New 'bus only' lanes on 3rd Avenue in Seattle are expected to save bus commuters a lot of time, and bus drivers a lot of headaches.
"Over the weekend, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crews were busy marking twelve blocks of 3rd Avenue “bus only” and adding signs up and down the corridor alerting drivers not to enter between the hours of 6am and 7pm any day of the week," reports Ryan Packer.
The bus lane was originally scheduled for construction next month, but the project got moved up to take advantage of dry weather, according to Packer.
Packer describes the significance of the project is increased by the looming closure of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) to buses. "In March of next year, every single bus that uses the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) to get through downtown will instead need to find a surface street. While 2nd Avenue and 4th Avenue have transit-only lanes as well, those streets are also limited in the number of routes that can be added. Nonetheless, without extra capacity on 3rd Avenue, that’s where they will likely end up, vying for space in lanes that also double as turn lanes for private vehicles."
FULL STORY: 3rd Avenue All Day Transit Restrictions Start Today
Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Proposed for Seattle Light Rail Stations
Anticipating the opening of two new stations in 2024, the Seattle Department of Transportation released a study prioritizing bike infrastructure in the surrounding areas.
Seattle Neighborhood Groups Propose Aerial Gondola to Replace Light Rail Expansion
Impatient with the city's light rail expansion plans, some residents are looking to aerial gondolas as a new mode of public transit.
Transit-Friendly Makeover for Downtown Seattle Street
Transit commutes have borne the brunt of ongoing deconstruction work around Alaskan Viaduct in Downtown Seattle. Allowing two-way bus-only lanes on Columbia Street is supposed to improve the situation.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)