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.
And other misadventures in trying to divest myself from US-based tech.
New York officials on Monday broke ground on phase two of the Second Avenue Subway, which will bring the Q train to 125th Street. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that excavation has begun at East 119th Street and Second Avenue, where next year a tunnel-boring machine will begin mining the new subway tunnels from 120th Street [...]
The post Work to bring Second Avenue Subway to East Harlem begins…
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.
By Erica C. Barnett On this week’s third (!) edition of Seattle Nice, we have a short but (I think)…
The post Seattle Nice: Mayor Wilson Doubles Down on Transit Sales Tax appeared first on PubliCola.
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.
It’s time for FIFA to hit the field in Seattle, but first WSDOT’s closing part of Interstate 5 to remove their Revive I-5 work zone. Not to mention Sip and Savor launches at Pike Place Market, Chinatown-International District has new pedestrian lighting, and yet another bike path just opened up near Seattle Center. All of […]
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.
New York City will expand its use of cutting-edge sensor technology to track road usage and inform safer, more data-driven street design. Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Tuesday announced that the agency will install privacy-protected sensors, first piloted in 2023, at about 80 additional locations across the five boroughs, bringing the total to [...]
The post NYC to…
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.
New proposal will boost transit service with 100,000 more trips a year and double the number of free ORCA passes. Mayor Katie B. Wilson unveiled her latest effort today to increase transit service for Seattleites with a renewal of the Seattle Transit Measure. If approved by the City Council and voters, the measure would fund […]
By Erica C. Barnett Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has proposed doubling a sales tax that funds transit service in Seattle,…
The post Wilson Proposes Doubling Transit Sales Tax to Fund Local Bus Service Expansion appeared first on PubliCola.
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.
Plans to turn Manhattan’s 34th Street into a dedicated busway are back on. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) on Tuesday announced that work will restart on the busway, which will cover just over a mile of the corridor from Third to Ninth Avenues. Plans for the busway, which aims to [...]
The post Mamdani restarts plan for 34th Street busway that Trump halted…
We want to know what you think about the temporary movable vehicle barriers at Pike Place Market. What’s working well? What could be improved? Let us know! Take our survey by June 30. Ours is a separate survey than the one you may have seen recently for Urban Freight Lab. The responses from our survey […]
By Erica C. Barnett On this week’s episode of the Seattle Nice podcast, we did a deep dive on the…
The post Seattle Nice: How Badly Did Sound Transit Screw Seattle Over? appeared first on PubliCola.
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.
A group representing Quebec municipalities is calling on the next provincial government to boost funding for public transit agencies.
By Erica C. Barnett The Sound Transit board voted to approve a new “affordable” light rail plan on Thursday afternoon…
The post Sound Transit Sacrifices Light Rail to Ballard, Moves Long-Deferred Graham Station Forward, in Latest “Realignment” Plan appeared first on PubliCola.
Manhattan’s 42nd Street and several other major thoroughfares will become temporary bus and shuttle corridors for use on World Cup match days this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced a Midtown transportation plan to ensure smooth travel to and from MetLife Stadium during the tournament, including converting 42nd Street, portions of Fifth and Sixth [...]
The post 42nd Street to…
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.
Seattle streetcar ridership is rising for the fifth year in a row. The First Hill Line saw 6% growth in 2025, and its annual ridership ranks within the top 25% of all King County Metro transit routes. King County Metro is the agency that operates many buses throughout the city, including RapidRide lines. The South […]
By Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss Ballard Light Rail is facing its biggest threat yet. Despite the fact the Ballard…
The post How We Can Save Ballard Light Rail appeared first on PubliCola.
Work on the redesign of Greenpoint’s notorious McGuinness Boulevard finally began this week after several years of delays and project changes. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Transportation on Wednesday broke ground on the street revamp, which includes installing parking-protected bike lanes along the corridor from Meeker Avenue to the Pulaski Bridge. The start [...]
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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.
A mother reflects on her BART trips to Oakland and San Francisco for her daughter’s specialized care — and how station closures could impact her family.