Since the Lynnwood Link Extension opened in August 2024, Community Transit has overhauled its network. The two Link stations in Snohomish County have allowed the agency to invest more service hours in local routes than ever before. This investment comes at the cost the Commuter routes, which the agency has truncated and rebranded as Express. Community Transit has also grown its bus rapid transit network with the opening of the Orange Line in March 2024.

Overall Ridership Trends

Ridership on the agency’s services has shifted in response to the changes in the network. In October 2023, Community Transit had 23,701 average weekday trips. About 47% of these trips were on one of the 26 local routes and 18% were on a Commuter route to or from Seattle. The two Swift lines, Blue and Green, had 24% and 10% of all boardings, respectively.

Jumping ahead two years to October 2025, Community Transit’s ridership looks a bit different. Overall boardings have increased to 24% to 29,277 each weekday. This increase is primarily due to higher ridership on local routes and the Swift Orange Line. Ridership on Commuter/Express routes has shrunk by nearly 75% to just 1,085 average weekday passengers. The Swift Blue and Green lines each see about 1,000 more passengers per day than they did in 2023.

Continue reading “Community Transit Ridership Jumped 24% After Lynnwood Link Restructure” | 0 comments

Vancouver BC chose a Skytrain extension in the eastern Surrey-Langley suburbs over a competing surface light rail (LRT) proposal with a different L-shaped route. The video discusses the tradeoffs between the two, how to build an elevated rail extension, and the socioeconomic factors for the station cachement areas in both alternatives. (The B1M)

This is an open thread.

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Reminders: To ensure there is enough space on trains, bikes and scooters are not allowed on trains on World Cup match days.

Local:

• What to expect during RapidRide I construction (Metro Matters)
• Everett Transit Annexation Would Level Up City’s Transit System, Mayor Says (The Urbanist)
• A Seattle Times reader wishes buses were quieter (The Seattle Times, $; free via SPL)
• 50 years later, one of Community Transit’s original buses hits the road again (CT News)
• Olympic College in Bremerton is piloting free transit passes for students (KT Headways)
• Data Backs Up Supportive ‘Housing First’ Model in Spite of Federal Attacks (The Urbanist).
• DESC’s Susan Byrnes opines Homelessness is a complex problem. Stop looking for a simple solution (The Seattle Times, $; free via SPL)
• Tacoma Sees 62% More Homes Enter Pipeline Following 2025 Zoning Overhaul (The Urbanist)
• Op-Ed: ‘Seattle Atlas’ Can Demystify Zoning, Build Case for More Housing (The Urbanist)
• A review of the impacts of the World Cup on Seattle and the region (CascadePBS)

Continue reading “Midweek Roundup: Level Up” | 118 comments

What are Barcelona superblocks (superilles) really like? What do they look like, how many people use them, and what do they do in them? Here’s an overview:

By CityFixer. Seattle is briefly mentioned at 9:30-9:41.

Some shorts on the superblocks: (1) Streetfilms overview, (2) a zen garden like effect with flat rock seats, (3) the Sant Antoni superblock.

Are there other general topics you’d like to see movies on? What has the Sunday Movie column not covered yet?

This is an open thread.

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Borrowing a phrase from Kirk Hovenkotter (Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition), today’s Roundtable is about tourist use of Seattle’s mass transit system.

On Monday, Seattle held its first FIFA Men’s World Cup match at “Seattle Stadium” (Lumen Field). Sound Transit, King County Metro, Community Transit, and Pierce Transit each boosted transit service to get tourists and match attendees in, out, and around Seattle as smoothly as possible with the massive influx of international football fans. Sound Transit was the first to announce almost record-setting ridership, estimating that June 15, 2026, was the third-highest ridership day in Link light rail history with 210,000 combined boardings on the Link 1 and 2 Lines, representing an over 37% boost from Link’s quickly-growing rider count.

Continue reading “Friday Roundtable: the world is riding Seattle transit” | 92 comments

Reminders: Seattle is hosting 5 more FIFA World Cup games over coming weeks. Keep an eye on your transit agency’s service alerts and be aware there may be crowds at unusual times. Bikes and scooters are banned from Link trains on game days.

This Friday, June 19, is Juneteenth, and Seattle hosting a match between the USA and Australia at noon. Despite the federal holiday, most transit services will operate on normal weekday schedules. Sound Transit offers ways to celebrate freedom, resilience, and the beautiful game.

Transit & Streets:

• Seattle World Cup’s biggest win: Pioneer Square pedestrian zone (KUOW).
• Meet the artist behind the limited-edition World Cup ORCA transit card (The Seattle Times, $)
• Sound Transit launches several upgrades as ‘Summer of Soccer’ begins (The Platform)
• Zahilay Rolls Out Updated Transit Plan, as Budget Woes Cloud Metro’s Future (The Urbanist). Also on Metro Matters.
• Op-Ed: Help Seattle Get the Frequent Transit Network We Deserve (The Urbanist; MASS Coalition op-ed cosigned by STB).
• Amtrak Cascades Speeds Up Trips from Vancouver, BC with Preclearance (The Urbanist).
• Sound Transit Says Reports of Ballard Link’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (The Urbanist).
• King County Transportation District approves new sales tax in close vote (The Kent Reporter, soft $).
• Sound Transit is setting up a pop-up merch shop at International District Station Plaza during World Cup game days (The Platform).
• Tell SDOT what you think about the Pike Place Market vehicle barriers (SDOT Blog). Survey open until June 30.

Continue reading “Midweek Roundup: ‘Summer of Soccer’” | 47 comments