Showing posts with label transit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transit. Show all posts

Untangling major bus route changes (with corrections)

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

An updated map from Metro shows bus routes starting September 14

By Oliver Moffat

Metro Transit, Community Transit and Sound Transit are making big changes to bus service in the Shoreline and North King County region starting September 14, 2024. County Councilmember Rod Dembowski sponsored the Metro changes.

A previous article reporting major bus changes coming September 14 missed details that transit riders should be aware of (the author regrets the errors but does not regret the time spent away from his computer).

Specifically, Metro won’t be deleting Route 372 and adding Route 72 until next year; not this week as implied in the previous article. Metro has also decided to not add Route 324

The previous article also incorrectly called Route 331 a “new” route when it is in fact an existing route that will get increased early morning and late night service.

Here are summaries of bus changes coming soon to the Shoreline and North King County region.

Starting Saturday, September 14, King County Metro says they will add 3,700 bus trips per week across its entire service area - increasing weekday bus trips by nearly 5% to 11,235 daily trips and increasing weekend trips by 8% to 8,241 on Saturdays and 7,649 on Sundays.

Metro is deleting Route 302 from Richmond Beach but Route 303 will now make a stop in South Lake Union and have one additional trip in the morning.

Metro will delete the 320 from Kenmore but Route 322 will now stop at Northgate and add stops in South Lake Union.

The new route 333 will (finally) provide east/west service along NE 175th St and connect Montlake Terrace station to Shoreline South station.

The new route 365 will run north/south along 5th Ave NE connecting the North City and Ridgecrest light rail stations.

Metro is expanding its Metro Flex on-demand service to parts of Brier, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline starting Monday, September 16.

Route 331 from Kenmore to Shoreline Community College will now turn north off of Ballinger Way to connect to the Montlake Terrace station - eliminating stops between 15th Ave NE and 19th Ave NE.

Route 345 will no longer connect to Shoreline Community College and will instead connect to the Shoreline South station.

East/west Route 330 will also be deleted, removing another connection to the campus. But new route 333 and existing Route 5 and Route 331 will continue to serve the college.

Route 346 won’t go south to Northgate and will instead run north/south along Meridian connecting the Aurora Village Transit Center with the Shoreline South station.
 
Route 348 will have increased frequency and will run along 180th instead of 175th in North City with a connection at the Shoreline North station.

Metro says the RapidRide E Line will have more trips, restoring service on Aurora to 2022 levels.

Routes 73, 301, 304, 330 and 347 will be deleted by Metro.

A map from Community Transit’s website shows the new express route 909 to Edmonds and the Blue Line extension to the Shoreline North station

Snohomish County’s Community Transit is also making big service changes on Monday, September 14.

The Swift Blue from Shoreline to Everett will add a stop at the Shoreline North station in addition to Aurora Village.

Route 130 will connect downtown Edmonds to Aurora Village and the Montlake Terrace and Lynnwood stations. The new Express Route 909 will connect Edmonds to the Mountlake Terrace Station - improving car-free access to the Edmonds waterfront, train station and Kingston Ferry.

Route 106 will run through downtown Bothell before stopping at UW Bothell/Cascadia College and Route 120 will extend south to serve the college campus after passing through downtown. New Route 121 will also connect to the campus.
 
New routes will connect riders to the Lynnwood station: Route 901 to Mill Creek, Route 903 to Lake Stevens, Route 904 to Marysville, Route 905 to Stanwood, Route 907 to Arlington and Route 103 will connect to Mukilteo and Everett.

New route 117 will connect the Mukilteo Ferry to the Lynnwood station, opening a car-free trip to Whidbey Island.

Community Transit will delete routes 105, 107, 113, 227, 247, 402, 405, 410, 412, 413, 415, 416, 417, 421, 422, 425, 435, 810, 821, 860, 871, 880.

A map from Sound Transit’s website shows bus routes that will change on September 14

Sound Transit is also making bus route changes.

To mitigate overcrowding on the 1 Line, Sound Transit is adding temporary Downtown Express 515 to give riders a train-free connection from Lynnwood and Seattle. And Route 512 and Route 513 to Everett will now connect to the Lynnwood station instead of Northgate.
 
Everett Transit made only minor service changes on Sunday, September 8.
 
Metro plans a later phase of changes once the East Link Extension tracks on the I-90 bridge are fixed and the 2 Line (hopefully) connects Redmond to Lynnwood in 2025.


In this later phase, Metro plans to re-route the 522 BRT Express from Bothell and Woodinville to connect to the Shoreline South station instead of the Roosevelt station.

Metro plans to delete the 372 possibly in 2025 or 2026, forcing UW staff, faculty and students commuting between the Bothell and Seattle campuses to make a transfer. In its place, Metro would add Route 72 from the Shoreline South station to the UW Seattle campus and would extend Route 331 to connect to the UW Bothell / Cascadia College campus instead of terminating in Kenmore.
 
Metro’s Trip Planner allows riders to set the date of their trip and riders can call Metro’s Customer Information at 206-553-3000 for more help.

The Metro changes were sponsored by King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski and voted on and approved by the King County Council in March. According to Metro, the community-based Lynnwood Link Mobility Board provided input into the changes.
 
Councilmember Dembowski said, “This enhanced system brings new options for transit riders in north King County. We’ve added more east-west routes and additional connections to our new light rail service.
"I am especially excited about the new Metro Flex service I was able to secure for neighborhoods in Lake Forest Park and Kenmore that will provide residents door-to-door, on-demand service.”

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ORCA offers six-month day pass reduced fare beginning August 30, 2024

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2024 - ORCA is excited to announce a special promotional offer that will help our riders save more on their daily ride or commute. 

Starting August 30, 2024, ORCA cardholders can take advantage of a new promotional day pass fare, offering significant savings for the next six months.

For a limited time, the Adult ORCA Day Pass will be reduced from $8.00 to $6.00, while the reduced fare day pass (Seniors, ORCA LIFT for customers with lower incomes, and customers with disabilities) will drop from $4.00 to $2.00.

To purchase an ORCA Day Pass, you will need to have a plastic ORCA card or digital ORCA card for Android users in Google Wallet. Adult ORCA cards cost $3.00 and ORCA LIFT and RRFP Senior and Disabled cards are free.
 

Youths 18 and under will continue to ride for free. This special offer is designed to simplify travel throughout the Puget Sound and help riders make the most out of their ORCA card by allowing unlimited* rides and transfers between all participating ORCA agencies throughout the day for the cost of just two trips.

Key Details of the Promotional Day Pass Fare:

  • Adult Day Pass: Reduced from $8.00 to $6.00
  • Reduced Fare Day Pass (Customers who are seniors, have a disability or have lower incomes): Reduced from $4.00 to $2.00
  • Promotion Duration: August 30, 2024 to February 28, 2025 (6 months)
  • *Unlimited Travel: Ride and transfer between all ORCA agencies all day, excluding Washington State Ferries and Kitsap Fast Ferries. Some additional E-purse funds may be required to cover trips on King County Water Taxi and Sound Transit Sounder trains.
How to Purchase the Promotional ORCA Day Pass on Your ORCA Card

Purchase Online:
  • Visit myORCA.com or download/open the myORCA app
  • If you have a myORCA account, log into your account.
    • On the myORCA app, select the card you wish to add the pass to, click “add money”, then “add a pass”, and then select “All Day Puget Pass”. Choose your quantity and add it to your shopping cart to check out.
    • On myORCA.com, click “manage this card”, select “passes” and choose “Regional” under pass type. Next, select “Daily $3.50” or “Daily $1.75” if you are a reduced fare customer, and adjust your quantity under “frequency”. Tap “add to cart” to checkout.
If you don’t have a myORCA account, you can still add the pass to your ORCA card here

If you have a digital ORCA card on Google Wallet, you can add the pass to your ORCA card via the Google Wallet app. 

Riders can also purchase an ORCA Day Pass in-person at an ORCA Ticket Vending machine, at an ORCA customer service location, or by contacting us at 888-988-6722 / TTY: 711.

Keeping public transportation convenient and cost-effective

It is intended to simplify the complexity of deciding which fare is right for your ride as service and fare changes, such as Sound Transit’s Link light rail flat $3.00 fare, take effect this August and into the fall.

Whether you're commuting to work, running errands, or exploring the city, the ORCA promotional day pass is your ticket to unlimited travel for the cost of just two trips.

After February 2025, the ORCA Joint Board will review options for extending the promotional day pass fare.

More information here  

Order a physical Adult ORCA card online at myORCA.com or purchase a digital ORCA card via Google Wallet. To purchase an Adult ORCA card in person, visit an ORCA card retail store, an ORCA ticket vending machine, or transit agency customer service office: https://www.myorca.com/where-to-buy/

For discounted ORCA LIFT, Senior, or Disabled cards, you can apply in person at a participating location or by mail. Visit https://info.myorca.com/using-orca/ways-to-save/ to find details on where to apply and what documents you'll need.


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‘Operation Safe Transit’ initiative focused on transit and transit locations

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

To deter and respond to security challenges, Metro more than doubled the number of Transit Security Officers, expanded their areas and routes, and moved to 24/7 coverage. They are adding more Metro Transit Police officers, too. Photo courtesy Metro Transit

King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) announced four arrests as part of a larger public safety initiative to make transit safer, combat crime, and provide behavioral health supports and resources, particularly along the transit corridor in downtown Seattle.

The larger initiative, known as “Operation Safe Transit,” was launched by KCSO on May 1 as a pilot program focused on targeted work on transit and at transit locations such as bus stops and station platforms.

The enforcement completed on Wednesday is an example of the type of efforts Operation Safe Transit includes and resulted in arrests of four individuals, three of whom are known drug dealers. The fourth suspect had a warrant for assault. Deputies also recovered drugs and two handguns, one of which was stolen.

Operation Safe Transit leverages years of experience and knowledge from security officers, co-response teams, and law enforcement to effectively increase public safety and combat crime. 

The Seattle Police Department, King County Metro, Sound Transit, and other partners are collaborating with KCSO on this initiative. At the request of KCSO, the King County jail has made exceptions to bookings for misdemeanor crimes committed in the transit system since the operation began in May.

“Public safety requires a multi-faceted approach, with agencies, branches of government, and jurisdictions working in concert, and that is the approach we are taking to challenges at or near transit facilities in downtown Seattle,” said Executive Constantine.
“Seattle streets host Metro bus stops and Sound Transit rail stations, and we are building seamless collaboration across local governments, departments, and agencies to ensure those stations, stops, and streets are clean and safe.”

“We recognize how the situation in this part of downtown is affecting the public, as well as employees and we are taking every step possible to help improve safety in this area,” said Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindal. 

“The ultimate goal here is to abate crime and fear of crime on our transit system. We are doing whatever we can to remove potentially threatening and harmful situations and take the most dangerous people off the streets, the trains, and the buses. We want our message to be clear – if people don’t behave lawfully, there will be consequences.”

Transit riders will see increased police and security presence around Third Avenue, the King County Courthouse, Metro bus stops, and the downtown transit tunnel. Bike teams from Metro Transit and Sound Transit will also play a significant role, as their visibility often serves as a crime deterrent.

Over the past year, Metro has successfully implemented several key strategies to improve safety on transit. The agency engaged with thousands of people through the Safety, Security and Fare Enforcement (SaFE) Reform Initiative, and heard a clear desire for an increased safety presence and appropriate support for community members in need.

Metro’s “Care and Presence” approach includes more than doubling the number of transit security officers to 170, establishing a group of 17 Metro Safety Ambassadors to assist riders, and coordinating with King County’s Department of Community & Human Services to deploy a team of 14 behavioral health specialists. Since its launch, the behavioral health team has made over 7,621 contacts and responded to 396 crisis or de-escalation events.

“Communities have made it clear to us that there is a need for both security and compassionate support for those who need it,” said Metro General Manager Michelle Allison.
“Based on what we heard from you, we developed an approach to keep riders safe that focuses on ‘Care and Presence.’ We have more than doubled the number of Transit Security Officers and added Metro Safety Ambassadors to engage with riders. We also deployed Behavioral Health Specialists, who provide de-escalation, resources, and support.”

Aside from Wednesday’s work, Operation Safe Transit has resulted in 82 arrests. Half of those came from deputies who viewed criminal activity directly and made arrests in real-time. This operational work will continue to ensure those who live, work, and visit downtown see and feel the enhanced public safety impacts.


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Route 372 to be deleted; “very frustrating” says Lake Forest Park Mayor

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

A map from Metro’s website shows planned Shoreline and Lake Forest Park bus routes

By Oliver Moffat

At the Thursday, April 11 Lake Forest Park regular meeting the city council reviewed planned bus route changes from King County Metro.

Route 372 from Bothell to the University District will be deleted in 2025.

A screenshot shows Lake Forest Park Mayor Tom French expressing frustration over the deletion of route 372 to the University District 

In comments, Mayor Tom French said, 

“l, for one, I'm gonna be mourning the loss of that direct bus service. And as the Council has so consistently said, this community is really losing out again in the midst of all this expansion in other areas. 
"And it's very disappointing… once again, Lake Forest Park is a drive through and it's very frustrating for us…”

A map from King County Metro’s website shows the planned Metro Flex zone

Metro will add Metro Flex service in Lake Forest Park, north Kenmore, Brier and southeast Mountlake Terrace that allows riders to use an app to hail a minivan to get a ride within the service area.


There will continue to be no bus service in Lake Forest Park south of Ballinger Way and west of Bothell Way.



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Neighbors celebrate installation of portable toilet at Aurora Village Transit Center

Monday, December 18, 2023

Echo Lake neighbors and members of the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association applaud the installation of an accessible, portable toilet at the Aurora Village Transit Center. Pat Deagen, project leader, is center with this arm raised. Photo by Claudia Meadows

Metro Transit oversaw the installation of an accessible, portable toilet at Aurora Village Transit Center, located on N 200th across from Echo Lake Park, on Monday December 11, 2023.

Travelers move through the center 24 hours a day. Many of these travelers transfer to and from Community Transit buses and others travel to Edmonds, or to Bothell Way and Lake Forest Park. Some have 20 minute layovers between buses. When the Lynnwood Link transit centers open in Mountlake Terrace and 185th, there will be even more riders.

Prior to Monday, there were no rest room facilities at the transit center. The nearby Portland Loo in Echo Lake Park was overwhelmed, requiring constant volunteer supervision and support from Shoreline city staff.

Just about everyone believes that restrooms in busy public places are a good idea, but it is not so easy to make them safe, clean and accessible.

With the assistance of County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association and project leader Pat Deagan called the issues with the transit center to the attention of a Metro spokesperson.

The residential neighborhood had asked for change from their transit station neighbor. With funding and support from Councilmember Dembowski, Metro repainted the station, improved regular cleaning, and is enforcing healthy riding rules on the bus and at the bus shelters with a security force on duty 24 hours.    

King County Metro has now made transit safer and healthier for riders and neighbors of the Aurora Village Transit Center. 

To accomplish this, Metro listened to and cooperated with the City of Shoreline, Echo Lake Neighborhood Association, and The Community Stakeholders of Aurora Village Transit Center, which is headed by volunteer Patrick Deagen. 

Thank you to all of the people at King County Metro for providing this necessary and important transit service.

--Claudia Meadows and Pat Deagen



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Sound Transit is gracious but Lake Forest Park residents are not impressed with response to concerns

Friday, August 18, 2023

Standing room only for Lake Forest Park meeting with Sound Transit
Photo by Mike Remarcke
By Diane Hettrick

On Wednesday August 2, 2023, Sound Transit's Stride project team held an informational community meeting regarding plans for the S3 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line along SR 522 / Bothell Way through Lake Forest Park.

The meeting was preceded by a rally held by the Tree Coalition
Photo by Mike Remarcke

A 400+ standing room only crowd filled the gym at Lake Forest Park Elementary School to hear what the Sound Transit team had to say.

Sound Transit plans to build a dedicated bus lane, which they estimate will save commuters 15 minutes on their way to the Lynnwood Link 148th light rail station.

The new bus lane will save an estimated 15 minutes on the commute to the 148th Link station

The new 1.2-mile, dedicated eastbound bus lane through Lake Forest Park will take property on both sides of the road, including an estimated 400 mature trees, and necessitate a two-story concrete retaining wall to hold back the hillside.

People with driveways on the highway will have to back out onto a highway lane, instead of a shoulder.

Not surprising that in tree-loving Lake Forest Park, there has been a significant amount of push-back to these plans, including suggestions on alternatives to a new lane, such as the queue-jumps Sound Transit plans for 145th.

CEO Julie Timms and Bernard Van De Kamp - Program Executive
Photo by Mike Remarcke

Bernard Van De Kamp, the program executive, gave an overview of the project, with the goal of showing how Sound Transit had incorporated community feedback since the project was approved by voters in 2016, clarifying issues related to tree impacts, queue jumps, station size, retaining walls, and noise and environmental impacts.

There were many comments from residents
Photo by Mike Remarcke

The focus of the crowd was the new CEO, Julie Timm. The well-informed and knowledgeable crowd had many questions which Timm frequently stepped in to answer. 

At the end, there appeared to be no change in positions. LFP doesn't want a concrete corridor the length of their city. CEO Timm, while sympathetic to the pain, has a mandate to improve transportation options into the future.

LFP Councilmember Lorri Bodi made a statement to the crowd. Councilmembers are petitioning WSDOT to reduce the width of the bus lane and make the height of the wall slightly less (see letter). Photo by Mike Remarcke

CEO Timm was graceful and understanding of the concerns, of yards being reduced and trees being lost, but she stood firm in the belief that the regional need to move people was more important than the objections of locals in the fight against progress.

In October 2023, there will be a series of 90% design informational sessions along the entire S3 line. If you have any questions about this process, you can contact the project team at brt@soundtransit.org.


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Maintenance and security improved at Aurora Transit Center

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Mike is emptying trash, but he also does an incredible job
of cleaning the bus bays daily. He is amazing! Photo by Patrick Deagen

Story and photos by Patrick Deagen

“Excuse me, Do you know where there is a restroom?” A woman asked me at Aurora Village Transit Center. 

I wore a reflective safety vest, so she assumed I was knowledgeable about such things. 

“The closest one is in the Home Depot across the parking lot in the rear of the store.” 

This bus was headed to Northgate

Metro had advised me several times that their customers could use Home Depot’s restrooms. The woman lived in Lynnwood and was transferring buses on her way to work in North Seattle to work as a home health aide. She had a 20 minute layover. 

She carried a heavy bag and I offered, “I’ll walk with you.”

Restrooms are simply an issue of public health and human dignity. I have always appreciated the availability of toilets at work, school, restaurants and on recreational trips. Regular maintenance is needed. And sometimes an attendant is needed to be present to keep them safe and clean.

400 buses depart from Aurora Village Transit Center daily

Most days about 400 buses are scheduled to leave Aurora Village Transit Center taking passengers in many directions between two counties. The number of arrivals is about the same. For many travelers AVTC is the gateway to Shoreline. It is not unusual to see 20 to 40 travelers in the transit center.

“Are you telling me there is no latrine at the transit center?” The Veterans Administration counselor asked me in disbelief. “With that many people, they are a necessity.”

The anger that I felt in smelling urine, and in seeing feces at the Transit Center, at the park, and at nearby residences fueled my passion for a “safer, healthier Metro.” I think everyone can relate to that feeling of disgust.

But will toilets work at AVTC? Most think not. Many say “It is something we need but cannot achieve.” 

Cindy cleaned the bus shelter

I’ve never bought that. With consistent and regular maintenance the loos in Rainier Beach Playfield have been operational for nine years. Echo Lake Park has had a successful Loo for three and a half years.

Cindy repainting at AV Transit Center

The restrooms in nearby Costco and Home Depot are clean and pleasant. Sometimes I compare the restrooms of the new Kraken practice facility at Northgate to the failed restrooms at the Northgate Link Station. The difference is stark. It shows what planning can do.

The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association invited Chris Arkills of Metro and King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski to a meeting to discuss issues at the transit center. 

The pavement was pressure washed

Councilmember Dembowski said he would work to budget money for this effort. 

He did. 

The Shoreline City Council is pleased with Metro’s promised efforts due to the problematic impacts on our city.

Security has been increased

In the last month, security has been increased at Aurora Village Transit Center and routine cleaning has dramatically improved. 

And King County Metro is working on installing restrooms. Will they be safe, clean and available? Metro has good intentions, and with planning and follow through we hope the restrooms at Aurora Village Transit Center will be a success. Please stay tuned.

Patrick Deagen can be contacted at echolaketransitcenter@gmail.com



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CORE urges attendance at rally prior to Sound Transit meeting on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 in Lake Forest Park

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Sound Transit proposes adding a bus lane with retaining walls
on Bothell Way (SR522) in Lake Forest Park

The LFP citizens' group CORE is urging LFP residents to attend the rally prior to the Sound Transit community meeting on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at Lake Forest Park Elementary School, 18500 37th Ave NE.

The rally will start at 5:30pm. The meeting is at 6pm and both Sound Transit and CORE urge all LFP residents to attend.


CORE spokespeople say that "Attending this meeting is the way for citizens of Lake Forest Park to make their experience with Sound Transit, such as they are, known to the Staff and hopefully to the Sound Transit Board of Directors."

They continue: "This is a decisive moment for our community. Attending the meeting should be a priority, if not mandatory, for those who feel left out, marginalized, and seriously concerned about Sound Transit's plans or, for that matter, feel supportive of Sound Transit's plans for SR522/145th Bus Rapid Transit project."

CORE (Citizens Organized to Rethink Expansion of HWY 522 in Lake Forest Park) is an LFP-based citizen action organization. We are pro-mass transit and pro-Light Rail in Western Washington. We are a registered 501(c)(4) organization. Our goal is to educate the residents of Lake Forest Park that there is "a better way" for Sound Transit than building a devastating dedicated eastbound bus lane through the heart of our City, a design Sound Transit is using on 145th Ave that does not include any dedicated bus lanes.

Email CORE for more information: info@lfpcore.org


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Sound Transit meeting Wednesday to respond to community concerns about the Stride 3 (S3) bus line through LFP

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Sound Transit CEO speaks to a packed house
at the LFP City Council. Photo by Mike Remarcke
On Wednesday August 2, 2023, the Stride project team will host an informational meeting on the S3 Line in Lake Forest Park. 

At this meeting, Sound Transit staff will give a 30-minute presentation to show how Sound Transit has incorporated community feedback since the project was approved by voters in 2016, clarifying issues related to tree impacts, queue jumps, station size, retaining walls, and noise and environmental impacts.

We will also share what refinements can be made at this level of design. This meeting will include an hour-long moderated question-and-answer session with the Stride project team.

When: Wednesday, August 2, 2023, from 6pm to 7:30pm.
Where: Lake Forest Park Elementary School: 18500 37th Ave NE, Lake Forest Park, WA, 98155

We will be using Slido to help collect questions in advance for our Q/A and hear your feedback. 

To send your questions ahead of the meeting, please click here or go to www.slido.com and enter 4141819.

Tips and Reminders for submitting questions
  • Questions can be submitted anonymously.
  • We encourage you to access Slido before the meeting to review and upvote what others have posted.
  • In addition, members of the public will also be able to ask questions directly to staff at the meeting via moderated Q/A.
If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact us at brt@soundtransit.org.

In October 2023, there will be a series of 90% design informational sessions along the entire S3 line



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Protests in Lake Forest Park over Sound Transit design for new bus lane through the city

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Protesters rally in front of LFP City Hall
By Diane Hettrick
Photos by Mike Remarcke except as noted

Over 100 people gathered in front of Lake Forest Park City Hall on Thursday, July 13, 2023 in advance of an appearance by a Sound Transit executive at the City Council meeting.

CORE speakers rally the crowd

The protestors, anchored by the Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation and a new citizen committee called Citizens Organized to Rethink Expansion (CORE) mobilized in response to Sound Transit's plan to expand Bothell Way through Lake Forest Park to add a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane through the length of the city.

The planned transit lane would require acquisition of private property along Bothell Way, removal of 490 trees alongside the road, and construction of a variable height concrete retaining wall along the west side of the street.

Signs say "A Better Way" "Save Our Trees" "Save our LFP"
Photo by Janet Way

Protesters held signs and chanted "JUST SAY NO to removing 500 trees!"

Protesters move into the council chamber to witness the presentation by Sound Transit

As the meeting was ready to begin, most of the demonstrators filed into the council chamber, filling all the available seats. The overflow went into a conference room where they viewed the meeting on a large screen.

Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm addresses the LFP Council.
Timm joined Sound Transit in September 2022.

They question the need for a dedicated bus lane, saying that it will take years of construction and millions of dollars just to save potentially 15 minutes on the route from Woodinville to the station at 148th.

The crowd overflow watched the meeting from a conference room.

The Stewardship Foundation pointed out that: 

LFP is only a small fraction of the overall Bus Rapid Transit route that links Seattle to Kenmore, Bothell, and beyond. 
Yet the inherent inequity between impacts to our city and our neighbors is stark and undeniable: the small stretch within LFP will bear well over 50% of the project’s environmental and property impacts, and represents 40% of the overall budget. 
Modifications will save time, taxpayer money and reduce impacts to the environment.

Benji made his own sign. Photo by Janet Way

The BRT route turns west onto NE 145th and continues to the 148th Shoreline South Transit Station. Yet no similar modifications are planned for 145th.

CORE wants Sound Transit to change the plan and use the design planned for 145th with queue bypass lane segments and bus transit signal priorities. 

Sound Transit data shows this design on 145th, one that does not use any lengthy dedicated bus lanes, saves up to 60% of the 15.6-minute shorter bus ride from the Shoreline Light Rail station all the way to the Bothell UW Campus, during the weekday afternoon rush hour. 

Applying this design in Lake Forest benefits everyone: It is less costly, takes less time to build, will still provide Bus Riders passing through LFP a faster transit, save money and cause far less devastating impact of the City Of Lake Forest Park.

A sell-out crowd observed the proceedings.

From the Stewardship Foundation:

Along with our City administration, City Council, and other concerned community groups, the Stewardship Foundation requests that Sound Transit adopt design refinements to reduce harm to the environment, limit property takings and better preserve our quality of life.


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Cantwell, Murray announce $33.5 Million for Clean Energy Bus Grants to King county Metro Transit

Thursday, June 29, 2023

King County has been transitioning the Metro fleet to all-electric, a few buses at a time as they receive funding. 2022 Photo of Rod Dembowski with electric buses.
Photo courtesy King County.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Patty Murray (D-WA) Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, announced $59,027,499 in clean-energy-related grants for transit authorities in King, Skagit, Island, Grays Harbor, Grant, and Whatcom Counties.

The funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities and Low and No-Emission (Low-No) Vehicle programs. The Cantwell-Murray supported Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides over $7.5 billion for these competitive grant programs through Fiscal Year 2026.

“These smart investments in bus facilities and low or no emissions buses across the State of Washington will provide cleaner and more reliable transportation services,” said Sen. Cantwell. “It’s important that we invest in clean transit services to help reduce traffic, keep residents moving to where they need to go, and make progress towards our climate goals.“

Senator Murray said:
“Investing in clean buses and other low- and no-emissions transportation options means cleaner air for families, communities, and our planet—not to mention cost savings for local transit agencies.”

“The federal dollars I fought to secure for these grant programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is already helping our nation take big steps forward in shifting towards a clean energy economy, which benefits everyone. This is going to make a real difference in lowering costs and creating jobs.”

King County Metro Transit – $33.5 million

King County Metro Transit received $33,552,634 in Low-No Vehicle grants. The funding will be used to buy battery-electric buses to replace 30 old hybrid-diesel buses, purchase charging equipment, and train workers to maintain the new electric fleet. 

The new battery-electric fleet will serve 27 bus routes that run in low-income areas and will expand the King County Metro apprenticeship program and promote transit careers for residents in underserved communities.

“As the nation’s seventh largest bus transit agency, King County Metro plays a critical role in providing clean, safe, and reliable transportation to a growing, diversifying population,” said Sen. Cantwell. 
“This grant will help accelerate King County Metro’s 2035 goal of operating a 100% zero-emission fleet by replacing 30 old hybrid-diesel buses with 30 new battery electric buses."

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Sound Transit: Stride bus online open house continues through April 8

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Bus stop design
Sound Transit wants to hear from you! 

Learn about the latest designs Sound Transit has for the Stride S1, S2 and S3 bus lines and share your thoughts about construction until April 8 at an online open house that is available in English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. 

Three in person open houses have already been held, with focus on Lake Forest Park, Seattle / Shoreline, and Kenmore.

Stride 3 runs from Woodinville through Kenmore and Lake Forest Park. It continues along 145th in Shoreline to the new 148th Shoreline South Transit Center.



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Give your feedback about the Stride S3 bus rapid transit route and design in in-person sessions

Monday, March 13, 2023

Photo courtesy Sound Transit
Join us at an in-person drop-in session to learn about Stride S3’s 60% design plans for cities along the SR 522 corridor.

*Since sharing the preliminary 60% design plans in November 2022, we’ve collaborated with transit partners, members of the public, and city jurisdictions to continue advancing the designs.

Stride S3 in-person drop-in sessions

A drop-in session is an opportunity for people in the community to have their questions answered by subject-matter experts. 

This session is a highly effective way to gather feedback from community members that have variety of concerns ranging from property owner affects to seeing specific design plans. 
  • Community members will be able to speak one-on-one with project staff and responses will be recorded and summarized. 
  • Subject-matter experts will be available to answer questions about the project’s background, design plans, and the property acquisition process. 
  • Attendees will also have the opportunity to view the latest segment designs and take a pre-construction survey focused on what the project team should keep in mind about their community as construction plans are developed.
The dates and times for the in-person drop-in sessions are:
If you have questions about the latest designs for Stride S3, please email brt@soundtransit.org



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Op-Ed: Sound Transit bus lane through LFP would deforest Bothell Way and shift the road west into 110 properties

Saturday, March 4, 2023

CORE is a group of concerned neighbors who live in LFP, sharing information about ST3 and its impacts on our community. Contact: info@lfpcore.org or see www.lfpcore.org
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Lake Forest Park prides itself on its mature trees and green entry along Bothell Way, SR 522, its central transit corridor. This contributes to the city’s character as a green village. 

These trees and our environment, the very identity of Lake Forest Park, are at threat. 


Sound Transit plans to construct a 1.2-mile, dedicated eastbound bus lane through Lake Forest Park as part of their SR522/145th BRT (bus rapid transit) project. 

This will remove 490 trees, deforesting Bothell Way in the city. Also, it will widen the road, shifting it west, cutting into the properties of 110 residents. 

Tall concrete retaining walls, requiring extensive road construction, will be built to support the new steep cuts. This will destroy the character of Lake Forest Park, turning our city entry into a concrete corridor. 

NE 165th Before - A green village
NE 165th After - A concrete corridor

Luckily, there is a better way and it is not too late to spare our city’s trees and environment while still achieving important regional transit goals.

We are a small community of nearly 14,000 residents. Many of us live here because we value a close relationship with nature. 

Sound Transit has avoided providing community transparency, meaningful analysis, and meaningful community outreach during their design process for the SR522/145th BRT project in Lake Forest Park. 
This project, currently at the 60% design stage, could have serious negative consequences on our community. We ask Sound Transit to modify the design, reducing impacts and costs.

Between 2019 and June 2020, Sound Transit dramatically changed the alignment, shifting Bothell Way to the west, implementing the “West Shift.” This shift impacts 110 property owners and the greater Lake Forest Park Community. 

Sound Transit never informed us of the magnitude of this shift or the impacts created by this “West Shift.” The “West Shift” changes the character of our community, affecting residential housing disproportionately.

Sound Transit has focused solely on creating a Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane, disregarding all other factors. Their plan does not address the concerns of our community. 

Nor does it consider the most likely alternative to the BAT lane: Queue Jumps. Queue Jumps are dedicated lanes and signal priority at busy intersections that allow transit to get a head start on traffic. Sound Transit designed Queue Jumps for NE 145th Street, where Seattle prohibited BAT lanes. 


We ask Sound Transit to modify the design and compare the cost and efficiency of Queue Jumps to the dedicated BAT lane. This will substantially reduce the amount of tree removals, the need for walls, property acquisitions, and overall cost. Queue jumps would achieve nearly the same transit time savings, which with the BAT build, is only 2.3 minutes during the three-hour, eastbound, afternoon rush hour.

The current plan removes 490 trees along the alignment, deforesting Bothell Way. With this expansion, the highway moves approximately 10’-12’ closer to the west side homes, removing the landscaping from 60,000 square feet of our neighbors’ backyards. 

There is no plan for noise mitigation. Instead, on the west side of Bothell Way, there are concrete retaining walls, up to 16’ tall, along nearly the length of the alignment. These retaining walls create a concrete corridor that will send sound up these faces and also eastward, across the highway. On the new sidewalk next to the highway, the sound will exceed 80 decibels.

Buses will run every 10 minutes, up and down both sides of Bothell Way, totaling 220 trips daily. 


Sound Transit’s SR522 Noise and Vibration Study did not sample sound along the alignment at the most impacted residential areas. In fact, the report was completed before the “West Shift.” Also, an outside agency never completed an Environmental Impact Statement, as typically required by Washington State.

Sound Transit’s plan for widening the highway on the east side of Bothell Way shows that at Bsche’tla creek, the steep banks of the creek and the buffer zones are “cleared and grubbed,” removing over 28 trees, clearing the understory, making this slide-prone area more unstable. 

This construction impacts habitat and nearby businesses, requiring even more property acquisitions on the east side of Bothell Way, south of 155th Street NE.

Regarding budget, this project has the most expensive cost per mile in ST3. The price tag for ST3 ranges from $626 million to $651 million. Of the 205 total property acquisitions, 110 are in Lake Forest Park. 

Sound Transit budgeted $83 million for the property acquisition costs in LFP. The overall cost for SR522 / NE 145 BRT is over $250 million, or 40% of the total ST3 budget.

We support transit. 

We request a more equitable, environmentally healthy, sustainable, and contextual design that we can all be proud of when this Project is completed and it becomes our legacy for the next 100 years. The best way to achieve these goals is to modify Sound Transit’s current plan utilizing queue jumps instead of a dedicated eastbound BAT lane.

What You Can Do:


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