Sound Transit says light rail service through Seattle back to normal after downtown tunnel work

 

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(Image: Sound Transit)

That was a drag. Sound Transit says service has returned to normal on its light rail 1 Line meaning smoother rides between Capitol Hill and the route’s stations south of downtown.

CHS reported here on the January disruptions planned to allow crews to do much needed maintenance, repair, and upgrade work in the downtown transit tunnel. Sound Transit said the work included replacement of 500 feet of northbound track between University Street and Westlake “at the sharpest curve in the entire Link system.”

Those repairs and upgrades meant riders hoping to travel to and from Capitol Hill Station for destinations like airport either had to rely on shuttles or finding a Metro bus route alternative.

Along the way, additional service disruptions piled on including this ventilation failure at Westlake Station.

But the larger project was completed on schedule and Sound Transit says full service has restarted as planned. Continue reading

Downtown tunnel work will bring ‘major disruption’ to light rail in January

2024 will begin with a drag for light rail riders. Work to replace tracks in the downtown transit tunnel will mean interrupted service between Capitol Hill Station and SODO for a few weeks to start the new year, Sound Transit says.

The work schedule and disruptions will vary depending on what day of the week you are riding:

On weekends, 1 Line trains will run every 10-15 minutes between Northgate–Capitol Hill, and between SODO–Angle Lake. Between Capitol Hill–SODO, there will be no 1 Line service, and a Link shuttle will serve all closed stations every 10-15 minutes. Continue reading

With big decisions to be made on Ballard expansion and new line opening milestones still to hit for West Seattle and Judkins Park, Sound Transit in search of a new CEO

(Image: Sound Transit)

As Sound Transit is struggling with crucial decisions that will shape its next stages of growth and expansion, the agency will also be searching for a new leader. CEO Julie Timm is stepping down after just over a year of leadership that saw Sound Transit struggle to address issues around a return to pre-pandemic ridership levels and big questions about how light rail will expand to serve key areas of Seattle.

Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm announced today she will be leaving the agency in order to return to the East Coast to take care of family matters. Since joining Sound Transit in September 2022, Timm has overseen a renewed emphasis on the rider experience as Sound Transit approaches the opening of several new extensions, starting with East Link next spring. Her focus and leadership in centering current and future riders in the agency’s capital and operating programs will benefit the region for years to come.

Continue reading

‘Stop the Skip’ — Seattle Subway calls for support for Midtown Station in light rail expansion plans

Sound Transit’s current vision for the future of key expansions like light rail to Ballard is muddier than Golden Gardens at low tide but one group continues to try to fight for clarity and access for Central Seattle transit riders.

The Seattle Subway group is calling for supporters to join an organizing meeting Wednesday night as Sound Transit is considering plans that would “skip” creation of a Midtown Station near 5th or 6th Ave as it tunnels through the area to create the new expanded lines.

“Sound Transit pledged a station for First Hill, the densest neighborhood in Washington, but they skipped it in Sound Move and are threatening to do it again in Sound Transit 3,” the Seattle Subway call reads. “Join Seattle Subway in saying NO to skipping Midtown Station! Let’s prevent Backroom Bruce from making transit worse for everyone in Puget Sound.”

CHS reported here earlier this year as rumblings grew around Sound Transit’s possible pullback on Midtown plans. The shifting plans could mean Sound Transit will once again be on the hook for offering an alternative after falling short on promised service to First Hill. Continue reading

Didn’t tap at Capitol Hill Station? Sound Transit Fare Ambassadors to start (friendly) crack down on nonpayment

(Image: Sound Transit)

Sound Transit Fare Ambassadors aren’t messing around anymore.

Starting November 15th, riders at Capitol Hill Station and the light rail system and other Sound Transit services will need to tap in and tap out — but the agency is taking a lenient approach to the new fare enforcement policy.

Riders who don’t pay will be allowed two warnings in a 12-month period. After that, the gloves come off.

“On the third and fourth interactions without proof of payment, passengers will be issued violations that can be resolved with Sound Transit through non-monetary options such as an online class or engagement activity, or with a $50 fine for the third violation, and a $75 fine for the fourth,” Sound Transit warns.

“Repeat non-payment… will result in a civil infraction, which may be referred to the district court,” Sound Transit says.

The agency depends on fares for a big chunk — around 7% — of its operating budget. Unlike some major metro transit systems around the world, Sound Transit has designed its stations without payment gates or turnstiles.

Continue reading

Sound Transit: Trains every 15 minutes as summer construction season wraps up in Seattle

(Image: Sound Transit)

It is a fact of life that Seattle summers bring transit delays as drier weather means important maintenance work can be completed. Sound Transit has announced light rail service through the city will be reduced to trains running every 15 minutes for about a month as it completes some catch-up maintenance work:

Just as one summer service disruption is ending, another is beginning. Passengers taking Link should note that trains will run every 15 minutes for the next few weeks for a maintenance project. We originally had expected to have 12-minute headways, but we have since had to move to 15 minutes to ensure reliability for our riders. We are working towards optimizing headways, while being mindful of safety through construction zones.

The reduced service will allow crews to reconstruct the platform edges and the tiles at Othello and Rainier Beach stations. Sound Transit says most of the existing tiles are cracked or broken, creating a safety hazard for passengers. Continue reading

The Capitol Hill Station vacuum was a sign — It is time to clean up Broadway’s light rail station

@typewriteralley recently posted about the now infamous Capitol Hill Station vacuum — “The detritus at Capitol Hill Station has gotten to the level of small appliances”

After seven years accumulation of grime and grit, a discarded vacuum cleaner didn’t push things over the edge but its recent removal along with the rest of the trash that had piled up below the escalator down to the subway platform was a sign of things to come.

It is time to clean up Capitol Hill Station.

John Gallagher, a spokesperson for Sound Transit, tells CHS that the station is generally cleaned on a daily basis, as the custodial staff operates on three shifts throughout the week while also being tasked to respond to urgent cleaning requests from all stations.

But something changed below Broadway in recent months. And the junk — and complaints — have piled up at the seven-year-old facility.

According to Gallagher, Sound Transit has seen an increase in hygiene complaints at the station the possible factors including bold graffiti drawings on the escalators and walls. In addition, riders noticed piles of garbage thrown around the entrances and accumulating in the station’s nooks and crannies.

“We have attempted to make efforts to fix the situation,” Gallagher said. “Last week, we sent a specialized graffiti removal crew to work on the escalators, and cleared out most debris from the elevated areas as well.”

But riders have expressed frustration with the lack of effort taken by Sound Transit to ensure the upkeep of the station, complaining of trash on the overhead lights and the lack of dustbins near the platforms. There was also concern raised about dirt on the floors, and foul smell in most elevators. Continue reading

Sound Transit gets downtown light rail service back to normal 72 hours early after clock removal mishap

Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm with a chunk of concrete that could have made the downtown transit tunnel unsafe for riders during the repairs (Image: @JulieETimm)

Sound Transit is coming in three days early on the predicted two-week emergency service disruption caused by ill-timed problems with street-level clock maintenance that snarled Seattle’s downtown transit tunnel.

With agency CEO Julie Timm providing detailed and near-live updates over the weekend, crews were able to finally fully assess the damage and come up with a plan for repair that had service nearly fully restored Monday. Continue reading

Bad timing — Sound Transit says downtown clock removal mishap could mean 336 hours of light rail service disruption

(Image: Sound Transit)

Damage from work to remove a clock above Westlake Station will mean delays for light rail service through Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

Sound Transit said it expects two weeks of delays starting Thursday night as repairs take place:

During this period, passengers traveling southbound will need to transfer at Capitol Hill station to another train to continue their trips, while passengers traveling northbound will need to transfer at Stadium station. Trains through the tunnel will run in each direction every 30 minutes. Trains between Northgate and Capitol Hill stations and between Stadium and Angle Lake stations will run every 10 minutes. Because trains will be single tracking through the tunnel, the northbound platforms at Westlake, University Street, Pioneer Square, and International District stations are closed. Only the southbound platforms at those stations will be open for trains traveling in either direction.

“During this time, passengers should pay extra attention while they travel so they don’t get on the train going in the wrong direction and don’t stay on the train when they need to transfer,” the Sound Transit bulletin reads.

Sound Transit says the the downtown closure is necessary to allow time to investigate the damage caused last Tuesday “when a construction crew attempting to remove a clock at street level broke through the roof of the tunnel.”

While no one was injured at the time, subsequent examination of the damage showed that it was more significant than originally thought, necessitating the emergency service disruption for the safety of passengers. The closure of the northbound platform will allow Sound Transit personnel to more closely examine the damage and determine what repairs will be necessary.

Passengers traveling through the area should allow for additional time for their trip. Sound Transit says, and possibly should consider alternative modes of getting through the city until the repairs are completed.

UPDATE 5/1/2023: In a bulletin, King County Metro says the delays remain significant but are down to trains operating “every 15-20 minutes in the DSTT.”

 

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Another delay for Judkins Park Station: Spring 2025

Pretty much ready and waiting (Image: Sound Transit)

The station has stood mostly complete — since May 2022 (Image: Sound Transit)

Judkins Park Station is mostly ready and waiting but the first light rail trains probably won’t arrive there until the spring of 2025.

Sound Transit says ongoing construction problems will further delay its expansion to the Eastside including the new Judkins Park Station in the Central District. In a construction update (PDF), Sound Transit said a major project for “track reconstruction” is  “progressing slower than planned.”

The Seattle Times reported here on the multimillion dollar mistakes that have caused contractors to start over on hundreds of concrete track ties on the I-90 portion of the new light rail route.

Sound Transit has now revised its plans for a spring 2025 opening of the line and the new Judkins Park station with its design that honors neighborhood music legend Jimi Hendrix. Continue reading