Open Thread 13: Hope
Hope for American transit: things are getting better. (RMTransit video) Top 10 US metros with the highest bus ridership per capita. Seattle is #4. (CityNerd video) Washington congressional delegation...
View ArticleOpen Thread 14: Rural Transit
Thoughts on car dependency from rural America. (InDefenseOfToucans) Link remains at 15-minute service with single-tracking at Othello and Rainier Beach stations through September 17. Phase 2 of the T...
View ArticleOpen Thread 15: Steps to Transit
A step-by-step guide to incrementally improving your city’s transit. (RMTransit) This was in the last open thread but deserves a feature position. Glimpses of Link in a few places. This is an open...
View ArticleSeptember Service Cuts
Metro’s service cuts announced in May go into effect tomorrow, September 2nd. These are due to the driver shortage, mechanic shortage, and supply-chain bottlenecks for bus parts. Metro is shrinking...
View ArticleOpen Thread 16: Normal Transit
Warsaw shows what should be “normal” transit in cities. (RMTransit) There is a new grass roots movement to fix the often delayed Metro 8. Jarrett Walker shares his thoughts on an automated bus pilot...
View ArticleOpen Thread 17: T Line MLK Opens
The T line phase 2 in Tacoma opened today, with tour guides and festivities until 5pm. The original T line runs north from Tacoma Dome station on Pacific Avenue and through downtown Tacoma on Commerce...
View ArticleOpen Thread 18: Rethink the Link
“Rethink the Link“: A West Seattle movement advocates the “No Build” EIS alternative for West Seattle Link. This one seems to be not just nimbys but people concerned about effective transit. As this...
View ArticleOpen Thread 20
West Seattle Link (WSLE) has an online open house now, and an in-person one October 25th. Sounder South (S Line) has a survey on potentially shifting its focus to more off-peak service. This would...
View ArticleCityNerd on Link
What Makes Seattle’s Transit Amazing (and Frustrating) and What We Can Learn From It CityNerd visits Seattle and discusses Link’s Northgate station area. Bonus: He grew up in the Maple Leaf...
View ArticleMetro Ridership Recovery
The Seattle Times has an analysis of ridership recovery ($) high and low areas since the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. A stop on the 7 now has higher ridership than in 2019, and the Aurora Village transit...
View ArticleOpen Thread 21
Sound Transit has a passenger experience survey open until November 22. I’m sure readers will have plenty to say, and all of it will be positive. Respondents can participate in a raffle for a gift...
View ArticleSeattle Transportation Priorities
The Seattle Transportation Plan has added new project proposals to the draft and extended the comment period to October 31. This is a 20-year plan. There are 42 new proposals related to transit,...
View ArticleOpen Thread 22
Hopeful news to counteract your transit blues. RapidRide J has finished design and will now select a contractor to start construction in 2024. The email announcement didn’t have any specifics on the...
View ArticleOpen Thread 23
Link’s “N minutes to next train” displays are off again. An ST email announcement says: “The most recent update to the Passenger Information Management System (PIMS) increased uncertainty for train...
View ArticleOpen Thread 24: November 2023 Election
The initial election results are out for King County, Pierce County, and Snohomish County. What trends do you see? And … RMTransit loves buses. A vote for buses! Hooray! This is an open thread.
View ArticleOpen Thread 25: Vancouver Upzones
British Columbia has adopted robust zoning minimums around transit stations, as presented by Reece Martin of RMTransit. Currently Skytrain stations have a few highrises surrounded immediately by...
View ArticleOpen Thread 26: Longfellow Creek
Last week Martin Pagel and I walked the Longfellow Creek Trail. We took RapidRide H to 26th & Roxbury and walked to the Roxhill Park entrance at 28th. Then we went north through the park and...
View ArticleOpen Thread 27: Metro, Cascades, and Sesame Street
This article is brought to you by the letters A and E, and the number 36. Specifically, Metro is planning improvements to these routes as noted by commentator WL. Metro’s RapidRide status mentions the...
View ArticleOpen Thread 28
Flat-fare Link at $3 is almost a done deal. ($) Coincidentally, RMTransit has a new video on flat fares, zones, and distance-based fares. An in-depth look at Bogotá’s TransMilenio BRT, which was a...
View ArticleOpen Thread 29
It’s a Link kind of week. ST has new West Seattle Link station area concepts, reviewed by The Urbanist and the West Seattle Blog. The Link reduction January 12-February 4 is still on. Othello Station...
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