Change is a coming: Community Transit is looking to add new services throughout Snohomish County in September. While Route 110 (Edmonds to Mountlake Terrace) will get the axe, significant restorations and efficiencies will be made. Feel free to comment on the changes.
Creepy open data: Access to open data is awesome, but sometimes it can go a bit too deep. One blogger, James Siddle, takes a look at London’s bike share data…and people’s personal riding habits.
War over a lifeless plaza: We thought this was now in the past, but apparently there is still an effort to create a new plaza space above the future University District Station, which has a high probability of becoming a lifeless space. Transit-oriented development seems like a much better option for the University District. Meanwhile, Capitol Hill’s subway station site looks like it could strike the right balance where 14 developers are battling it out for the right to develop projects there.
Flowing green: The Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board has backed new stormwater permitting rules. Future development will be held to much higher and greener standards.
Explosive growth: Seattle and Washington, D.C. have more in common than say San Francisco. We’re both growing, and fast. By 2035, Seattle is to grow by 110,000 residents, but that ain’t nothing. If the Metropolitan Washington Councils of Governments forecasts turnout to be right, the District will have 281,000 new residents by 2040! The good news here? The District will exceed its peak population from 1950.
Bike lanes for all: Seattle loves bikes and, naturally, the City Council has adopted the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP)! There were lots of hurdles along the way, but it finally has happened. Of course, realizing the BMP means some temporary inconveniences like construction reroutes on the Burke-Gilman Trail. On the plus side, you soon will be able to ride all the way from Ballard to Issaquah once King County finishes the final paved stretch along Lake Sammamish.
Completely empty: It may seem shocking, but 4.8 million Census Blocks are completely empty. To see it visually is totally weird and absolutely fascinating.
Love and hate: Sound Transit keeps delivering record ridership because Puget Sound residents love their trains and buses. Meanwhile, the Tennessee legislature has gone out of its way to ban bus rapid transit (Nashville’s AMP) since Republicans there hate public transit.
Go figure: If your state promotes active transportation, you’re probably healthier. Where does active transportation happen? In cities because duh. There’s a strong correlation that increased walking and bicycling leads to better health outcomes.
Even more parklets: The Seattle Department of Transportation has added even more parklets for its expanded pilot project. And, it looks like the Central District will get a hoppy one at that.
Your BMW says “take the bus”: You read that right. It appears that cars may soon be telling you to take the bus when it’s faster.
Rodney Tom calls it quits: The man who controlled the Legislature for two years is calling his political career quits. We can’t rejoice enough.
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.