Facing huge cost pressures, the project could use a champion among the board’s ranks.
Electric trolley buses remain the premier zero-emissions bus technology. They outperform trendy, newer battery electric buses for several reasons that Nathan Vass lays out.
Amtrak’s annual ridership was up 5%, hitting an all-time record high of 34.5 million rides nationwide over the last year. Amtrak Cascades also hit a record high, reporting 1.4% growth and coming in just short of joining the one-million-ride club.
Tacoma’s recent election elevated two urbanist-backed progressives, which could buoy efforts to expand housing, roll out street safety upgrades, and improve transit. The Urbanist chatted with Tacoma Mayor-Elect Anders Ibsen and incoming Councilmember Latasha Palmer about their plans.
Light rail riders will see out-of-service trains running between International District-Chinatown and Lynnwood as the next major milestone for testing on the full 2 Line.
Long promised and approved by voters in 2016, the cost to build two deferred light rail stations in Seattle and Tukwila has jumped by more than two-thirds in just a few short years. The two projects are likely to be put under a microscope along with the big-ticket ST3 rail extensions.
As the Sound Transit board approaches the point of grappling with how to rebalance the entire Sound Transit 3 package, transit advocates are urging them to look for new solutions outside of project delays or cancellations.
Leaders from across the Pacific Northwest recently gathered at the Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference in Seattle and reaffirmed their commitment to building high-speed rail linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C. But Trump has created headwinds for the project by slashing transit funds.
Chicago has gotten a lot of national attention this year, but not for the reason we’d usually hope. Ray Delahanty of CityNerd, however, made a recent visit to check out what’s happening in the city and found that it was well and vibrant. Delahanty ticks through the L
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.
The Saturday and Sunday closures through Downtown Seattle come ahead of additional maintenance work planned later this fall and winter.
Focused on transit and street upgrades, budget amendments this week will be the subject of behind-the-scenes wrangling as Budget Committee Chair Dan Strauss assembles an initial balancing package for the council to debate next week.
Before moving ahead with building a second Downtown Seattle light rail tunnel as planned, Sound Transit is taking a second look at putting a third line in the existing tunnel instead. Doing so would entail some major tradeoffs, which the agency intends to fully lay out in its study.
The new transit pathway along Harrison and Mercer Streets is intended to provide another option for buses to serve South Lake Union, in line with plans for a Ballard Link light rail station in the neighborhood. But with transit advocates and officials focused on Denny Way, it’s not clear when the up
Seoul consists of a very densely populated region in South Korea with more than 26 million people — about half the country’s total population. Consequently, public transportation is critically important in moving people within and beyond the metropolitan area. The Seoul Metro alone has well over 600 stations crisscrossing the
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 la
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.
The idea of a fare-free pilot on several Metro routes, to be implemented in 2027, came about as fares have shrunk as a percentage of Metro’s overall sources of revenue. But the data suggests that dropping fares wouldn’t be as big of a boon as continuing to focus on expanding transit service.
After pivoting away from an aggressive schedule for battery-bus adoption, King County Metro plans to focus attention on the tried-and-true trolley network. But limited staff, delays obtaining materials and permit timelines mean that trolley expansions will be some time coming.
Since voters approved West Seattle and Ballard Link in 2016, the two projects have been caught in a perfect storm of factors that led to the eye-popping cost estimates that we have today. While the path forward looks bleak, there are signs that Sound Transit is learning from its mistakes.
The changes will impact riders throughout King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties as Sound Transit eliminates routes where travel times are competitive with new light rail options. The agency is also planning to launch a new overnight bus network to improve regional access.
Work will continue on upgrades to E Union Street that will allow Route 2 buses to return to the corridor, but the idea of reopening the street to all westbound traffic has been taken off the table — at least for now.
Some Sound Transit boardmembers have questioned the necessity of building a second light rail tunnel in downtown Seattle, arguing that routing Ballard Link through the existing tunnel could save billions. However, that arrangement introduces huge challenges of its own. Here’s why a second tunnel is
Mayor Mary Lou Pauly’s recommendation would halt on-demand transit service throughout most of the city, including in neighborhoods with very few other transit options. Issaquah Councilmembers are pushing to continue the program until it can be more robustly evaluated.
The City of Seattle will be removing an East Union Street bus only lane set aside for the Route 2 this weekend, ceding to requests from nearby property owners who have complained about traffic changes in the area. Bus riders are chagrined.
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.
A thriving Mount Baker Transit Center requires pedestrian upgrades, a revitalized commercial district, and plenty of housing nearby. Unfortunately, the City of Seattle is investing elsewhere, with North Rainier an afterthought.
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.
Costs are going up on all Sound Transit 3 projects, with West Seattle Link now expected to cost up to $7.9 billion, Everett Link $7.7 billion, and Ballard Link more than $20 billion. Sound Transit has been able to identify cost-saving opportunities in Everett, but Seattle is in a tough position.
Eyeing upgrades happening at other transit systems around the country, Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine is set to propose further analysis of implementing fare gates at stations. The agency hopes to increase fare compliance on Link light rail, shoring up a revenue source.
With the long-awaited inaugural “live wire” test successful, Sound Transit will continue tests on the Lake Washington bridge for another 10 to 12 weeks, followed by several months of running empty trains. Monday’s test was a crucial milestone to stay on track for a full 2 Line grand opening next spr
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.
Seattle’s human population is growing fast, but its car population has stalled out. Between 2017 and 2023, Seattle added 35,000 households and about 80,000 residents, but just 3,300 cars, new Census data has revealed — in news that is music to urbanist ears.