Seven Link disruptions in four days ($) last weekend. Five were from external causes (collision, blockage, shooting, two power outages), two from unknown causes. Five people were stabbed or struck by objects in 2023 on ST or Metro, while there have been seven unsolved shootings on King County freeways n the first seven weeks of 2024. (And more solved shootings?)
Somebody on Reddit posted that STB is anti-transit because we don’t unanimously support everything in ST3 without reservations, so we’re like the Koch brothers. The original message is deleted but the replies remain.
Federal Way Link will not only connect Federal Way with other Link destinations but it will make it much easier to provide regional transit. Unlike other stations south of downtown, Federal Way Link has an excellent interface to the I-5 HOV lanes. Buses will be able to easily serve it from both directions. The following is a proposal for a new network once that happens.
Current Regional Transit
Sound Transit provides most of the regional service for the South Sound, shown on their map. Sounder provides mostly peak service (i. e. to Seattle during morning rush hour, away from Seattle during evening rush hour). The buses are a mix of peak-only and all-day half-hour service. Sound Transit was planning on running the 594 and 577/578 every 15 minutes, but this fell victim to the driver shortage.
Federal Way Link
Federal Way Link will offer another way for riders to get to Downtown Seattle. Those who live south of Federal Way will be able to transfer to Link instead of taking a direct express bus (like the 594). Unfortunately, this would be slower than Sounder and considerably slower than a bus in the middle of the day (when Sounder is not running). By my calculations (shown below) it would be more than fifteen minutes slower to transfer to Link, not counting the wait time. I am proposing instead a combination of Sounder and express buses:
Sounder
Sounder provides a comfortable and consistent trip that is often faster than an express bus. It is also faster than taking a bus and transferring to Link. It only runs during peak, but for Tacoma (and places south) that is the only time it is faster than a bus. Sounder is also expensive to operate and unlike most transit, becomes increasingly expensive (per trip) the more it operates. BNSF owns the tracks and the more trips the train makes, the larger the burden on them (and the more they will charge us). Ridership during peak is down from before the pandemic, but remains reasonably good. In contrast, midday ridership and reverse peak ridership is low and has always been low. Improving frequency during peak (e. g. running trains every 15 minutes instead of 20) might very well be worth it. Outside of that period though, buses are a better option.
Proposed Bus Network
With that in mind, I propose something a bit unusual. During peak, the buses from Tacoma (and places to the south) would only go to Federal Way. Outside of peak the buses would stop at Federal Way but then continue to Seattle. Thus riders would take Sounder during peak and a direct express bus outside of peak (as they do today). They would have the opportunity to transfer in Federal Way if they are headed to the airport, Rainier Valley or some other Link destination. This is what I propose for the existing routes serving Federal Way, Tacoma, Lakewood and Dupont:
Peak only service now truncated in Federal Way: 590, 592, 595
The 594 (which does not run during peak) would stop at Federal Way but keep going. Frequency would increase to every 15 minutes all-day and evening.
For other South Sound destinations, it is a little trickier. While I’m sure several riders would love to see the 578 continue to run to Seattle, it is harder to justify given the relatively low ridership outside Federal Way. It is also worth noting that many of the Sounder Stations have little in the way of fast, direct connections to Downtown Seattle outside of peak. I propose a combination of service to Link and all-day service along part of the the Sounder corridor:
588 — New express bus connecting Auburn, Kent, Tukwila and Downtown Seattle. Runs when Sounder doesn’t.
This means riders from Puyallup and Sumner would have to transfer to get to Seattle, either via Link or the 588 express bus. The 578 and 588 could be timed to work together. Riders from Auburn would could get to Link via the 578, whereas riders from Kent and Tukwila would use Metro service to get to Link. I think fifteen minutes service on the 578 and half hour service on the 588 seems possible, and a big improvement over what they have now.
* Update: I forgot to mention that early morning trips to the airport would still be necessary. This is when the 574 gets the bulk of its riders and transferring to Link would not be an option at that hour (since it doesn’t operate that early).
Yesterday, I decided to pick up the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM) for some light bedtime reading. Okay fine, it wasn’t bedtime reading, but I did read it! At least portions of it. For those who are uninitiated, the TCQSM is the authority on standards, metrics, and methods used for the evaluation of public transit service. It is published by the Transportation Research Board’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) and a common reference for anyone who works in transit in a technical capacity.
I have been thinking a lot about transit recovery in the post-pandemic world. To sum up my previous thoughts:
The old peak-centric model of relying on the 9-5 five-day workweek is gone
Transit agencies can’t rely on employer return-to-office mandates and park-and-rides to save them
The new transit normal will focus more on decentralization but that doesn’t mean less density: stronger commercial and residential neighborhood centers with more corridor growth is warranted
Service reliability is key and requires reliable operator staffing and fleet availability
Metro’s final proposal on the East Link restructure is out. Only it’s not really final.
“Final Network review (January – March 2024): Due to delays with the opening of the East Link Extension, Metro is meeting with project partners to ensure the proposed East Link Connections network that it continues to meet community needs. Metro will engage its Mobility Board and Partner Review Board to address any changes in mobility needs that may have occurred since finalizing the network in 2022.”
So it’s asking the review boards and cities for any updates now. It doesn’t say it’s asking the public, but you can send feedback to Metro about anything anytime. The restructure will go into effect when the full 2 Line opens in 2025. A starter line will open in two months between South Bellevue and Redmond Tech, but Metro hasn’t announced any changes for that yet.
Metro’s page has four network maps, and links to the original route PDFs. Revisions since the phase 2 proposal are listed at the bottom of the network maps:
Proposed routing on All Day RTS [routes]: 111, 203, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 240, 245, 249, 251, 269 and Peak-Only RT 630 has changed between Phases 2 and 3. RT 111 is revised in Renton, RT 203 is revised in Issaquah and RT 630 is revised in Downtown Seattle. Rt 220 is new in Phase 3.
So let’s take a look at the routes. Link stations the routes serve are in bold. Frequencies are in this format: “peak, weekday, evening / weekend, weekend evening”. So “15, 15, 30 / 15, 30 / ends 9pm” is frequent daytime, infrequent evenings, and the last weekday run is at 9pm. (Weekend last runs maybe different.) Two numbers like “30-60” means a range within the time period.
On Saturday I went to see what the Redmond Link station areas and bus transfers are like. The 2 Line starter line will open in two months (April 28) as we reported, running from South Bellevue to Redmond Technology stations. The last two stations, Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond, will open in a second phase. The full Line 2 to Seattle and Lynnwood is expected in 2025. So let’s take a look. You can follow along on Metro’s current Northeast area map.
Overlake Village
Bus transfer walks: B 1 minute, 221 14 minutes, 226 21 minutes, 245 14 minutes. Destinations: Safeway 10 minutes, ex-Sears (currently vacant lot) 15 minutes, Goodwill 15 minutes, Trader Joe’s 20 minutes. Fred Meyer and Crossroads are further.
Presidents’ Day transit February 19: Metro buses, Metro Flex taxis, ST Express, and Sounder are on Weekday schedules. Link is on Saturday schedule. The First Hill and SLU Streetcars are on Sunday schedule. The West Seattle and Vashon water taxis and shuttles have no service. The Monorail is open 8:30am to 9pm. Everett Transit is on weekday. Community Transit and Pierce Transit don’t say, so they’re probably weekday.
Metro has released their final plans for the bus restructure following the implementation of Lynnwood Link. Unlike the other phases, this time it is very similar to the previous proposal that we wrote about.
New or Modified Routes
There are only a couple changes in routing, both of them minor:
303, 322 — Now serve South Lake Union on the way to First Hill.
Modified Headways
This is the biggest change between now and the previous proposal. Several routes improved, with only the 28 getting worse. Here are the differences between Phase 3 (P3) and the current proposal (changes are in bold):
Numbers in commas are Peak, Midday, Evening, Night
All other routes remain the same as in P3.
Phases
As before, this will be implemented in phases, as described at the bottom of this letter from the county. Here is a summary:
Phase 1 — Link gets to Lynnwood. Most routes change.
Phase 2 — East Link goes over the lake and the 522 is sent to 148th Station*. This will result in a cascade of changes. Buses 45, 65, 75 and 331 will be altered. The 72 replaces the 372, while the new 77 will serve Lake City Way.
Phase 3 — 130th Station is complete, and the 77 is extended to serve it.
* The wording is actually vague, implying that Sound Transit might send the buses to Shoreline at this point. To quote the plans for the 522:
When ST Link 1 and 2 Lines are both in fully scheduled operation and trains can operate across Lake Washington , Sound Transit may also consider changes to ST Express service in the SR 522 corridor at that time.
The key word here being “may”. It is possible that Sound Transit may wait until the Stride 3 project is ready before removing service on Lake City Way.
East Link testing in Bellevue, photo via City of Bellevue
Earlier today, Sound Transit announced that Saturday, April 27th will be the official start date of the 2 Line, which will preliminarily run between South Bellevue Station and Redmond Technology Station. The opening of the shortened segment, also known as the East Link Starter Line (ELSL), is the result of a push by councilmember Claudia Balducci to get some portion of East Link operational after construction mishaps delayed the opening of the full line by two years.
The ELSL will run two-car trains at 10 minute headways from 5:30am to 9:30pm every day of the week. Although there’s not much to suggest there will be blockbuster ridership until the 2 Line is connected to the main spine in 2025, this presents an opportunity to build up an Eastside Link ridership market in the interim.
We’ll be there to cover the festivities on opening day, which will commence with a ribbon cutting:
Everyone is invited to celebrate opening day with Sound Transit and its partners on Saturday, April 27. The festivities will start with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Bellevue Downtown Station at 10 a.m. Link service will begin operating after the ribbon cutting at approximately 11 a.m.
Following the ribbon cutting and throughout the day, all eight of the new stations will feature different activities, exhibits and entertainment. Anyone who participates in a Discover.Stamp.Win activity and visits all eight stations will be eligible to enter a prize drawing.
Last week German local public transit came to a stop while the union demanded better working conditions for transit operators. They asked for fewer working days and hours, to mitigate increased traffic stress and increase the attractiveness of transit jobs again. Operator availability and pay has put a limit on service recovery and expansion since the pandemic. I have written about automated metro trains and gondola lifts before, to reduce this dependency and offer higher frequency and longer operating hours. In this article I want to focus on automated shuttles and buses and how it may affect Metro’s plans for the next few decades as recently discussed.
The south portal at Westlake Station, photo by Oran
One of the major features of the recent 1-Line maintenance was the replacement of the northbound track between University Street and Westlake stations. This segment boasts the sharpest curve in the system, and as a result, the most worn down rails. The resulting wear-and-tear meant a fairly bumpy ride in that section, even at slow speeds.
Long-time transit enthusiasts will remember that the rails in the tunnel are not that old. The original track from when the tunnel first opened was not compatible with Link’s modern specs and was stripped out during the 2005-2007 tunnel closure. Although it’s generally recognized that rails in segments with lower-radii curves have reduced lifespans, the northbound University Street-Westlake curve did not even make it to twenty years.
A month-long reduced service period every 15-20 years is not the worst disruption a system can face, but according to Sound Transit spokesperson John Gallagher, this came earlier than anticipated and should not be an example for the future:
The original rail was installed in 2005/2007 as part of the tunnel retrofit for light rail. While the tracks met specs, there were some issues at the time of the installation. For example, during pre-revenue grinding, the rail grinder derailed and gouged the rail. We welded it to repair it, but this was a problem section of track for a long time. The new section was installed without any problems, so we anticipate that it will have a normal life span of about 25 years.
For now, no other extended Link closures or disruptions are expected in the near-term. With any luck, the new tracks will make it to a quarter-century before the next major maintenance disruption.
A little open thread while the editors are working on six pending articles.
International District/Chinatown Station has spiffy new next-arrival displays. They only have room for two short rows like “Angle Lake 10; Angle Lake 20”, but the text is large, the font and icons are contemporary but elegant, and the whole thing looks like a real subway display.
Also, at the exit there’s an overhead yellow stripe saying to tap out and that your fare depends on the distance you traveled. This complements the other things ST has been doing since 2023 to make the fare-paid areas more visible, like moving the Westlake TVMs on the north side in front of the escalators, and putting yellow stripes on the floor leading to the ORCA readers.
A call for statewide rent stabilization. ($) House Bill 2114 would limit rent increases to 7% for renewals (not new leases). It would exempt new buildings for the first ten years, and has other exceptions and tax breaks for maintenance and rising property taxes. The article says that similar measures have not led to mom-n-pop landlords exiting the market en masse as some have claimed.
The movement to replace water-starved lawns ($) with the native plants most missing in the local ecosystem. I was impressed by the range of suggestions on how front and back yards can help partially restore the ecosystem that was lost when residential neighborhoods were built.
Link is back to normal. ($) Is it, Comment Section? Mike Lindblom says the next planned closure will be June 1-2, for electrical/signal work at CID station. New escalators for CID station should arrive in late 2024, followed by other stations over this decade. There will doubtless be other disruptions to renovate 34-year-old aging tunnel.
Ballard Link will have a South Downtown Hub workshop February 28, 4-7pm, at Union Station. It looks like a joint effort by ST, Seattle, and King County to refine the CID/N and CID/S station areas.
The second edition of Human Transit goes on sale today. It’s an introduction to transit-network planning by Jarrett Walker. STB editors will be rushing to buy copies. The second edition has three new chapters, and new sections and edits in almost every other chapter. Jarrett grew up in Portland, and now helps transit agencies in several countries restructure their route networks.
We found Metro’s long-term Interim and 2050 network maps that were published in 2016 but taken offline in 2020. These are part of Metro Connects, a long-term vision last revised November 2021. The Interim network is what Metro planners think would be best in the ST2 era (to complement Lynnwood, Redmond, and Federal Way Link). The 2050 network is for the ST3 era (to complement Ballard, West Seattle, and Issaquah Link, and Stride 1, 2, and 3). Since Metro is King County, its scope is between Shoreline and Federal Way. Community Transit and Pierce Transit have their own long-range plans for Snohomish and Pierce Counties.
A full buildout of the two phases would require additional funding that hasn’t been identified yet. King County has talked about a Metro Connects levy but hasn’t put it on the ballot yet. In the meantime all restructures are revenue-neutral — like the upcoming Lynnwood Link, East Link, and RapidRide G restructures — so they borrow some features from the Interim network but can’t implement all the new routes or frequency. All restructures go through a subarea-specific reevaluation and public input, so the route concepts here are preliminary. Some routes have been superceded by subsequent events, but the network as a whole is the closest we have to knowing Metro’s planners’ ideals and recommendations, so it’s a useful starting point for whatever network we might want to make.
The Link 1 Line reduction continues through February 4th. Sound Transit has a progress report with photos of the maintenance work. There’s a list of bus alternatives. Metro routes 49 and 70 have extra service Four more days to go.
The Swift Orange Line starts in March connecting Lynnwood Station to Edmonds College, Alderwood Mall, Ash Way P&R, Mill Creek, and McCollum P&R. Scroll down to the “March 2024” section for cascading changes to other Community Transit routes, and further changes in August and in 2025/2026. The 202 will also be rerouted in March to serve an Amazon fulfillment center in the Marysville-Arlington industrial center. Thanks to commentator Jordan for this.
A Kenmore affordable-housing project was canceled ($) due to opposition from residents that it would serve homeless people. It would have contained 100 units. “Based on state projections, Kenmore needs to build 559 units of permanent supportive housing and 1,063 housing units for people earning between zero percent to 30% of the area median income in the next 20 years to meet the region’s rate of growth and fill its housing gaps.”
How many city departments does it take to install a public toilet ($) in San Francisco? Eight. One to install the toilet, and seven to approve it and be coordinated with. The toilet in Noe Valley is expected to open in April.
The Link 1 Line reduction continues through February 4th. The 13-to-26 minute headways continue to stretch to 30 or 45 minutes at times, and platforms and trains continue to be crowded. Sound Transit has a list of bus alternatives. Metro routes 49 and 70 have extra service during the reduction. Nine more days to go.
Adjacent homeowners won a court case over the ownership of shoreline land along the East Sammamish Lake Trail ($) in Sammamish. There’s now a continuous series of trails from Golden Gardens in Seattle to the Issquah-Preston Trail. Although what’s that gap in Woodinville where it goes to a residential street for a few blocks?
A ride on the Empire Builder train between Spokane and Chicago. (Noel Philips video)
If the Link reduction has gotten you down, never fear, there’s still time to stop a douchebag. Protecting Moscow sidewalks from car intrusions. It’s unbelievable how many cars drive on the sidewalk there. When I was there in the 90s that wasn’t an issue because few people had cars. (StopXam video, “Twice is a Coincidence”)
The Link 1 Line reduction continues through February 4th. At times the 13-to-26 minute headways continue to stretch 10 minutes longer, with crowded platforms and trains. There have been additional outages and single-tracking in Rainier Valley every couple days, sometimes making the 13-minute segments run at 30 minutes. Click the link for the weekday and weekend operational plan. There’s also a list of bus alternatives. Sound Transit suggests traveling off-peak or taking an alternative if you can. We suggest taking an alternative. If your trip is long like to Snohomish County or the airport and the alternatives are too time-consuming, good luck with Link. The busiest times are 4-6 pm. Metro bus 70 has extra service between downtown and the U-District. Bus 49 has extra service and serves both those places and Capitol Hill.
The East Link Starter Line began operational testing on the 22nd. Expect trains every 10-15 minutes, including at level crossings in Bel-Red and south Redmond. Passenger service is expected to start in March.
Upcoming Link opening dates 2024-2026, as compiled by Al S from a capital progress report. These haven’t been announced, so I’d view them as goals rather than certainties.
This article is brought you by the 1 Line, ST Express, Sounder, and the SLU streetcar.
The Link 1 Line reduction is ongoing through February 4th. Weekdays downtown service is 26 minutes; north of UW and south of SODO is 13-minutes. However, actual service has had some gaps that are 10 minutes longer than that, and have lead to crowded platforms. ST suggests traveling outside peak hours if you can; the busiest times are between 4 and 6pm. Weekends the downtown tunnel is closed, and a shuttle bus runs between Capitol Hill and SODO. See the link for the full (nominal) schedule and bus alternatives. STB commentators have seen workers replacing the next-arrival displays downtown, and single-tracking, while ST does track refurbishment and other maintenance in preparation for Lynnwood Link and Line 2.
The SLU Streetcar will be closed this weekend. Use buses C, 40, or 70 instead.
Sound Transit is proposing an interim ST Express restructure for Lynnwood Link this fall. It wants to continue route 510 between Everett and downtown Seattle peak hours, and add a new route 515 between Lynnwood and downtown Seattle every 10 minutes peak hours. This is to alleviate potential overcrowding on Link until Line 2 opens in 2025. Link will be “8-10 minutes”. It’s unclear whether that’s still less than current service (8 minutes peak, 10 minutes off-peak, not counting the reduction above), or if they’ve solved the train-storage issue. The 512 and 513 may be truncated at Lynnwood, and the 511 deleted, but that’s not certain yet. ST is taking email comments about this proposal until January 30th at servicechanges@soundtransit.org.
The results of the Sounder South expansion survey are out. It currently runs between Tacoma and Seattle peak hours, every 20 minutes in the peak direction, and 3-4 runs reverse-peak. In the survey, 90% of respondents prefer additional trips over longer trains. 81.6% want weekend service; 57% want more weekday service. 75.3% support reducing peak-hour service to shift runs to other times (“contingent on BNSF approval”). That’s a strong majority for the changes STB authors want to see.
Tokyo’s urban-renewal mistake was a 1972 tower of detachable capsule apartments ($). It looks like a beehive of front-loading washing machines. “Erected on the edge of the upscale Ginza district, Kurokawa’s capsule tower reimagined minimal modern living. Each capsule was just large enough for a bed, closet, workstation, bathroom and a porthole window. Deluxe versions came with a built-in Sony stereo, [reel-to-reel] tape deck, color TV and digital clock.” It was intended that each capsule could move with its owner to another location as needed, and capsules could be replaced every 25 without modifying the tower. Now the tower is demolished, and 23 of the tiny apartments have been refurbished and distributed as museum exhibits, airBnB’s, or work/art spaces. The airBnBs are $1,400 a night, so start saving for the 4-capsule cluster or the future 5-capsule village, both outside Tokyo.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) deserves a lot of credit for adding bike lanes and various bus improvements throughout the city. They may not be building them fast enough, but they are building them.
Unfortunately, far too often, the bike lanes are built right where the buses run. Quite often this limits the ability of SDOT to then add bus improvements (like bus or BAT lanes). The street just isn’t wide enough. While this is inevitable in some cases, whenever possible bike lanes should be added where they won’t conflict with buses.
For example, consider Fremont Avenue in the north end of Seattle. At North 110th Street it connects to the Interurban Trail — a major bike route that extends all the way to Everett. From 110th to 77th, Fremont Avenue is a Greenway. Work has been done to make the route more pleasant and safer for riders. Much of the work is quite extensive. At majorintersections bicycles are allowed to go straight, but cars are not. It has practically everything you want in a bike route — except bike lanes. To the west there is a similar street: 1st Avenue NW. It isn’t quite as good (cars are allowed to follow 1st on major intersections) but it is close. It wouldn’t take that much effort to reach the same quality as Fremont Avenue. In both cases it needs bike lanes. Instead, the bike lanes come and go on Greenwood Avenue, a street with a major bus route (the Metro 5). There are additions to the bike lanes being considered as part of improvements to the 5. These are all well and good, but they create a needless conflict with buses and bus infrastructure. In most cases, there is a limited amount of street width. You can’t add bike lanes and bus lanes (or BAT lanes) in the same place. Quite often we are simply putting the bike lanes in the wrong place.
In some cases these conflicts are inevitable. Eastlake is a great example of this. It is a critical bike path. It is a very important transit corridor. There is only so much room. The end result is a plan that largely favors bikes, which I believe was the right call. It is too important a bike corridor, and there is no good alternative. While it took a while, SDOT has managed to come up with a plan that should allow the buses to avoid the worst congestion, while maintaining good speed and safety for bicyclists.
But quite often, we don’t have to make that choice. More recently, SDOT started planning around the NE 130th Station. Most of the riders will come from buses to the east and west via the 130th/Roosevelt/125 corridor. It is essential that the buses avoid congestion, and offer riders a fast connection to Link. But it is also a significant bike corridor. There are only a handful of crossings of I-5, and 130th is one of them. Between the station and 1st Avenue NE, there is no alternative but to travel along (or right next to) 130th. But west of 1st NE, there are two very good alternatives for bicyclists. North of 130th, riders could take Roosevelt to Meridian and then either stay on Roosevelt (to Aurora & 145th) or go west on 137th. South of 130th, there is 128th. This would require a new traffic light at 128th & Aurora, but it would completely replace the dreaded crossing of Aurora at 130th. It will prove very difficult to make 130th & Aurora safe, let alone pleasant for riders. There is a pedestrian overpass, but it doesn’t work for bikes. Everyone else has to deal with cars and trucks making turns from one major street to another. In contrast, while it would require some money to add a traffic light (and beg buttons) at 128th, it would be remarkably safe, similar to the excellent crossing at 92nd. Once riders crossed Aurora at 128th, they could easily connect to the aforementioned Interurban trail, or continue west toward Broadview. The result would be an excellent set of bike paths that serve both sides of 130th. Riders looking for a bike lane would be able to avoid having to go all the way north or south to 130th, while also avoiding the nasty crossing of Aurora. This is a great opportunity to create a system that is ideal for bikes and buses.
These opportunities are not everywhere. In many cases we have to make tough decisions as to whether to prioritize bikes or buses on a corridor that is important for both. But whenever possible, we should move bike lanes onto streets that don’t conflict with buses.
The Link reduction starts Saturday and runs three weeks (January 13-February 4).
Weekdays end-to-end Northgate-Angle Lake trains will run every 26 minutes; this will be the only downtown service. Additional short runs will offer combined 13-minute service (instead of 8-10) Northgate-UW and SODO-Angle Lake.
Weekends the downtown tunnel will be closed. A bus shuttle will replace it every 10-15 minutes between Capitol Hill and SODO. North of Capitol Hill and south of SODO trains will run every 15 minutes (instead of 10).
A full Link reduction schedule is here. ST has a page of bus alternatives for various trip pairs, and tips for navigating the disruption. The reduction is for several maintenance projects, including track maintenance.
In our experience with past reductions, the frequency may change after the first couple days, and it may return to normal a few days or a week early.
Other transit news and open thread below the fold.
Goran Sparrman has been named interim CEO of Sound Transit. ($) We covered his candidacy a few days ago. It looks like his first job will be managing the reduction. Here’s a suggestion: in the last reduction in August, Julie Timm went personally to Pioneer Square Station to observe how well the transfer was working and to talk with passengers. Sparrman should do the equivalent.
Monday is the Martin Luther King holiday. Metro, ST Express, Sounder, Pierce Transit will run as normal (Weekday). Link will be on the Weekend Reduction schedule. The T Line will be on Saturday schedule. Community Transit and Everett Transit don’t say on their website so they’re probably Weekday (?). Everett Transit has a reroute on routes 3 North, 6, and 29 due to an MLK parade, and warns that real-time arrival information may be inaccurate then.
In case of snow, Metro has a Winter Guide. In the past it had a map with colors showing each subarea’s status: all routes normal (green), some snow routes (yellow), all snow routes (red), or the Emergency Snow Network (blue). Hopefully it will bring that back if needed. If snow is predicted, check your agency’s home page or sign up for alerts. Sound Transit says this about snow.
This article is brought to you by Erich Kästner. Chapter 3 of Emil and the Detectives is titled “Die Reise nach Berlin kann losgehen”. The translation is “The Trip to Berlin Can Start” (May Massee, 1929). The German wording is normal; the English wording is not. The novel has a train trip from a provincial town, a streetcar, a horsecar (horse-powered streetcar = Pferdebahn), a boy who’s fascinated by automobiles but rides transit, and a girl who’s proud of her bicycle.
The Ballard and SLU light rail segment is expected to get up to 57,000 riders. That’s higher than any of the other Link projects planned for ST3 (Everett, Tacoma Dome, West Seattle, or Issaquah). Construction cost rise faster than Sound Transit’s income, transit ridership has dipped, and rush-hour peaks have flattened. In this environment Sound Transit should focus on the Ballard line, and postpone the others until demand justifies the construction and operation.
With the departure of Sound Transit’s CEO, the beginning of the year would be a good opportunity for the Board or an interim CEO to reassess their construction priorities. When ST3 was envisioned a decade ago, the largest job center was in downtown Seattle. Now growth has spread out to other parts of the city and the Eastside. Amazon, Google, and Facebook have offices in both downtown and the Eastside. Since the pandemic many of those offices are often empty. Work schedules are not as rigid anymore, reducing the demand during the morning and afternoon peaks. While midweek demand in general has dropped, demand on the weekend has increased, some Saturdays have seen higher ridership than on a weekday. Some people have switched from transit to e-bikes or back to their car as bus services had become less reliable due to staff and maintenance parts shortages. It seems the shortages are now getting addressed. If we are not careful and ignore all these changes, we may end up with light rail lines with low ridership and less frequent service which would make transit even less appealing. We may be better off with high frequency bus lines until the ridership supports construction of high frequency rail. The demand along the Ballard line corridor seems to be the only line which meets these criteria besides some of the lines already under construction.
