We want to hear from you: Weigh in on transportation upgrades from downtown Seattle to Roosevelt

January 14, 2020 by Sara Davis

The new RapidRide J Line is scheduled to begin service in 2024.

The RapidRide J Line will provide high-quality service connecting Downtown Seattle with the neighborhoods of Belltown, South Lake Union, Eastlake, University District, and Roosevelt.

We’re working with King County Metro to ensure a comprehensive plan that includes better transit service, safer walking and biking paths, and improved surface streets along the new route.

Guided by community input and in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration, the latest plans include:

Faster travel times and reliability with buses every 7 and a half minutes during peak travel times, and travel time savings of up to 17 minutes in 2024.
Upgraded bus stations with lighting, real-time arrival info and all-door boarding.
Improved connections to future Link light rail stations, Seattle Streetcar and other RapidRide lines.
Safer access for people walking and biking, with improved sidewalks, approximately 200 upgraded curb ramps, and 5 miles of protected bike lanes along Fairview Ave E, Eastlake Ave E and 11th/12th Aves NE.
Lower carbon emissions with new electric trolley wire and more attractive alternatives to driving alone.

We recently published an Environmental Assessment for the RapidRide J Line that provides a comprehensive analysis of the project, including proposed improvements, technical details, and potential impacts and mitigation strategies. The document is available for review now and comments will be accepted through February 14, 2020.

Join us at an upcoming drop-in session to review and comment on the Environmental Assessment, and to meet project staff:

January 28, 5-9PM, REI, 222 Yale Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
January 29, 12-4PM, Starbucks, 2344 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
January 30, 9AM-12PM, Starbucks, 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
February 1, 9AM-12PM, University Family YMCA, 5003 12th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105

More information is available on the Rapid Ride J Line project website.

NEW year = NEW commute!

January 3, 2020 by Sara Davis

Have you set any New Year’s resolutions for 2020? How about doing something good for yourself (stress-less), your city, & your planet. Pledge to commute car-free 1x a week.

We’ve all set too-audacious New Year’s resolutions that we’ve given up on before we even start. Did you stress out a little too much in 2019? Was traffic partly to blame? If you’re still commuting by car, here’s a solution and challenge for you: go car-free (we like to call it car[e]-free) at least once a week.

Think of us as your accountability buddy to help you stay on track with this New Year’s resolution.

Better yet, think of Sal the Salmon as your accountability buddy. She’s just as fed up with Seattle’s traffic as you are, and is committed to helping people find ways to #FlipYourTrip and commute car-free.

Take Sal’s advice to get started: know your options, make a plan, #FlipYourTrip by commuting car-free, & celebrate that you’re beating Seattle traffic.

1. Know your options – Seattle has invested in a bunch of ways to help you commute car-free.

How will you get to work without your car? From traffic navigation resources, maps-galore (we’ve got lots of em’), trip planning for transit, transit tickets, best places to park, and carpool, bike share, car share, and ride hail tools – the resource trove lives on our Seattle.gov/traffic website. Here are some options you might consider:

Bus: King County Metro Bus provides reliable and convenient service across King County. Regional bus service is also available from Sound Transit Express and Community Transit.

Rail: Link Light Rail provides frequent (and traffic-free!) service from Angle Lake and the SeaTac Airport to the University of Washington in northeast Seattle. Sounder Train runs from Everett in the north, to Lakewood south of Tacoma, with a stop in Seattle at King Street Station in Pioneer Square. (Learn about Connect 2020 Link light rail disruptions starting this month).

Water: King County Water Taxi is smooth sailing from West Seattle and Vashon Island to Downtown Seattle, and new service from Kitsap Fast Ferry whisks you to Bremerton and Kingston. You can also board Washington State Ferries to connect to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton.

Bike: The Seattle By Bike guide has everything you need to know about biking in the city. Map your bike route before you go for optimal speed. You don’t have to own a bicycle to bike to work. Take a bike share. They are cheap, convenient, and no U-lock needed!

Carpool: Ride with a friend using King County Metro’s Carpool Program or King County Metro’s Vanpool Program if you’ve got a group of five people.

Telecommute: If you’re able, working remotely or teleworking is also a great option. Here are some resources for you and your employer through our partner’s website at Commute Seattle.

Other: Seattle Streetcar takes you from South Lake Union to Westlake, and from Pioneer Square to Capitol Hill. The Monorail connects Westlake with Seattle Center (and it accept ORCA cards now, too!)

2. Make a plan. We’ve got lots of tools for you!

Map your best travel option. Go online or download the apps and get directions using Google Maps, plan your route on public transportation using the Transit app, or customize a commute plan with Metro’s Just One Trip program. Decide which day(s) of the week it makes sense for you to go car-free. You can even set up an incentive plan to keep you motivated – like a sticker chart! Every time you commute car-free you give yourself a sticker, and after ten stickers you can treat yourself to coffee or something special.

If you plan to use public transportation, be sure to get an ORCA Card or use the Transit GO app on your phone. (Remember to talk to your employer to see if they have resources for you. Some organizations provide an ORCA card!)

3. #FlipYourTrip & commute car-free (car[e]-free).

You set a plan, now do it! Enjoy the ride – whether it means you get to relax on a bus, catch up with a friend in a carpool, or feel the wind as you bike down one of our protected bike lanes. You’re now one of the many people who have found a better way to commute!

4. Celebrate that you’re part of the solution to ease Seattle’s traffic.

Like any good accountability partner, Sal wants to hear about how you’re killin’ it on your resolution. Use the hashtag #FlipYourTrip and #MyCommuteWasAwesome, and tag @SeattleDOT to share about your car-free commute so Sal can cheer you on!

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Seattle traffic report gives an in-depth look at 2018 travel trends

December 31, 2019 by Ethan Bergerson

Every year, we release core data sets including traffic volumes, speeds, and collisions. Data drives our plans, policies, and decisions on everything from safety to paving. It also plays an important role in evaluating project performance and identifying trends.

Read the full Traffic Report to see 2018 transportation data and trends.

What does the data tell us?

People are continuing to use a variety of healthy and active ways to get around Seattle as the population and economy booms.

Charts showing that fewer people in Seattle are driving alone

Keep up the great work Seattle! Only 45% of people commuted by driving alone. That’s a big drop from five years ago!

The number of people using active transportation in their commute increased, with 12.3% of people walking and 3.8% biking. We counted 19% more bikes passing data collection points around the city, and bike rides on the Fremont Bridge broke a 2014 record with 1,051,880 trips.

While we don’t have full 2019 numbers yet, we know that Seattle bike riders have continued to set new records all year long with massive ridership this winter, more people than ever riding shared bikes, and once again smashing the Fremont Bridge ridership record.

Chart showing increasing bike ridership on Fremont Bridge

Increase in bike rides over the Fremont Bridge

In 2018, Seattle’s population grew by 2.3% to 730,000 people, employment increased to over 600,000 jobs in the city, and over 2 million jobs in the Puget Sound region. Even with a lower portion of people driving, the growing population and other factors have still led to a slight increase in driving overall.

On average, people took about 1 million car and truck trips in Seattle each day (including freeways), of which about 440,000 trips were on surface streets. This was a 3.6% increase from 2017, although the number of surface street trips was a little lower than 2016.

While Seattle has made national headlines for being one of the only cities to see ongoing increases in transit ridership, the 2018 report reveals that this trend might be beginning to level off. While 23% of Seattle residents say that they commute by transit, overall trips on transit only increased by about 1%. This is because transit remains an increasingly popular choice during peak commute times, but has not seen the same increases during off-peak times or weekends.

We are continuing to work with our transportation partners at King County Metro and Sound Transit to invest in improving transit reliability by adding over 8,000 weekly bus trips, 90 new blocks of red bus lanes, and providing free ORCA cards to 16,000 students and low-income residents through the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Benefit District and other funding sources.

Crash data emphasizes the importance of our Vision Zero plan

The report also includes a detailed look at citywide crash data from 2018. While there was a drop in Seattle traffic deaths in 2018, serious injuries increased moderately. Preliminary 2019 crash data, which is published in our 2019 Vision Zero update, indicates that traffic deaths and serious injuries have both increased this year.

In 2018, there were 12,185 crashes on Seattle streets, including 177 serious-injury crashes and 14 people who were killed. Pedestrians were the most vulnerable, and represented 9 of the 14 people who died after being hit by a car. Distraction was one of the most frequent contributors to crashes and was cited in nearly 2000 collisions. Intoxication was a factor in 489 crashes, a 19% increase from 2017.

Mayor Durkan recently announced a series of steps to improve safety on our streets and reaffirm the City’s commitment to achieving the Vision Zero goal of ending traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. We will be reducing the speed limit to 25 mph citywide, enhancing safety at traffic signals and crosswalks, and investing to make Seattle more walkable.

Why wait a year to release the report?

The traffic report is prepared in compliance with the Seattle Municipal Code, which requires the City Traffic Engineer to present an annual traffic report that incudes information about trends and collisions. We gather data throughout the year, but it takes time to process, double check, and analyze it all.

It takes a particularly long time to verify and analyze crash data. Initial police reports do not always tell the full story, so our preliminary data may change as it is reviewed for a variety of reasons. For example, people’s medical condition can change after the initial police report is filed, some crashes may not be reported at first, or further details may be revealed through a police investigation.

We work with Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to review collision data over time. It typically takes about 2-3 months for WSDOT to review and process collision reports. We continuously update our public data portal as reports are processed, and publish a final report in December of the following year.

From data to action.

See how the data from the 2018 report is informing our plans and policies. Take a look: 2019 Vision Zero update, 2019 Bicycle Master Plan update, 2019 Pedestrian Master Plan update, Transit Master Plan, and Freight Master Plan.

Winter is coming, but you can take it by storm

November 26, 2019 by Salma Siddick

With the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner we have put together a quick checklist of ways you can be prepared to take winter by storm.

Get ready for anything

Don’t get caught off–guard this winter. If you wait until the snow starts falling it may be too late because local stores may sell out of supplies and you certainly won’t be able to count on online delivery services.

❄️Use this snow & ice checklist to get prepared for freezing weather. At a minimum, you need a good snow shovel, warm clothes, and extra blankets in case the heat or power goes out in an emergency.

❄️Get ready for anything with this emergency kit checklist. Make sure you have flashlights, first-aid kits, and at least a three–day supply of food and water for the whole family (including pets – woof!)

❄️This winter weather car checklist will help you get your car ready for storms.

It’s all of our responsibility to keep our sidewalks safe for our neighbors

During a severe storm our crews are working 24/7 to clear the city’s most critical streets for buses and emergency services. We can’t be everywhere at once, and with over 2,400 miles of sidewalk in Seattle we depend on the public to do their part and clear ice and snow from the sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses.

Clearing your sidewalks isn’t just the law, it’s also the right thing to do so that everyone can travel safely during a snow storm, especially people who are blind, disabled, or have a harder time getting around.

Before it freezes, sprinkle rock salt (or another environmentally friendly product) to prevent ice from forming. Then shovel your sidewalks every day that it snows to prevent ice from forming overnight.

We’re all in this together, so talk to your neighbors and find out who’ll need help in your community. If your neighbors are out of town or physically unable to shovel snow, please pitch in and help them out. We need everyone to do their part to keep sidewalks safe for everyone to travel on.

How to get around safely in a snow storm

The safest way to travel around Seattle during a severe snow storm is not to drive if you don’t have to. We work with King County Metro to keep bus routes as clear of snow and ice as possible and are committed to using all the tools at our disposal to make sure people can get around the city by bus.

During a major snow storm, we prioritize plowing the most critical routes to hospitals, schools, and major employers. You can plan your trip, see where the snow plows have been, and view live traffic cameras on our interactive winter weather map.

If you absolutely need to drive, please take extra care and remember you’re responsible for outfitting your cars for winter weather, including chains or other traction devices. Look out for each other and be extra mindful of pedestrians and people biking.

If you are plan on using the bus, train, or ferry, know before you go:

See the latest information on Metro’s blog. They’ll keep their eye on the King County Metro Transit commute from 6-9 AM and again from 3-7 PM and will post about service disruptions.
Follow Metro’s RSS feed for real-time updates, bookmark their blog, or visit the Metro Online website for additional information and services.
If you take the train, find Sound Transit alerts and information here.

For Ferry info, please visit Washington State Ferries’ Travel Alert Bulletins, Kitsap Transit’s Fast Ferry, and/or WSDOT’s ferries site regarding your ferry commute.

You can also follow:

King County Metro on Twitter.
Washington State Ferries on Twitter.
Washington State Department of Transportation on Twitter
Sound Transit Twitter

MLS Cup Champions – Seattle Sounders hosts celebration parade in downtown Seattle, Tues. Nov 12

November 11, 2019 by Jeanne Clark

Sounders parade and rally map and schedule.

Image by Sounders FC via http://bit.ly/2NXrQvQ

Sunday was an …E P I C… day for Seattle Sounders fans! Now here comes the celebratory parade.

The Sounders made history at CenturyLink Field on Sunday as the second most attended MSL Cup of all time. Tickets to the 24th MLS Cup sold out in minutes and 69,274 fans filled CenturyLink Field on Sunday surpassing the fields previous Seahawk’s 2018 record of 69,067. With Seattle’s 3-1 win over Toronto, the Sounders will host a celebratory MSL Cup Champions Parade and Rally presented by Premera Blue Cross on Tuesday, November 12.

Sounder fans will gather at Seattle’s downtown Westlake Park (4th Ave and Pine St) around noon and the parade will follow a route along 4th Ave to the Fisher Pavilion Lawn at the Seattle Center where the march will end and rally begins.

How we feel right now:

Do you have a travel plan to get to & through downtown? Tuesday is the first day back to work for many after the holiday & then there’s the parade.

Don’t forget that tolling in the SR 99 tunnel started on Saturday, November 9.

Tolls will result in changing downtown Seattle traffic patterns. We expect a percentage of drivers will experiment with different ways to get downtown. This means they might choose to use 1-5, Alaskan Way, or local streets.

Don’t forget that lots of people are returning to work after the holiday.

And then there’s the parade bringing lots more people downtown. Don’t get hung up in downtown traffic. Try to #FlipYourTrip by commuting car-free. Try a new mode of transportation such as walking, biking, or taking the bus or light rail. Avoid driving alone if possible. Know before you head out door.

We have some great trip planning tools! We curated them just for you – for our city.

Visit our SeattleTraffic.org website for:

Traffic and parking tools like traffic cameras, real-time navigation maps and apps, and know where are the best places to park.
Transit planning tools across from Pierce to Snohomish counties plus transit ticketing apps.
Carpool and Vanpool tools and apps.
Bike share and Ride-hail and apps.

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The Move Seattle Levy Update: A look back on a successful (& nearly complete!) year of work.

November 6, 2019 by Jeanne Clark

Our Quarter 3 (Q3) Report on the Levy to Move Seattle was published on October 30, and we’re here to tell you about all the great things we invested Levy dollars in last season.

Brace yourselves! It’s a lot!

It’s been about a year since we published the Updated Levy to Move Seattle Workplan Report and we’ve come a long way in just one year. With better reporting in place and more accountability to the clear and measurable plan in the Workplan Report, we’re excited to show real results and progress being made.

The 9-year Levy to Move Seattle was approved by voters in November 2015 and provides $930 million to improve safety for all travelers, maintain our streets and bridges, and invest in reliable, affordable travel options for a growing city.

The Q3 Report is a regular update to the Move Seattle Levy Oversight Committee detailing SDOT spending on Move Seattle programs.

Read our Q2 blog post for a look at our accomplishments over the first six months of the year, and then dive in to our Q3 Report to see what has happened since then!

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished for you, Seattle!

The majority of the year’s portfolio is on-track and we’re proud of the many accomplishments and successes achieved in Q3 and throughout 2019.

Here’s a huge shout-out to our crew-delivered, maintenance, & operations programs on the progress they’ve made this year!

Q3 was a big quarter for progress across all programs, but especially in crew-delivered and maintenance/operations programs like sidewalk safety repair, curb ramps, paving spot improvements, markings, stairway rehabilitation, and transit spot improvements.

Here’s a quick rundown of our major Move Seattle successes so far for the year:

BIKE LANES

We added more than four miles of protected bike lanes in Q3, including important connections that are part of the Center City Bike Network. Check out our blog post on the fun event we held to celebrate the opening of the 8^th Ave protected bike lane!

PAVING PROJECTS

Eight of nine paving projects for the year are complete! Did you get that? Eight of nine! We started construction on an additional 20 lane miles of paving that will continue over the next two years: the Avalon Way/35th Ave S paving project and the Green Lake/Wallingford area paving project. Through partnership with the Bike Safety program, these will also help make critical connections in the citywide bike network.

FAIRVIEW BRIDGE

We started construction of the Fairview Bridge Replacement project, a major milestone for this critical public safety and maintenance project.

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL

Seventeen Safe Routes to School projects were built in Q3 alone! Safe Routes to school is a program that seeks to encourage more kids to walk and bike to school and improves safety in areas around schools for kids who walk and bike. The total number of Safe Routes to School projects for the year is now 27 – WOW!

TRANSIT SPOT IMPROVEMENTS

You’ve probably seen more red pavement around downtown, and maybe your bus stop saw some enhancements or upgrades, which are all part of the Transit Spot Improvements program that has exceeded its planned accomplishments this year, putting 27 spot improvements in the ground.

Look what our Levy Oversight Committee had to say!

We’ve continued to work with the Levy Oversight Committee to keep them informed along our way. Here’s what our Committee Co-Chair had to say!

“We were glad to see the arterial paving accomplishments noted in the 3rd Quarter Report. SDOT contractors and crews have already completed almost all the work scheduled for this year and even begun work on projects scheduled for next year. This kind of accelerated project delivery is critical to restoring and improving transportation infrastructure in our fast-growing city. Underspending in a few areas, though well explained in each case, needs to be monitored carefully to stay on track.”

Ron Posthuma and Betty Spieth-Croll, Co-Chairs

We’ve faced new challenges delivering the Northgate Bridge, inspiring us to work even harder to move forward.

The Northgate Bridge, which will improve connections over I-5 for people walking and biking to connect to the future light rail station at Northgate, has faced a few delays this year due to permitting. However, through this process, we’re only more determined to begin construction by the end of this year and working hard to move things forward. Sign up to receive project updates with the latest information on the Northgate Bridge webpage.

So far this year, we’ve invested $137M of your tax dollars in safety, maintenance, & mobility enhancements – up 30% from last year.

2019 continues to be the biggest year of levy delivery. In Q3 alone, we invested $51.3M in transportation enhancements, which 10% higher than Q3 last year and 36% higher than Q3 spending in 2017. We spent about $8M less than we initially planned for Q3 which is due to several key project delays that we’ve been talking about with the Levy Oversight Committee throughout the year. Check out the Q3 Report for more detail.

Want to know more about the Levy to Move Seattle Q3 Report?

We’re closely monitoring all programs, projects, and levy spending, and we regularly share information with the Levy Oversight Committee. The Q3 Report is the last progress update on the levy before we’ll publish the 2019 Annual Report next March. But, keep your eye here on the blog, where we post ongoing project and program updates so you can keep track of the work we’ll continue to do before the year’s over!

Read the full report or attend a Levy Oversight Committee meeting.

: Curb-ramp construction underway

: Two people walk on a newly installed sidewalk in Seattle

: Crews add new paint markings to a street in Seattle

: Newly constructed curb-ramp

Read our Annual Report to see how we’re serving all corners of the city with more bus rides.

October 25, 2019 by Salma Siddick

King County Metro Buses on Seattle Street. Image courtesy of Jeanne Clark

Thanks to the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposition 1 (STBD), we continue to make improvements to bus service & access within Seattle.

In partnership with King County Metro (Metro), we’re serving all corners of the city with more trips. More access to higher frequency service means you get where you need to go when you need to be there. Here’s a look at the STBD accomplishments at a glance:

When STBD began in 2015, only one-quarter of Seattle households enjoyed this level of service. Since then, thanks to STBD and expanded Sound Transit Link light rail service, this number has grown to within 2% of our 2025 goal of 72%. Also, almost 30% of Seattle households have access to two or more routes with this level of service – providing more options to more places.

Almost every neighborhood in the city has at least one route providing 15-minute or better service, & most have at least three.

In 2019 alone, we added seven new routes to the Frequent Transit Network. We define a Frequent Transit Network as bus arrivals of 15 minutes or less for at least 12 hours per day, 6 days per week, and transit service headway of 30 minutes or less for at least 18 hours every day. Today, 34 Metro routes come every 15 minutes (or better) on weekdays and every 30 minutes or better on evenings and weekends, providing better connections in and between some of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods.

Since September 2018, STBD has increased its investment in Metro bus service to over 25%, adding over 1,550 new weekly trips on routes throughout the city.

We’ve added over 8,000 weekly trips to the network since 2015. We’ve focused many of these trips on peak travel to and from Downtown providing real travel options during the Seattle Squeeze.

These investments alone have made room for 7,100 riders per day.

Through the ORCA Opportunity program, almost 7,500 Seattle Public School students received a free ORCA card for the 2018-2019 school year.

This year cards distributed through the program were used a total of 1,770,000 times, saving the average student $356 over the entire school year and providing a passport to the city.

Overall, $0.91 of every dollar collected under STBD Proposition 1 goes directly to fund transit service & access improvements!

An additional $0.07 is set aside in a reserve fund, and we only use $0.02 per dollar for planning and analysis.

Want more info? Check out our Year 4 Annual Report.

October 11-13: Adjusting the NB SR 99 Bus Lane to Keep People Moving

October 10, 2019 by Molly Wright

Looking south at SR 99 during the evening commute on October 8. The newly reinstalled northbound bus lane is pictured on the far left.

After working with our transportation partners to reinstall the bus-only lane on northbound SR 99 north of the West Seattle Bridge in late September, we are adjusting the bus-only lane this weekend to give people driving more time to merge before the bus-only lane begins.

Why was the bus lane re-installed?

There are 12 bus routes carrying 30,000 people each day into downtown Seattle that use this stretch of SR 99. The lane was originally installed to help provide transit reliability as WSDOT worked to demolish the Alaskan Way viaduct and construct the new tunnel.

As we prepare for tolling to begin in the SR 99 tunnel on November 9, we are committed to providing a reliable commute for those bus riders from West Seattle. We recognize that the re-installation of the bus-only lane has had traffic impacts on all commuters to and from West Seattle. Adjusting the bus-only lane to give drivers and buses time to adjust and additional distance to access the correct lanes will keep people moving more reliably and help transit more easily access the dedicated bus-only lane.

Over the summer, we observed buses that used northbound SR 99 to travel from West Seattle to downtown Seattle were less reliable, with some increased travel times. Our partners at King County Metro report that the re-installed bus-only lane has improved transit reliability during the congested peak period, and we want to make that reliable trip even more efficient!

Here’s what you can expect:

SCHEDULE

Our crews will begin working on Saturday, October 12. They will complete this work by the time the NB SR 99 tunnel reopens at 4 AM Monday, October 14. We coordinated these changes with the tunnel closure in order to minimize impacts to the traveling public and take advantage of a positive weather forecast.

CLOSURE | DETOUR

Crews will be working inside the WSDOT closure of northbound SR 99 between the West Seattle Bridge and the tunnel. Please plan and prepare for impacts to travel over the weekend.

PROJECT OUTCOME

In the Transportation Operations Center (TOC), we’ve been monitoring traffic on NB SR 99 and on the West Seattle Bridge. After noting additional congestion and delay for general purpose traffic exiting from West Seattle, creating traffic in the area, our goal is to provide space for drivers to merge before the bus-only lane begins, reducing travel times and maintaining reliability for buses.

Given the challenges that West Seattle bus riders have experienced this year, we will be watching closely to see how the new pathway improves travel times and reliability for these riders and to identify and implement signal and operational changes, as needed.

We will continue to monitor as drivers and buses get used to the restored bus-only lane, and we will continue working with our partners to ensure buses are able to move along that pathway.

We look forward to the opening of the Columbia St two-way transit pathway and Alaskan Way for buses, which will help provide an improved transit experience for our riders.

Please plan ahead and prepare for impacts to travel.

A person waits to board the RapidRide C Line at a bus stop in West Seattle.

Traffic patterns will continue to change as people adjust to the reinstalled bus lane and the beginning of tolling in the SR 99 tunnel. During this period of transition, please plan for extra time, shift the hours you commute, and avoid driving alone downtown if possible. With the installation of this bus lane, taking the bus is a great transportation option from West Seattle. Thanks for your patience as we all continue to navigate the Seattle Squeeze.

Want more information?

For the latest travel information, please follow our @SDOTTraffic Twitter account for real-time updates on incidents impacting Seattle’s streets. You can also check our live traffic cameras on the SDOT Travelers Map.

ORCA Comes to the Monorail: All Aboard!

September 30, 2019 by Niki Seligman

The ORCA Card program is robust, allowing folks to easily tap onto King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, the Seattle Streetcar, the King County Water Taxi, and Washington State Ferries. Now, Seattle Center Monorail will join the ORCA family in October!

Monorail will begin accepting ORCA starting Monday, October 7. Transit enthusiasts rejoice!

Here’s the story:

Monorail. Photo courtesy of Niki Seligman.

A study was conducted, at the request of Seattle City Councilmembers in 2014, to determine whether ORCA was a feasible fare option to implement on the Monorail.

Guess what: it was! Next steps? The process toward implementation.

Seattle Center Monorail is a public-private partnership between the city and Seattle Monorail Services (SMS). This meant that talks began between SMS and the City. Next came approval by the ORCA governing board and a partnership between the City of Seattle and King County Metro, who sponsors the Monorail’s participation in ORCA.

As part of Monorail accepting ORCA, changes will be made to fares.

The proposed fare change for adults is increasing from $2.50 to $3.00. Age classifications will also change to align with the seven regional transit agencies that are members of the ORCA system. All reduced fares will be $1.50 (youth, Regional Reduced Fare Program (RRFP) for seniors and people with disabilities, and ORCA LIFT).

What will this mean for your Monorail commute?

Seattle Center. Photo Credit: Scott Webb via Unsplash.

There are many benefits to using ORCA on the Monorail, including:

The ability to transfer from other forms of transit without paying for a new ticket;
The ease of using your ORCA card without having to dig through your wallet; and
Quick and easy access to a central hub.

When you arrive at the Monorail station, you’ll give your ORCA card to the Monorail cashier to pay your fare.

Squeeze Your Way Downtown

Seattle Ferris Wheel. Photo by Vincent Camacho, via Unsplash.

The Seattle Center Monorail has two stops, connecting you directly between the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle. Throughout the Seattle Squeeze, we are all working hard to reduce traffic on our streets as major infrastructure changes impact how we get around downtown.

Now, with tolling in the SR 99 tunnel beginning on November 9 which will bring more changes to traffic on our city streets in early November, the monorail’s direct connection in the heart of our city provides an opportunity to cut down on driving and save time on your commute.

Here’s what the Seattle Center had to say:

“We hope the ability to use ORCA on this vital link between Seattle Center and numerous downtown bus lines and Link Light Rail will result in greater transit use to our theaters, family destinations and other campus venues.”

The New Arena at Seattle Center is also excited about Monorail’s connection to the Arena!

“Transportation is a key priority for us to ensure our fans have a good experience getting to and from events at the New Arena at Seattle Center.

We are excited about the integration of ORCA on the Monorail. We expect Monorail will be a critical connection to get light rail riders (including our employees) to the New Arena at Seattle Center.”

History of the Monorail

Did your eyes glaze over at the word history? Wait, give us a chance! Transit history is not like the others…

The monorail was thought up in the early 19th century in Russia, and first implemented in London. The first US debut of the monorail was at the happiest place on earth – Disneyworld. Thanks, Walt Disney! Then, the monorail came to our very own city in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair.

Now, ORCA and the Seattle Center Monorail are teaming up to create the next chapter for this fun and convenient transit option.

For general information about the Monorail, see this FAQ (Our personal favorite question: Are dogs allowed on the Monorail? Answer: YES!)

Person carrying a backpack with two dogs inside.

Photo by SDOT.

For more information about ORCA implementation on the Monorail, click here.

The Two-Way Columbia St Transit Pathway is On Its Way!

September 26, 2019 by Molly Wright

We’re working with King County Metro to install a two-way transit pathway on Columbia St between Alaskan Way and 3^rd Ave, opening to transit in early 2020. This pathway will support all-day transit service between West Seattle and downtown Seattle by creating an efficient and reliable route for buses to access the new Viaduct-free Alaskan Way in early 2020, relocating these routes from 1^stAve and 4^th Ave.

These changes are crucial to the next step in opening up the Waterfront for transit use and are the final step of the larger project to reconstruct Columbia St to accommodate two-way transit operation.

Here’s what you can expect.

Click here to download our Columbia St transit pathway flyer:

Two-Way Columbia Street Transit Improvements

Between Alaskan Way and Western Ave:

The southern curb lane will be a 24-hour bus-only lane to allow buses to travel eastbound on Columbia St.
The center lane will be a left turn only lane onto southbound Alaskan Way.
The northern curb lane will be a 24-hour bus-only left turn lane onto southbound Alaskan Way.

Between Western Ave and 1^stAve:

The southern curb lane will be a 24-hour bus-only lane to allow buses to travel eastbound on Columbia St. There will also be 24-hour bus-only lane to travel westbound toward Alaskan Way.
The two other lanes are for traffic turning left onto southbound Western Avenue or heading straight toward Alaskan Way and a right turn only lane onto northbound Western Avenue.

Between 1^st Ave and 2^nd Ave:

The southern curb lane will be changed to a 24-hour bus-only lane to allow buses to travel eastbound on Columbia St.
The existing left turn only lane will be converted to a left turn plus through lane.
A new bus signal will be installed at Columbia St and 2nd Ave to keep the new eastbound buses moving.

Between 2^nd Ave and 3^rdAve:

The southern curb lane will be changed to a 24-hour bus-only lane to allow eastbound buses on Columbia St to turn left onto 3^rd Ave.
The existing westbound through lane adjacent to the new lane will be converted to a left turn plus through lane.
A new bus signal will be installed at Columbia St and 3^rdAve to manage the new left turning bus traffic.

Which buses will use the Columbia St Transit Pathway?

West Seattle, Burien, and neighboring area buses including the 21x, 37, 55, 56, 57, 113, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125, and the RapidRide C Line will use this new pathway.

West Seattle bus riders, we heard you about the extended travel times on 1^stAve through Pioneer Square this summer. Working with King County Metro, we moved southbound buses to 4^th Ave S and temporarily moved northbound buses to that pathway while S Dearborn St was closed.

Northbound buses will remain on the 1^stAve pathway and southbound buses will remain on 4^th Ave S until early 2020, when these buses will move to Alaskan Way and begin using this two-way transit pathway on Columbia St to access Ave.

SDOT Blog Department of Transportation