The main issue of the discussion was the $20 car-tab fee for each of the next two years that is being considered. Without it, Metro says it would need to cut service 17 percent by eliminating some routes and reducing trips.
State lawmakers gave county officials the authority this year to charge an extra $20 for car tabs — which would provide $50 million over two years — to help Metro. When combined with reserve funds, it’s enough to largely maintain existing service, Metro says.
The next step for King County’s nine-member council is to either put it to a vote in the next election or a “supermajority” of six members could enact the new fee without going to the voters.
Unfortunately, only four County Council members attended the transportation committee hearing (Bob Ferguson, Larry Gossett, Joe McDermott and Larry Phillips) while five did not. The four who did attend, however, have already come out in favor of the fee.
There will be one more public hearing on July 21 in Burien at the City Council Chambers, followed by a vote from the King County Councilmembers, scheduled for July 25.
The Uptown Alliance’s monthly meeting is happening this Thursday, June 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space. This month the agenda is brimming with transportation issues – from Metro’s D-Line RapidRide stop placement, to its new trolley buses – as well as other hot topics, including the Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Program and a potential site for low-income housing in Uptown. Check out the full agenda:
Metro Transit D-Line RapidRide stop placement – Jonathan Dong (SDOT) & Paul Roybal (Metro)
Committee Reports:
New LED lighting in Counterbalance Park: it’s getting better.
Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Area program – Christa Dumpys TBC
8th Ave. N. and Roy St.: Possible near-Uptown, SLU site for low cost housing: Will UA support this site? If so, how best? – Rick Hooper
A new generation of trolley buses in Seattle.
Letter supporting Alcohol Impact Area Program.
Uptown Alliance participation in proposed Center City Neighborhoods group.
New Business: bring your own topics and comments.
The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jul4 14. All future meetings will be held at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market until further notice.
Want to learn more about the Uptown Alliance and it’s work in the Lower Queen Anne community? Check out its Facebook page for updates and neighborhood information, or contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net, or John Coney at djohnconey@aol.com.
More information has been uncovered on the Metro service hour reduction scenario reported on two weeks ago. Under the scenario (.pdf), Route 2N would be eliminated, while the 2 Express would be kept and extended down to Seattle Pacific University and then Nickerson Street. Some of the hours cut from Route 2N would be put on Route 13. In addition, Route 4N would be eliminated, and those hours would be put on Route 3N, which would also extend down to Nickerson. Route 45, which connects Seattle Center with the University District through Queen Anne, would also be eliminated.
The “600,000 Service Hour Reduction Scenario,” as reported two weeks ago, is Metro’s initial look at what a reduction in service hours would look like if cuts had to be made.
“The whole idea of restructure is in this case to reduce the size of the system, be more efficient and not spend as many hours, but still try to provide service that meets the needs of the community,” said King County Metro’s Service Planning Supervisor David Hull. “This is not something that I as a transit planner am looking forward to. We like to see the system grow; we look to put more service on the street to provide quality service to more people … This is a process that is being forced because of our financial situation.”
If the King County Council decides that cuts should be made, there will be a process allowing the public to give feedback on actual service hour reduction proposals, said Hull.
The part of the scenario regarding Queen Anne routes, excluding the change to Route 45, is called “Priority 2,” which is aimed at restructuring service to improve efficiency. This is opposed to the first priority of reducing low productivity services (Route 45), and the lesser priorities of reducing higher‐productivity services and reducing low‐productivity services in all areas identified as underserved. The total cuts from Priority 2 amounts to a 255,000 reduction in hours, of which approximately 6,000 hours will be cut from routes particular to Queen Anne.
“We’re not trying to eliminate access to service [in the Priority 2 cuts], but perhaps requiring folks to change how they use the system… people might need to transfer or might need to walk a bit farther,” said Hull. “The concept is fewer routes going downtown, but they’re at a higher service level, and one thing the national studies show is that people are willing to walk farther to have more frequent service.”
Some Metro riders welcome these changes, like Bruce Nourish, a software engineer who lives downtown and works in Queen Anne.
“This proposal provides much better mobility from Lower Queen Anne, Taylor St, and Downtown to SPU and the north side of Queen Anne,” said Nourish in a comment to the previous story, adding, “Such systems, in general, provide similar mobility at far less cost, or much greater mobility at the same cost. I personally think this change is long overdue.”
Others, like Queen Anne resident and Metro rider Nell Beedle, believe some could have serious trouble with these changes.
“There are, in fact, very steep slopes and in some cases stairways that create physical barriers to access for less able-bodied riders,” said Beedle. “It’s not just about trip times for some folks; it’s also about physically being able to access the route.”
This is something Metro planners and administrators take into consideration, said Hull.
“We’re trying to limit the impacts, but we surely understand that we can’t cut 600,000 hours, almost 20 percent of our system, and not have impacts to current riders,” said Hull. “We understand that not everyone is capable of making a farther walk, that there may be individuals because of a disability or age that can’t make that walk.”
Federal laws require the King County Department of Transportation to factor in disadvantaged populations in their planning, and in the event that a disabled person is unable access public transportation, Metro provides assistance through their MetroAccess Paratransit program, said Hull.
One major factor that can keep these changes from becoming a reality is Senate Bill 5457, or the temporary $20 congestion reduction charge to help fund public transit. The bill was signed by Governor Gregoire on May 16, but it still needs to be passed by the King County Council, who will decide the matter later this summer. According to Queen Anne Community Council member Kirk Robbins at last Wednesday’s transportation committee meeting, two King County Council members have said it’s going to be a unanimous vote to put the $20 dollar charge for bus operations on the ballot in November, passing the matter to King County voters.
“[The bill] is a stopgap measure that would allow King County Metro to avoid reducing 17.5 percent of the system,” said Hull. “Even after taking numerous actions to reduce cost… we’re kind of at a point now that without additional revenue to sustain the system we got to make cuts.”
The measure would collect for about two years before expiring, during which time the state legislature would look for a bigger, more permanent fix to the transit funding problem.
“Without the fee, then these cuts need to happen sooner than later,” said Hull.
It’s Memorial Day weekend, which for many Seattleites is synonymous with the city’s annual Northwest Folklife Festival, now in full swing at Seattle Center.
The festival, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, chose to have a Bulgarian theme for the 2011 festival, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find all of your favorite cultural, ethnic, musical and artistic events, alongside a few new ones. One of the elements new to the festival this year is the “Indie Roots” stage, which according to The Seattle Times, intends to highlight “kinship between traditional folk music and Seattle’s burgeoning “neo-folk” indie movement”.
Also new to the festival this year: a Living Green Courtyard, located in the Alki Court on the northeast corner of Seattle Center. For more information watch the following news clip about the garden:
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday. Check out The Seattle Times lineup preview here. The full festival schedule can be found at the Folklife festival website here.
Parking is always packed around the festival, so it’s recommended to carpool or take public transportation when possible. Metro will be offering cash-only shuttle service to and from the festival on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Other routes will operate on holiday schedules on Sunday and Monday. More information on the Folklife shuttle here.
The Queen Anne Community Council Transportation Committee is having a meeting on neighborhood transportation issues and concerns at 7:30 p.m. this Wednesday, May 25 at Queen Anne Manor, located at 100 Crockett Street.
The meeting will be held in the Queen Anne Manor dining room. Attendees should enter on the Crockett side of the building, sign in at the reception desk, and proceed to the right down the hall and left at the main dining room. The private dining room is located in the back. Parking is available in a free parking lot or on the street. Attendees are reminded not to linger in the halls after the meeting concludes so as not to disturb manor residents.
This month’s Uptown Alliance meeting is happening this Thursday, May 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space on the far west side of the store.
Among the hot topics this month is the issue of Metro’s RapidRide D line, which aims to connect neighborhoods in heavily used traffic corridors with frequent and fast connections. The RapidRide D line is scheduled to come to Interbay and Lower Queen Anne in 2012.
Take a look at what’s on the agenda this month:
Greetings and introductions – Approve minutes
Honoring Uptown Alliance Founder, Janis Ford
RapidRide D-Line stops
West Mercer Street stop consolidation
Pedestrian crossings at West Mercer stop
Parking loss on West Mercer St.
Report on pending Small & Simple Grant Application supporting the outreach phase of planning for the Uptown Triangle, bounded by Denny, Broad, and Aurora.
Committee Reports
Parks
Events: A drop-in public meeting space store front for Uptown
Planning & Transportation: Meeting with Exec. Dir. Kate Joncas of Seattle Downtown Assn. re/urban decay issues.
New Business: bring your own topics and comments.
The next Uptown Alliance meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, also at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market. For more information, contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net, or John Coney at djohnconey@aol.com.
The overnight snowfall may not have been the 2-6 inches forecasters warned us about, but there is a very light dusting of snow on the ground in Queen Anne this morning. The forecast calls for anywhere from a trace to 2 inches more later today.
With the temperature currently at 26 degrees, commuters are advised to keep an eye out for ice. Metro buses are on snow routes this morning, and Microsoft has canceled all its Connector routes. Here’s SDOT’s first report this AM:
Most city streets are bare and wet this morning. Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation are treating major arterial streets to guard against the formation of ice in advance of the morning commute period. Snowfall last night was highly variable around the city. Beacon Hill, southern Rainier Valley, and higher parts of West Seattle appear to have had the most snow.
WSDOT crews have been busy treating the freeways. For the most part, traffic is moving smoothly. You can check the latest WSDOT traffic updates, the flow map and the full set of WSDOT cameras.
Metro Transit is gearing up for possible snow this afternoon by chaining up buses and planning to move from regular routes to snow routes.
Metro buses will move to snow routing as travel conditions change. When buses move to snow routes, it will be announced through Transit Alerts and on the Metro Online website. Check the status for your route before you travel.
Metro is using an online color-coded map to keep riders informed of the status of its bus service. All bus routes are assigned into one or more of seven geographic areas within King County. When there is snow or ice on the roads, the service status of each area will be color coded and displayed on the online map. Green indicates buses are operating on normal routes; yellow that some – but not all – routes in the area are on snow routes (primarily in higher elevation areas); and red tells you that all bus routes in the entire geographic area are on snow routing.
People without online access can call the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000. General information about service will also be sent out via the kcmetrobus Twitter account.
Expect buses to be crowded and significantly delayed when on snow routes and travel is difficult. Also, many people may leave work early today, so take that into consideration in deciding when to travel. Metro encourages people to limit travel if possible if roads become snowy and icy.
While there were only a few hours of stop-and-go snow flurries on the hill yesterday, with little stick, forecasts (from the Weather Service, Cliff Mass, and KING 5) for today are all calling for anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of snowfall in the Seattle area. As a result, a winter storm watch took effect beginning at 4 a.m. this morning.
In preparation for a big snowfall today, the City of Seattle has also activated its snow plan. Early in the morning, ten snow plows hit the north end of the city. At 9 a.m., the Seattle Department of Transportation went into “full 24-hour response plan to keep roads open, buses moving and critical emergency services accessible,” Rick Sheridan of SDOT writes. More from the release:
The response plan calls for deploying 30 trucks with plows, which will be prepositioned throughout the city in key locations such as elevated structures and certain trouble spots on major arterials. The department starting pre-treating major roadways with salt brine this afternoon in preparation for the storm. Additional details concerning SDOT’s response will be forthcoming as more information about the impending storm becomes available.
SDOT also reminds property owners that they are responsible for the sidewalks in front of their properties.
Mayor Mike McGinn says this storm could be like that of November 22, 2010. “Because Wednesday afternoon’s commute is expected to be difficult,” McGinn writes in a statement, “It may be a good day to work an alternate shift, telecommute or make other travel arrangements if possible.”
Metro Transit is also urging passengers to be prepared for the snow.
Wednesday’s snowfall may start out light in some areas, but transit users should plan ahead for bus trips that could be disrupted, delayed, and on snow routing. Even though weather in the morning may not be bad in your area, you should leave from a bus stop or park-and-ride that also has service when buses are on snow routes in case travel conditions deteriorate by the afternoon commute.
We’re expecting some snow later in the day on Tuesday and it’s likely to start accumulating during the afternoon commute. King County Metro Transit wants to remind you that your afternoon commute might look a lot different than your morning one.
They have passed along the following tips to make your commute run smoother in case of weather issues.
Before traveling, riders should check www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow for the most current status of Metro service. Updates to the online information begin as early as 4 a.m. and continue as needed until the storm is over.
Know the snow routing for your bus route. Check the timetables at www.metro.kingcounty.gov for snow route maps for each route. Not every bus route has snow routing, but most do
If you haven’t already, sign up for Transit Alerts to keep up with any major changes to bus service. The alerts can be received as email or text messages. Go to www.metro.kingcounty.gov/signup to subscribe
Metro is using a new online color-coded map to keep riders informed of the status of its bus service, which can be found online at: www.metro.kingcounty.gov/snow. All bus routes are assigned into one or more of seven geographic areas within King County. When there is snow or ice on the roads, the service status of each area will be color coded and displayed on the online map. Green indicates buses are operating on normal routes; yellow that some – but not all – routes in the area are on snow routes (primarily in higher elevation areas); and red tells you that all bus routes in the entire geographic area are on snow routing
People without online access can call the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000. General information about service will also be sent out via the kcmetrobus Twitter account
Metro buses are running on a reduced schedule this week. “The reduced weekday schedule features more bus service than on weekends, but somewhat less service than on normal weekdays,” the website states. During this week, some school-oriented routes have been canceled and other routes have individual trips canceled. You can see a list of affected bus routes here.
On Saturday, January 1, Metro will run on a Sunday schedule. Metro will be back to normal on Monday, January 3rd.
If you plan to ride the bus next week, you may need to add some extra time to your travel plans — your route may be on “reduced service” schedule.
King County Metro Transit says that buses will run on a reduced schedule beginning Friday, Dec. 24, which includes the week after Christmas. Several routes that serve the University District have fewer trips between Monday, Dec. 20 and Friday, Dec. 31 because the University of Washington is not in session. Check your routes here.
Metro has planned reductions for holiday periods where there has historically been 20-40 percent fewer weekday riders. On several of the upcoming legal holidays, Metro will use a Sunday schedule.
Sunday schedules will be used on the following holidays:
• Saturday, Dec. 25 – Christmas
• Saturday, Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day
The reduced weekday schedule will be in effect on:
• Friday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve
• Monday-Friday, Dec. 27-31 – winter holiday period, including New Year’s Eve
• Monday, Jan. 17 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On days with reduced weekday schedules, some commuter and school-oriented routes do not operate, and other routes will have individual trips canceled. Many routes will have no changes.
This schedule is being used on 10 days in 2010, and Metro estimates it saves about $1 million each year. Find a complete list of routes that are canceled or have trip cancellations on these days on Metro Online’s holiday page.
This fare increase, which was adopted by the King County Council in 2009, is one of several approaches Metro is using to help ease the effects of a severe budget shortfall. In addition to fares, Metro is pursuing a number of other actions to deal with the shortfall including efficiencies and staff reductions.
Visit Metro Online for more information about fares and schedules, or call the Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000.
Metro riders in Queen Anne will have to keep a little more change handy in the new year. King County Metro Transit is increasing fares starting in January 2011.
Beginning Jan. 1, all adult Metro riders will see a 25 cent fare increase. Fares for other Metro products, such as passes and ticketbooks, will also increase. Youth fares will remain unchanged.
Fares will also be changing for Access customers. Access fares will increase by 25 cents and monthly passes will cost $45.
Metro-only annual and monthly reduced fare passes will no longer be sold, though existing ones will continue to be honored until they expire.
Check here for more information about upcoming Metro fare adjustments.
Bus riders, take note: Metro is revising some routes on its current schedule, beginning this Saturday, October 2. Routes that go through Queen Anne undergoing changes include:
Route 17—There are routing changes in downtown Seattle for both northbound and southbound trips—Northbound trips to Sunset Hill will operate via 3rd Ave north of Virginia St and on Blanchard St between 3rd Ave and Westlake Ave N. These trips will no longer operate on Virginia St between 3rd Ave and Westlake Ave, and on Westlake Ave between Virginia St and Blanchard St. Southbound trips to downtown Seattle will operate via 9th Ave south of Republican St, on Bell St between Denny Way and 3rd Ave, and on 3rd Ave between Bell St and Virginia St. These trips will no longer operate on Westlake Ave south of Blanchard St or on Stewart St.
Routes16—On weekdays, the northbound 12:40 am trip will leave 15 minutes earlier at 12:25 am. Discontinued: The northbound trips to Northgate from the Seattle Ferry Terminal at 12:10 am weekdays and 12:38 am Saturday.
Route 26—Discontinued: On weekdays, the southbound express trip to downtown Seattle from Woodlawn Ave N & Ravenna Blvd at 7:02 am.
Route 28—Discontinued: On weekdays, the southbound express trip to downtown Seattle from Aurora Ave N & N 143rd St at 5:34 am and all shuttle trips operating between Aurora Ave N & N 143rd St and Fremont Ave N & N 34th St.
Route 30—Weekend service between the Seattle Center and the U-District will begin about 6 am on Saturday and 10 am on Sunday. With the addition of 80 trips per week, there will now be service between the Seattle Center and the U-District until midnight seven days per week.
Route 31—Discontinued: The westbound Route 31 trip to central Magnolia from 12th Ave NE & NE Campus Pkwy at 6:23 am.
Route 45—Discontinued: The eastbound trip to the U-District leaving Roy St & Warren Ave N at 7:02 am.
Metro says it’s making the schedule and route changes to save money, preserve bus service, and operate more efficiently. Bus riders should check fall schedules for the routes they use most often to see what’s new. You can prepare by picking up a new orange timetable, Special Rider Alert brochure, or use the online Trip Planner for some advance research. When using Trip Planner, be sure to input a date of October 2 or later.
While driving around Seattle, it’s hard not to notice the overhead wire that runs above about 70 miles of pavement in and around the city. King County Metro Transit has a fleet of 159 electric trolley buses that operate along those lines, which had 19.7 million boardings on its routes in 2009—about one-fifth of Metro’s total average weekday ridership.
Photo courtesy of King County Metro Transit
Queen Anne is a neighborhood that happens to have quite a few trolley lines going through it, (including routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, etc.).
(Photo provided by the City of Seattle, depicts the central corridor of the King Country Metro Trolley Bus Network as of 2010).
King County Executive Dow Constantine has sent the King County Council a plan for a proposed evaluation in its imminent replacement of this fleet. It focuses on the technology of electric trolleys and diesel-electric hybrid buses, with a goal toward finding the most fuel-efficient, best value for the system. The Trolley Bus System Evaluation (.pdf) is expected to continue through the middle of next year. It will explore the costs, impact on the environment, funding opportunities and legal issues.
Metro plans additional public meetings for discussion of the evaluation as results become available. The next one is in Mount Baker on Sept.13.
Metro has already conducted a preliminary evaluation of several potential propulsion systems, including electric trolley, diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, compressed natural gas, electric battery, and hydrogen fuel cells.
The county is holding an open house tonight, Tuesday, June 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Plymouth Congregational Church, located at 1217 6th Ave, and invites the public to take part in the discussion. The meeting will cover the Trolley Bus System Evaluation, a study that will examine the 14-route trolley system and “help the county make an informed decision about the best vehicle technology to use on these routes as the current trolley buses wear out.” For more information, check out the City of Seattle’s electric trolley bus network data (.pdf).
Ever noticed how much quieter some buses (routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, etc.) are than the many others that run through Queen Anne? You can thank those overhead wires — and the electric trolley buses they power — for that respite from noise pollution. The trolley buses also produce much less air pollution than diesel buses.
Our news partner The Seattle Times covered this story last month. On Tuesday, June 22, the public will have an opportunity to learn more about the Trolley Bus System Evaluation, a study that will examine the 14-route trolley system and “help the county make an informed decision about the best vehicle technology to use on these routes as the current trolley buses wear out.”
(Photo provided by the City of Seattle, depicts the central corridor of the King Country Metro Trolley Bus Network as of 2010).
The open house will be held downtown at Plymouth Congregational Church (1217 6th Avenue) from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, see the City of Seattle’s electric trolley bus network data (.pdf).
What do you think of the trolley buses and their possible replacement with diesel buses or other alternatives?
Metro is planning to close a number of bus stops along the #3 and #4 routes beginning Saturday, June 26, as part of its stop-spacing consolidation project for both lines.
Much like a similar project announced for the #28 route back in March, this plan would remove 27 of the 116 stops north of Denny Way and east of 5th Avenue, many of which are in Queen Anne along Taylor Ave N, Boston St., Queen Anne Ave N and other streets.
Metro says the plans to remove closely spaced stops along this stretch “will help buses move faster and operate on a more reliable schedule, cut energy consumption, and reduce Metro’s operating and maintenance costs.”
Sixteen stops in Queen Anne are on the chopping block, including both the north and southbound stops at Second Ave N and Blaine Street, Queen Anne Ave N and W Howe Street, Fifth Ave N at Crockett Street, and Taylor Ave N at Galer and Garfield streets. Get the full list of proposed closures here. In addition to the closings, Metro plans to open two more stops: one northbound at Taylor Ave N and Prospect Street, the other westbound at Boston Street and 2nd Ave N.
Currently the average distance between stops for these two routes is about 700 feet. After the stop-spacing project is complete, Metro estimates the average distance between stops will be closer to 950 feet. According to Metro, these changes will only directly affect eight percent of riders, who will now have to catch their bus at a different stop than they have in the past, stating that “When the project is completed, all riders should have a faster, more reliable trip.”
A few readers have expressed concern with the proposed changes. Jeff writes,
While some of the stops aren’t used much, they are cutting some of the more popular stops such as Galer and Taylor that is off of the stairs that run up the hill that many people access. I know of several disabled riders that get on at the Taylor condos that would have to walk several blocks down or up the hill to get to a stop. Cutting the rarely used stops I understand, but it seems like they cut based on spacing ignoring the riders that use the stops.
The public is invited to comment on the proposed consolidation project through Friday, June 11. Metro says it will be considering comments sent in from the community and will keep the neighborhood updated with any changes to the plan. You may comment on the project by filling out this online survey, sending an e-mail to community.relations@kingcounty.gov ( be sure to put “Route 3+4″ in the subject line), or calling Metro’s message line at (206) 296-4511 and leaving a message that includes the location of your stop.
If you ride the number 28 bus, you may have seen the bus rider alert notices at bus stops. King County Metro is eliminating 56 bus stops between Denny Way and North 145th Street. That’s about 42 percent of all the stops.
Metro says it’s increasing the spacing between bus stops to reduce emissions and fuel consumption, reduce operating costs and speed up service. Metro estimates that about 25 percent of riders will need to catch their bus at a different stop when the changes are implemented on Sunday, April 4.
You can call the Route 28 Hotline at 206-296-4511 for more information and to leave a comment. Comments will be accepted through March 19.
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Depending on who you ask, 400-700 people showed up for last night’s Metropolitan King County Council committee meeting to discuss the proposed cuts in King County Metro bus service.
While there were only a few hours of 
If you plan to ride the bus next week, you may need to add some extra time to your travel plans — your route may be on “reduced service” schedule.
