A Link light rail train passes through the Rainier Valley while testing. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.Sound Transit announced an official start date for the Link light rail service: July 18. This is a delay of two weeks from the previously rumored date of July 3, but had been expected because of delays in the Beacon Hill station construction. Rides will be free on opening weekend if you want to check it out. Sound Transit’s Link launch site will be updated in the coming weeks with more information about the opening festivities.
In related news, today is the kickoff of the ORCA card program. The ORCA card is a smart card that will eventually be used to pay fares on all the local transit systems. If you plan to be using the train (or other transit in the area) much in the future, particularly if you plan to transfer between train and bus, you will want to pick up an ORCA card from the orcacard.com website. Eventually ORCA will be required in order to transfer between different systems (such as light rail to bus, bus to Sounder, etc.). Read more about ORCA here.
Metro has released their proposed service revisions. These changes will be discussed at the special joint meeting of the King County Council’s Physical Environment Committee and the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meeting April 28th.
While the Link rail line has yet to even officially open, a train/car collision has already occurred earlier tonight. KIRO TV has a slideshow of the accident involving a light rail train and a little Toyota Yaris in the at-grade portion of the route along MLK Way at South Dawson Street. Almost certainly, this won’t be the last.
SDOT is closing the Jose Rizal bridge for a little while tomorrow:
12th Ave S Bridge (Jose Rizal)
Thursday, April 16
SDOT will close the northbound, right-hand lane on the 12th Ave S (Jose Rizal) Bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday April 16th. Trolley busses will be able to get through.
The closure is required for maintenance work on the bridge.
Franklin High School students boarding a Metro bus. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.The latest version of Metro Transit’s proposed service changes (discussed earlier here) will be announced this Friday. You may want to mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 28, when the public will have a chance to comment on the proposed changes at a special joint meeting of two committees of the Metropolitan King County Council: the Council’s Physical Environment Committee and the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee.
The meeting will be at 6:30 pm in Council chambers on the 10th floor of the King County Courthouse, at Third and James Street downtown.
As posted in the Council’s press release on Tuesday:
The council is scheduled to vote within the next six weeks on proposed Metro bus service changes for the southeast Seattle area and southwest King County that could occur next September or February.
Metro is proposing to change bus service once Sound Transit’s Link light rail service begins. The purpose of these changes is to connect neighborhoods to Link stations, avoid duplication of transit services, and make bus service more efficient.
These changes could affect Metro routes: 7, 7 Express, 8, 9 Express, 14, 32, 34 Express, 36, 38, 39, 42, 42 Express, 48, 60, 106, 107, 126, 128, 140, 154, 170, 174, 179, 180, 191, and 194.
Though the official version of the service changes will be posted on Friday, rumor has it the changes will include:
36: will run every 10 minutes on Saturday. Route will operate to Othello station.
38: service 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Mon-Sat with no Sunday service. The route will run between Beacon Hill and Mt. Baker stations only. No SODO service.
39: will continue to operate, but off-peak service (mid-day, nights and weekends) will go to every 45 minutes. Peak service to remain every 30 minutes.
60: Peak directional service (AM Northbound and PM Southbound) will go to every 15 minutes.
The public may comment before the council vote by testifying at the April 28 public hearing. You can also e-mail comments to janice.mansfield@kingcounty.gov, call (206) 296-1683 (TTY Relay 711), or mail a letter to: King County Council Physical Environment Committee, King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104.
The April 28 meeting will be carried live on King County TV on Comcast and Broadstripe cable Channel 22.
Seattle Sounders versus Kansas City Wizards – 7:30 p.m.
34,000 + spectators
Match is at Qwest Field. Occidental Avenue S will be closed north and south bound from S King Street to S Royal Brougham Way. Due to construction in the area, motorists need to allow extra time and check for the latest update on the SR 519 project at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr519
For traffic on major city streets, check SDOT’s real-time traffic Traveler Information Map at www.web5.seattle.gov
Normally, a permit is $45 per vehicle for a two-year permit, but to ease the transition to the RPZ program, the city will provide two no-cost RPZ permits per household or business through spring 2011, along with one no-cost guest permit. If you need more permits, you can purchase them at the normal price, $45 per vehicle ($10 for low-income residents). Applications for permits will be sent out in May, and enforcement of the new zone will begin in July when the light rail system starts operation.
The P-I reports on a sinkhole that appeared at 18th and Lander above the northbound light rail tunnel. Numerous trucks delivered fill material today to solidify the 18-inch hole that widened as it descended. Sound Transit is monitoring the area for any further problems.
(Edited: An earlier version of this post said that the sinkhole developed “due to Sound Transit construction.” The cause of the sinkhole has not been determined.)
“As early as Tuesday, March 31, Sound Transit’s contractor, Obayashi Corporation will begin removal of the blue noise wall that surrounds the site of the Beacon Hill light rail station.
“The first phase will include the removal of the blue noise wall starting with the northernmost sections along Beacon Ave S., 17th Ave S and S. Lander Street… The second phase will include removing the remainder of the blue noise wall on the south end of the property. The second phase is currently scheduled for the middle of May to early June. Once the blue noise wall is down, the site will be secured by a chain link fence. As a result, residents may experience increased noise from construction activities.
“Pedestrians should use caution while using the sidewalk on the eastside of Beacon Ave (that borders the blue noise wall) as pedestrian access will be moved safely around the work site.
“The noisier activities (such as jack-hammering) will take place during the day, and will be restricted to the hours of 7:00 am to 5:00pm.
“Construction activities expected between the hours of 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm include the installation of brick veneer, site and roadway (S. Lander St.) restoration, plaza paving and landscaping.
“No surface-level construction activity is expected between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am.
“Sound Transit will continue to monitor construction noise levels and any activity whose noise is outside of acceptable limits will be restricted to the hours between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm.
“If you have any construction-related concerns, please call Sound Transit’s construction hotline at 1-(888) 298-2395.”
The area just south of Cleveland High School on Swift Avenue South is notoriously pedestrian-unfriendly to students and others walking there. Fortunately, there are improvements coming to the area.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is completing a sidewalk improvement at the Metro bus stop on Swift Avenue South at 19th Avenue South. This will widen the 3-foot wide sidewalk to 9-feet wide at the bus stop. This sidewalk widening is part of a larger project that also includes a new lighted bus shelter, a new southbound bike lane, guardrail improvements, new school zone signs, and approximately 270 street trees in the neighborhood around Cleveland.
To celebrate these improvements, SDOT is hosting an event
next Friday, March 27 at 1:00 pm at the corner of South Orcas Street and 16th Avenue South. Grace Crunican, the Director of SDOT, will join approximately 30 school children from nearby Maple Elementary School to plant approximately 30 trees on South Orcas Street. The Mayor may possibly attend as well.
