Light Rail
Federal budget deal secures funding for streetcar and light rail
Federal funding for some Seattle-area transit projects is safe at least through September thanks to a bipartisan deal that preserve money for local infrastructure programs.
Central Co-op pulls bid for a grocery store at Capitol Hill Link Station
Central Co-op has dropped their bid to become the anchor tenant for a development at the Capitol Hill Link Light Rail station.
More downtown commuters than ever ditch driving alone
Just 30% of daily commutes into downtown happen alone in a car, with 70% using other options.
Mercer Island will sue to protect I-90 access
The good news is that Light Rail is heading over I-90 to connect the two sides of Lake Washington. The bad news, according to the Mercer Island City Council, is that the construction will limit Mercer Island’s special access to the highway.
Regional transit projects for 2040 almost funded
“Almost enough” will be enough to kick off tons of projects
Light Rail defines Seattle density
Compare Seattle to Paris for some perspective
Seattle traffic hitting limits
Get ready to share the ride even more
Wired labels 520 bridge majestic
Congratulations to WS DOT for being Most Buoyant
Link light rail ridership up 78 percent in October
Link ridership increased by 803,000 from October 2015
Voters approve ST3 and 62 new miles of light rail
King County voters put the $54 billion proposal over the top
Sneak peek at Sound Transit’s new Link vehicles
In July, Sound Transit placed an order for 122 new Link vehicles. They won't be ready until 2019 when they'll begin final testing in Seattle but for now Sound Transit offered up a sneak peek at what they'll look like.
Judkins Park light rail station will honor Jimi Hendrix
The station features murals of Hendrix from various points in his life and career.
Cell phone service rolling out in Sound Transit tunnels
Good news for those who can’t live without Facebook on their commute
Light rail boardings up 77 percent in Q2 2016
The new UW & Capitol Hill stations account for 24 percent of light rail boardings, a large part of why ridership is booming across the entire system.
Sound Transit Link light rail boardings up 83 percent
Sound Transit set new records for system-wide monthly ridership and system-wide average daily boardings for the second-consecutive month.
Living close to light rail stations will cost you
ST3 is headed to the ballot this November and Estately wanted to see how home prices vary depending on which Link light rail stop a home is near. What they found is perhaps what you'd expect, that light rail stations raise the real estate around it.
$54B ST3 plan approved, heads to November ballot
Thursday afternoon, the Sound Transit board unanimously approved sending Sound Transit's $54 billion ST3 light rail package to the November ballot where voters will have the final say.
Seattle Times wants to ‘slow down’ on light rail
The Seattle Times published an editorial this weekend saying that the region needs to "slow down" in regards to expanding light rail, which irked quite a few folks who have been waiting a very long time for this.
Link Light Rail Boardings Up 79 Percent
In their April 2016 Service Performance Report, Sound Transit notes that total boardings on Link light rail have risen in the past year from 923,815 in April 2015 to 1,657,616 in April 2016.
How Prepared is Seattle For Self-Driving Cars?
Whether Seattle is the site for the prototype fleet or not, they've already been tested in Kirkland. Officials are talking about the possibility, but at least for now, the plan is to plan for the possibility of a plan.
Should ST3 Plans Include Ballard-Interbay Tunnel?
As of right now, the latest plans for ST3 light rail expansion call for a drawbridge that connects Ballard and Interbay. Some Ballard residents and politicians are wondering why a tunnel doesn't make more sense.
Light Rail Stations Coming Sooner Under New Plan
When ST3 was unveiled, timelines like 2033 for West Seattle and 2038 for Ballard might have been better than nothing but still felt eons away. Thanks to new "financial assumptions," Sound Transit has bumped up some of their long-range deadlines.
How to Commute During Seattle's Viaduct Closure
On Friday, April 29, the Alaskan Way Viaduct is closing for two weeks while Bertha digs her tunnel underneath it. That's going to displace roughly 90,000 vehicles/day that use the major Seattle artery. Do you know how you'll get around?
Everyone Wants to Change Seattle Light Rail Plans
When the plans for ST3 were unveiled, there were some very clear winners and losers in terms of who was getting service and by when. Some folks were unhappy with the lack of a dedicated line to their neighborhood and they've got ideas about it.
Apple Maps Adds Seattle Public Transit Directions
In a long overdue move, you can now use Apple Maps to get direction and schedule info for Seattle buses, light rail, and ferries. Users can also access direction via Siri, iOS’s built-in AI.
Light Rail Moves North to Lynnwood
It may take until 2023, but progress is being made on a $1.7B extension to Light Rail.
ST3 Plan Winners & Losers
Thursday we got a look at the fully-operational Sound Transit 3 (ST3) plan for Seattle and the surrounding region that would bring 108 miles of light rail track to 17 Puget Sound cities by 2041. What neighborhoods and cities will benefit most?
Sound Transit Adding Longer Light Rail Trains
As daily traffic numbers skyrocket, Sound Transit has to add a train car to some of the light rain trains in order to accomodate all of the new commuters between Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium.
See Sound Transit 3's Ambitious $50B Plan
Sound Transit unveiled their full ST3 plan before the transit board on Thursday. The $50 billion proposal would be 108 miles of track with 75 light rail stations across 17 cities aiming to serve roughly 500,000 passengers daily.
Pronto Moves Closer to Capitol Hill ULink Station
Capitol Hill commuters who want to hop off the light rail and hop on a bike can do it pretty easily now.
UW & Capitol Hill Light Rail Stations Are Ready
Rejoice! As of Saturday it will only take you four minutes to get from Capitol Hill to Husky Stadium.