Showing posts with label transportation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transportation. Show all posts

Give Metro feedback on bus service to three new Light Link rail stations

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

King County Metro is seeking a final round of public feedback on concepts for updating bus service to integrate with three new Sound Transit Link Light rail stations in 2021.


These concepts were developed with the help of a community-based Mobility Board and were informed by broader public feedback on service needs and priorities.

Learn more about the project by visiting this link: kingcounty.gov/metro/northlink.

Tell us what you think of this latest round of changes by completing this survey: kingcounty.gov/metro/northlinksurvey

The survey will be open until November 1, 2020.




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Last week to give your feedback on the SR 522/NE 145th Stride S3 Bus Rapid Transit

Tuesday, August 18, 2020


This is the last week for SR 522/NE 145th Stride S3 Bus Rapid Transit Online Open House

The Stride S3 bus rapid transit line will run from the Shoreline South transit station by I-5, east on 145th and north on Bothell Way to Woodinville.

It is expected to be the primary bus line for Lake Forest Park residents who will be taking the Lynnwood Link light rail but it also includes a long section of Shoreline.

You have just this week to provide input on the plans while they are still in early stages. 

Information about Stride 3 and the survey are on this webpage



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Reminder – North King County Mobility Coalition Community Survey closes August 15

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Metro transit

If you are a resident of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville, or Seattle north of the ship canal, you are encouraged to take this survey by August 15, 2020.

The North King County Mobility Coalition (NKCMC) is working with transportation agencies, community-based organizations, cities and residents to examine the factors that impact the use of public transit and community operated transportation options in the North King County region. 

The project, known as the North King County Gaps Analysis, will draw on several sources to inform the report. 

One element is a community survey, which has been distributed to many NKCMC partners in the northern region. 

If you are a resident of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville, or Seattle north of the ship canal, you are encouraged to take the survey by August 15. It only takes about 5-10 minutes, responses are anonymous, and, if you wish, you can enter your name in a raffle for a gift card!

Check out the survey, currently available in English and Spanish.

If you have questions about the survey or North King County Gaps Analysis project, please contact Maggie Harger at mharger@hopelink.org



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Sound Transit design refinements in Lake Forest Park for BRT lane on SR 522

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

NE 155th is near the Sheridan Beach Terrace apartments
and 41st NE joins SR 522 at the "B" on the map

Sound Transit has announced design changes to over ten blocks of Bothell Way through Lake Forest Park for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

From Sound Transit:

Thanks in part to early outreach that allowed us to visit potentially affected property owners, we were able to better understand access challenges. 

As we advanced to the 30% design phase, we began to analyze driveways and access to potentially affected properties in Lake Forest Park, and modified the design based on access challenges identified.

From this analysis, we learned that widening SR 522 exclusively on the east side of the road between NE 155th and 41st Avenue NE in Lake Forest Park could cause significant impacts to driveways.
In some cases, residents would not have been be able to safely access their homes, potentially requiring acquisition of multiple properties.

Based on this information, we are refining the design on about ten blocks of SR 522 / Bothell Way between NE 155th Street and half a block south of 41st Avenue NE in Lake Forest Park.

These refinements include shifting some roadway widening to the west side of SR 522 to reduce property impacts and ensure more residents can maintain access to their homes.

While a portion of the road may now be widened to the west in this section, the added Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane would still be northbound, or on the east side of the roadway.

The sidewalk would also be on the east side of the roadway, where there are more properties with direct access for use of the sidewalk.

The west-shift design refinement would mean that construction would be required on both sides of the street.

West-side property owners would see some purchase of property along their backyards, with new retaining walls close to the roadway. 

Our design process is dynamic, and we continue to make updates as we receive more public feedback and design information. These design refinements are not finalized until the Sound Transit Board votes on the project to be built later this year.
We are working to share this information with property owners as soon as possible. We are still determining the impacts at the individual property level and expect to reach out to property owners on the west side via mail with more details in July.

Learn more about this west-side refinement HERE


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Drivers expected to face extended waits for state ferries over holiday weekend

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Ferry and Mt. Baker
Photo by Mike Remarcke

Travelers should plan ahead and prepare for long waits if driving onto a state ferry over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Several routes are operating on reduced schedules dependent on Washington State Ferries’ COVID Response Service Plan.

The busiest sailings will likely be in the westbound direction Thursday, July 2, then eastbound Sunday, July 5, as travelers return from their Independence Day getaways.

WSF’s current schedules are based on four pillars of service – ridership, crew availability, vessel availability and funding. 

With more than 100 high-risk employees unavailable due to the pandemic, one of those metrics, crewing, has been a challenge. Due to a lack of crew members needed to meet U.S. Coast Guard safety requirements, there have been further schedule reductions over the past few weekends.

“We might be forced to make future temporary adjustments because of lack of crew, but pledge to provide as much advance notice as we can,” said Amy Scarton, head of WSF. 
“I know how service changes can be frustrating, especially for communities that rely on us as a vital link to the mainland. I ask for your patience during this difficult time, when most counties remain under directives to travel for essential purposes only.”

 More information HERE



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North King County Mobility Coalition to survey the community to discover unmet mobility needs

Wednesday, July 1, 2020



The North King County Mobility Coalition (NKCMC) is working with transportation agencies, community-based organizations, cities and residents to examine the factors that impact the use of public transit and community operated transportation options in the North King County region. 

The project, known as the North King County Gaps Analysis, will draw on several sources to inform the report. 

One element is a community survey, which has been distributed to many of our partners in the northern region. 

You are encouraged to distribute the survey if you serve people located in the cities of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville and Seattle north of the ship canal. 

If you are a resident of one of the cities listed above you are encouraged to take the survey. It only takes about ten minutes, responses are anonymous, and if you wish you can enter your name in a raffle for a grocery gift card!

Here is the link to the survey, available in English and Spanish.

Let us know if you would like to request that this survey be translated into a language besides English or Spanish, or if you need other accessibility accommodations for completing this survey.

If you are affiliated with an organization and wish to get templates to post on social media, or if you have additional questions or concerns please contact Maggie Harger at mharger@hopelink.org.

The North King County Mobility Coalition meets bi-monthly on the 4th Thursday from 10:30am-12:00pm. For more information or to join these meetings please reach out to Maggie Harger at mharger@hopelink.org or 425-943-6730. We will utilize this coalition to develop projects based on the results of this survey.



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CORRECTION: SR 522 BRT program is Thursday

Tuesday, June 16, 2020


CORRECTION: The original headline said Tuesday. The program is on Thursday.

Original story:

The Bothell Library is hosting an online program with Sound Transit about Sound Transit's plans and upcoming work on State Route 522 in Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park.

"The 411 on 522", next Thursday, June 18, 2020 at 3pm, will discuss planning and changes to lanes on SR 522 / Bothell Way.

Anyone can ask questions ahead of time even if they don't want to join the program live.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes will ultimately be eight miles long and include 13 stations. 

What will this mean for residents, businesses and commuters along SR 522? Join Paul Cornish, Sound Transit's Director of Bus Rapid Transit in an online webinar to learn more.

Your questions are welcome in advance, so please share them even if you can't attend the webinar. Post questions at IdeaBoardz or directly to the speaker at paul.cornish@soundtransit.org

You may join the meeting starting at 2:50pm. The link is HERE  This is a 'listen only' presentation.

Event number (access code): 133 035 9615
Event password: this event does not require a password.

If you need help, detailed instructions are HERE



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Get the "411 on the 522" Thursday

Saturday, June 13, 2020



The Bothell Library is hosting an online program with Sound Transit about Sound Transit's plans and upcoming work on State Route 522 in Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park.

"The 411 on 522", next Thursday, June 18, 2020 at 3pm, will discuss planning and changes to lanes on SR 522 / Bothell Way.

Anyone can ask questions ahead of time even if they don't want to join the program live.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes will ultimately be eight miles long and include 13 stations. 

What will this mean for residents, businesses and commuters along SR 522? Join Paul Cornish, Sound Transit's Director of Bus Rapid Transit in an online webinar to learn more.

Your questions are welcome in advance, so please share them even if you can't attend the webinar. Post questions at IdeaBoardz or directly to the speaker at paul.cornish@soundtransit.org

You may join the meeting starting at 2:50pm. The link is HERE  This is a 'listen only' presentation.

Event number (access code): 133 035 9615
Event password: this event does not require a password.

If you need help, detailed instructions are HERE



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Shoreline Public Schools receives Electric School Bus Grant

Saturday, May 9, 2020


Shoreline Public Schools has been awarded more than $600,000 in grants from the Washington State Department of Ecology to help in the purchase of two zero-emission electric school buses. The grants are intended to cover the difference between an electric bus and a conventional diesel bus.

Shoreline will use the grants to purchase two electric school buses along with electrical charging stations. The district will receive a $300,000 reimbursement for each bus and $14,000 for charging stations.

The district will purchase one electric bus in the summer of 2021 and another in the summer of 2022. Each bus will have an estimated range of 100 miles.

“We are really excited to have been selected receive these grants,” said Shoreline Schools Transportation Director Mary Sherman. “Adding these electric school buses to our fleet will allow us to reduce our carbon emissions and improve air quality for our students and community members.”

Shoreline Public Schools is one of 22 school districts across the state selected for the grants, which total almost $12 million statewide. Funding from Washington’s Volkswagen diesel emission settlement will pay for the buses.

The Volkswagen settlements stem from the discovery that the carmaker illegally installed software on its diesel cars that activated emission controls only when it detected the emissions were being tested, violating the state and federal Clean Air Acts.

According to the Department of Ecology, the grants are intended to accelerate replacing older diesel school buses and help cover the additional costs of purchasing an electric bus. School districts can also use some of the funding to pay for charging stations for the buses. 




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Work begins on a second lane for the Edmonds Ferry ticket booths Saturday

Photo courtesy WSDOT

To alleviate congestion and reduce State Patrol’s need to direct traffic between the holding lanes and the Edmonds Ferry ticket booths, crews will create a second lane on SR 104 for the ferry queue.
 
Maintenance crews will begin work on the highway from 6am to 3pm Saturday, May 9. 

Depending on weather, they will return on Monday, May 11 to complete asphalt repair.

Drivers will be unable to turn right from northbound SR 104 to Dayton Street until the shoulder of the road is replaced and an updated right-turn signal added, making it safer for drivers.

Work on the intersection of SR 104 and Dayton Street is expected to take two to eight months to complete.



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State ferries to remain on winter sailing schedules through April 25 due to lower demand

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Photo by Mike Remarcke


As part of the state’s response to COVID-19, all state ferries will remain operating on their winter sailing schedules through at least April 25. 

Washington State Ferries’ spring season, which includes increased service on some routes, was originally scheduled to begin March 29.

The following service additions that were set to begin with the start of the spring sailing schedule will not occur:
  • Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: Third vessel added on weekend schedule
  • Anacortes/San Juan Islands: Interisland weekend service and addition of couple of afternoon sailings
  • Anacortes/Friday Harbor/Sidney, British Columbia: Start of one round trip to Canada daily (suspended until at least April 26)

Previously made vehicle reservations for the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route from March 29 through April 25 will be canceled. 

No new spring schedule reservations will be allowed after April 25. Customers will be notified through ferry alerts when reservations will be made available on sailings during the winter schedule extension. No-show fees for vehicle reservations are waived until further notice.




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Rep. Javier Valdez: Investing in Our Transportation System

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Northgate construction
Photo courtesy Rep. Valdez


From Rep. Javier Valdez, D-46

Two weeks ago, Sound Transit hosted a groundbreaking celebration to kick off construction for the Northgate Pedestrian Bridge.

As a Metro bus rider when I’m not in Olympia, I’m excited for this project to connect neighborhoods and transform the way we move throughout the city. You can sign up here for email updates on the project.

On Monday, both the House and Senate released our proposed transportation budgets. 

As Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee, I am happy to announce that funding for the Sammamish Bridge replacement in Kenmore has been increased

At the beginning of session, the Lake Forest Park roundabout project at Ballinger Way and 40th Place was on hold, and I am also happy to announce that this project has been put back on track to move forward this year. (See our previous article)

These are both important investments in our district’s infrastructure, and I am hopeful that they will remain priorities in our state transportation budget.

Rep. Valdez represents the 46th LD which includes Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Lake City, and northeast Seattle.




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Vows on the bow of a ferry for Valentine’s Day

Friday, February 14, 2020

Vows on the bow
Photo courtesy WSDOT

What better place to celebrate love this Valentine’s Day than aboard our Puget Sound ferries? 

At least one sailing will be full of love Friday, Feb. 14! On the 4:45pm departure out of Bainbridge several couples will exchange “Vows on the Bow.” 

If you’re interested in getting married or renewing your vows aboard a state ferry in the future, review the policies for special occasions.



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King County Metro to purchase 40 battery-electric buses

Saturday, February 1, 2020

From left: Chris Stoddart, president of New Flyer of America, Inc., 
Rob Gannon, general manager of King County Metro.County,
County Executive Dow Constantine,
Councilmembers Jeanne Kohl-Wells and Rod Dembowski
Photo courtesy King County


King County Executive Dow Constantine announced this week that King County Metro has agreed to purchase 40 battery-electric buses from New Flyer, Inc., to be delivered in 2021 and plans to order 80 more in the coming year – a major milestone in the county’s efforts to improve air quality, reduce carbon and create a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040.

The order is comprised of 40 60-foot-long articulated buses valued at $1.3 million each for a total of approximately $50 million. The remaining 80 battery-electric buses planned for purchase include 20 more articulated buses and 60 40-foot-long buses, valued at approximately $925,000 each. Total cost for the second order, arriving in fall 2022, is estimated to be around $80 million.

“Today, we’re celebrating major progress toward our goal of transforming Metro to a zero-emission bus fleet, which is better not only for the environment but also for our customers,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. 
“These new buses will be able to serve routes all over King County, and especially in the southern part of the county, an area disproportionately affected by pollution. Working with New Flyer, we’ve procured 40 new buses that can handle anything we throw at them – quietly, efficiently, and fueled by clean power.”




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Spring reservations for ferries to San Juans, BC, and Port Townsend Feb 5

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The first round of vehicle reservations for the spring ferry schedule (March 29 through June 20) on Anacortes/San Juan Islands/Sidney, British Columbia and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes will now be available starting at 7am Wednesday, February 5, 2020.
Don’t plan quite that far ahead? Don’t worry! 

While the first tier opens on Wednesday, the second tier of reservations opens two weeks before each specific sailing and the final 30% of space on each sailing becomes available two days before.



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Rep. Valdez: What’s Next for Transportation?

Saturday, January 25, 2020

From Rep. Javier Valdez D-46

The passage of Initiative 976 means a loss of over $450 million in revenue for the state transportation budget.

The initiative is being challenged in court, but the trial hasn’t started yet. We will probably learn the initiative’s final fate after we conclude this short 60-day session.

It’s a myth — despite what you may have seen in the 2019 voter’s guide — that we can simply tap the state rainy day fund to replace the missing funds. The rainy day fund is meant for the operating budget, which pays for public schools, colleges, parks and non-transportation costs. The state constitution prevents lawmakers from spending this fund without a supermajority vote and certain conditions, like an economic recession.

All of that means that the transportation budget has to be balanced now, however painful possible delays may be.

Many state transportation projects have been delayed, not canceled. This includes the SR 522 Crossing Study in Kenmore and the SR 104/40th Pl NE Roundabout in Lake Forest Park. The Governor put these projects on hold. I am happy to announce that funding for the Sammamish River Bridge replacement in Kenmore has not been affected. This project is still on track to move forward.

We need more investments in transit, ferries, trains, and multimodal options to reduce traffic gridlock on our highways and safely get people where they need to be. As a daily metro bus rider, I am invested in finding innovative ways to keep Washington moving. Like so many of you, I can’t wait for 2021, when I can ride the light rail to work from Northgate.

Rep. Valdez represents the 46th Legislative District which includes Kenmore, Lake Forest Park and northeast Seattle.



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New severe weather ferry schedules released

Friday, January 24, 2020

A foot of snow fell at the Anacortes terminal in the early morning
 of Jan. 15. Terminal staff and vessel crews were able to get
 the facility up and running following a few delays
Photo courtesy WSDOT

Recently released severe weather ferry schedules came in handy during last week’s wintry conditions. 

The San Juan Islands route switched over to them on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 after a foot of snow fell at the Anacortes terminal.

The schedules are the result of snowstorms last February, when the ferry system carried nearly 300,000 fewer customers than the same month in 2018.

The new timetables provide appropriate service to match demand during storms.

You will be notified through ferry alerts and social media whenever a route switches over to the severe weather schedules.



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Legislature has the final word on road usage charges

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Traffic jam
Photo by Mike Remarcke

The Washington State Legislature will ultimately decide if a road usage charge will be implemented in Washington

A road usage charge (RUC) system is a per-mile charge drivers would pay based on how many miles you drive, not how much gas you consume. This approach is similar to how people pay for their utilities, including electricity or water.

People who are interested in how a Road Usage Charge might work in Washington can now download the full report from the Washington Road Usage Charge Pilot Project website. 

On January 13, 2020 the Washington State Transportation Commission transmitted their final report to the governor, state Legislature and Federal Highway Administration on how Washington can begin a transition away from the state gas tax and toward a road usage charge system.

In collaboration with the Washington Road Usage Charge Steering Committee, the WSTC’S report includes analysis and findings of the legal, fiscal, operational, and policy impacts of a road usage charge and provides recommendations and options on how RUC could be implemented in Washington.

The state legislature will ultimately decide if a road usage charge will be implemented in Washington. 

Should the Legislature move forward with a road usage charge, it must consider several key topics, all of which the commission’s final report addressed. Those include how to: gradually transition to a RUC system, determine what vehicles should be subject to paying a RUC, determine the per-mile rate policy, set forth the allowable use of RUC revenue, and determine details around how a RUC program would be implemented.

“We thank the steering committee and volunteer pilot project participants for contributing to years of research and analysis on this innovative transportation funding policy,” said Jerry Litt, chair of the Washington State Transportation Commission. 
“We believe road usage charging is a promising and viable option for Washington, and we look forward to having the Legislature consider a gradual but necessary transition away from relying on the consumption of fossil fuel to fund our roads.”

The 29-member Road Usage Charge Steering Committee has guided Washington’s assessment of road usage charging since 2012. The committee supported and advised on the development of the RUC pilot project and submitted its final report on its road usage charging findings to the commission in October 2019. 

Based upon the findings of the steering committee, the commission determined its final set of recommendations and their final report, which details the results of the 7-year-long assessment of road usage charging. It includes the 12-month-long test drive portion of the pilot project that involved more than 2,000 statewide drivers who logged 15 million miles from February 2018 to January 2019.

As vehicles become more fuel-efficient or switch to electric power, gas tax revenue is expected to decline by as much as 45 percent by 2035. 

In 2012, the Legislature directed the commission to assess the potential of a road usage charge to replace the gas tax. A road usage charge is a per-mile charge drivers would pay for the use of the roads, as opposed to paying by the gallon of gas.



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Metro is ready

Monday, January 13, 2020

Metro is read
From Metro Transit

Forecasts show bitter cold and snowy conditions that could affect King County Metro bus services Sunday and Monday, Jan. 12 and 13. 

Riders are encouraged to monitor and review weather and roadway conditions in their community before traveling and sign up for transit alerts at MetroWinter.com to receive important updates.

Metro is focused on providing safe and reliable public transportation to the greatest extent possible during the coming snowstorm and coordinating closely with cities and the state Department of Transportation on road clearing efforts that keep buses moving.

Where road conditions worsen, Metro is prepared to shift buses to snow reroutes and chain its bus fleet. As a precaution, maintenance crews plan to chain buses in the field on routes scheduled to operate past 8pm Sunday, Jan. 12. The Transit Control Center, facilities and operations and other staff also are ramping up operations and staffing Sunday afternoon as the storm strengthens.

Riders should prepare for possible travel delays, visit the updated MetroWinter.com page

Transit customers face potential travel delays on Sunday and Monday due to worsening road conditions and should plan accordingly in the event that bus service also is delayed or trips are very crowded.

Riders can sign up for transit alerts in their community and find snow reroute information at the revamped MetroWinter.com page. Info also is available in printed bus route timetables and Metro’s Snow Brochure. Based on last year’s snow storms, Metro revised the web page to better serve riders with the up-to-date information they need to travel using public transportation, and to show which routes are on snow routes.

Regular fares are required to travel. Based on revised county policy, fare enforcement is only waived in the event of an extreme regional snow storm that requires Metro’s Emergency Snow Network to be activated.



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Lime bike share has shut down - and will be back with scooters

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Seattle has been experimenting with bike-share programs. The idea is that anyone can pay online to use one of these bikes for transportation and leave them at the rider's destination.

The three vendors contracting with Seattle are JUMP (red bikes), Lime (lime green), and Lyft (black and pink).

JUMP is still in operation, Lyft is "coming soon", and Lime has just shut down in Seattle.

In spite of pious exhortations on Seattle's webpage about parking bicycles responsibly, local experience of these bikes is to see them sprawled in bushes and across sidewalks.

Lime says that they have removed their fleet as of December 31, 2019 - but if you see one hiding in the bushes, try this contact info to report it.

  • Lime (green): 1-888-546-3345; support@limebike.com

JUMP bikes don't seem to be as popular - but here's their contact info:

  • JUMP (red): 1-833-300-6106; jump.com/support

Lime is coming back in the spring, with "free-floating scooters and improved bike options that are a priority to the City of Seattle." Lime / LimeBike are an international company.

They are pulling their bicycles in other cities besides Seattle and appear to be switching to small scooters and some electric assist bikes.

So hold on to the contact information  - you'll need it for scooters.

--Diane Hettrick





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