Sound Transit

Sound Transit Rendering

Planning Work Beginning on Sound Transit's Tacoma Dome Link Extension

Sound Transit is hard at work with a busy planning schedule for several light rail projects in the Tacoma area. A post on The Urbanist focuses on the scoping project for the Tacoma Dome Link extension.

May 9, 2018 - The Urbanist

Seattle Train

New Surplus Land Policy to Supplement Sound Transit's Big Investments

Inclusive transit oriented development is a top priority with Sound Transit's new surplus land policy.

May 2, 2018 - Public Square: A CNU Journal

Seattle Stadiums

A Baseball Ticket Counts as a Train Ticket in Seattle

It's Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and fans of the Seattle Mariners have an extra reason to celebrate this year.

March 29, 2018 - Curbed Seattle

Transit Oriented Development

Two Transit Agencies Using Their Clout to Spur Affordable Housing

More transit agencies are recognizing that it's not enough to build transit infrastructure if the people who really need it don't live close enough to use it.

February 20, 2018 - TransitCenter

Seattle Transit

Transit Needs More Allies at the State Level

While the federal government withdraws financing support for public transit, one writer says Democrats in the state of Washington need to gird support for Sound Transit 3's funding initiatives.

January 10, 2018 - The Urbanist

Amtrak Cascaded

Focus on Positive Train Control after Amtrak Train 501 Derails in Washington

Excessive speed is thought to be the cause of the deadly derailment on Dec. 18. Positive train control, which likely would have slowed down the train, was installed on the tracks and locomotive but was not yet operational.

December 22, 2017 - RailwayAge

Seattle Freeway

More Buses Will Travel on the Shoulder to Skip Traffic in Seattle

Soon, Sound Transit buses will start traveling on the shoulder to skip a perpetually congested stretch of I-5. Over a dozen Sound Transit and Community Transit express routes operate on the 2.5-mile stretch.

December 17, 2017 - The Urbanist

Link and Bus Seattle

Ranking Seattle's Transit Lines

With plans for expansions and realignment in the works, Sound Transit recently ranked the performance of the routes and corridors throughout the bus and light rail transit system.

November 25, 2017 - Seattle Transit Blog

Street Musician

Buskers Welcome at Select Sound Transit Stations

A popular program to allow street performers (aka, buskers) into station areas on the Seattle region's Sound Transit system has been expanded.

September 21, 2017 - The Urbanist

Parking Sign

Seattle-Area Park and Ride Costs Soar to $100,000 a Space

Charged with adding over 8,500 stalls, Sound Transit is facing rampant costs that call its park and ride strategy into question.

September 15, 2017 - The Seattle Times

Los Angeles Metro

Successful Ballot Measures Spell Doom for Transit Funding in Trump's 2018 Budget

President Trump points to the passage of multi-billion ballot measures last November as proof that federal funding isn't needed to fund transit, justifying elimination of a major grants program. The CEOs of two large transit agencies fight back.

May 30, 2017 - The Source

Capitol Hill

Funds Directed to Transit Projects in 2017 Budget May Not Be Allocated

Funding for Caltrain electrification, which Transportation Secretary Chao approved May 22, is one of 21 transit projects receiving funding in the omnibus spending bill that may be contingent on approval from the Trump Administration.

May 30, 2017 - The Washington Post

Green Line, Los Angeles

Review of November 2016 Transportation Ballot Measures

About 50 transportation measures appeared on local ballots on November 8, 2016. To date, Planetizen reviewed outcomes in nine regions in six states. Here we compare the measures in terms of revenue, taxes, projects, and reasons for failure.

January 12, 2017 - Planetizen

Sound Transit Link Light Rail

Sound Transit, Feds Agree to Low Interest Rates on $2 Billion in Transportation Funding

If getting low interest rates from the federal government on money borrowed to finance transportation projects sounds like a national infrastructure bank, you're on the right track.

December 23, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Streetcar

Seattle's HUGE Transit Victory on Election Day

In dollars, Seattle region's Proposition 1 was second only to Measure M, a $120 billion sales tax measure in Los Angeles County, although the comparison is lacking in at least three respects. Prop 1 did not pass in all three Puget Sound counties.

November 21, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Transit

Light Rail Ridership Takes Off in Seattle After Expansion

Besting all expectations, ridership numbers have increased 83 percent since Seattle's Sound Transit light rail system added two new stations, connecting downtown to the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood and the University of Washington.

August 14, 2016 - Next City

Seattle Light Rail Construction

Details of the Seattle's Big ST3 Light Rail Plan

The $54 billion ST3 plan would add 62 miles of light rail over 25 years.

August 5, 2016 - Seattle Transit Blog

U-Link opening

Seattle Light Rail Extension Already Beating Ridership Expectations

The new Sound Transit light rail link between downtown, Capitol Hill, and the University of Washington is already drawing a crowd.

April 24, 2016 - Seattle Transit Blog

Sound Transit Link Light Rail

Sound Transit Breaks Ground Today on the $3.7 Billion Light Rail Extension

Sound Transit begins construction on the East Link light rail extension. Next stop: 2023, when the line is expected to serve 50,000 riders a day.

April 22, 2016 - Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce

Seattle's New Light Rail Line Proving Good for Business

Since a March opening greeted with fanfare for its on-time and under budget delivery, local business are crediting the new light rail line connecting Downtown Seattle to Capitol Hill with big sales bumps.

April 7, 2016 - KUOW

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.