User:SounderBruce/Sandbox/Buses

=Sound Transit Express=

Sound Transit Express, also known as ST Express, is a public transit service in the Seattle metropolitan area that is managed by Sound Transit. It consists of 27 express bus routes between major cities and transit centers via the region's freeway system, with operation and maintenance of the fleet contracted out to Community Transit, King County Metro and Pierce Transit.

History

 * Interurban services from 1900 to 1929
 * Intercity buses between Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma
 * Metro routes from 1973 to 1980s (CT and PT take over)
 * Community Transit commuter network in 1985
 * Pierce Transit commuter routes established in 1991 (bus tunnel)


 * Planning and approval
 * 1995-03-14: RTA plan fails
 * 1996-05-31: RTA Board approves finalized Sound Move plan, vote scheduled for November 5
 * 1996-11-05: Sound Move passes
 * 1997-08-15: CPSRTA Board adopts "Sound Transit" as its official name for services, along with "Regional Express" for buses


 * Service planning
 * 1997-09: ST begins funding 6 weekday Pierce Transit trips from Tacoma to Seattle, eventually increasing to 26 trips per weekday
 * 1988: First orders for ST Express buses placed, to be delivered in 1999
 * 1998-11-12: Regional Express Bus System plan adopted


 * Early years of service
 * 1999-01-15: Routes allocated to agencies
 * 1999-09-19: ST Express begins service on 17 routes, using existing express routes from CT, Metro and PT
 * Initial routes: Everett/Lynnwood/Seattle (510, 511, 512, 513) replacing CT routes 418 and 420, Everett Mall/Bellevue (530, 531, 532) replacing CT route 407, Lynnwood/Bellevue (535), Federal Way/Bellevue (565), Westside (SeaTac/International District 570), Pierce/SeaTac (574), Lakewood/Tacoma/Seattle (591, 592, 594)
 * Already in service: Route 550 (Seattle/Bellevue) replacing Metro route 226, Routes 590/595 (Seattle/Tacoma)
 * First year statistics: 4,083,136 total boardings (15,568 per weekday); most popular routes are Bellevue/Seattle (1,671,645), Lakewood/Tacoma/Seattle (1,405,784) and Everett/Lynnwood/Seattle (477,052)
 * First trip: Route 574 at 3:53 am on September 20
 * 2000-05-28: Routes 505/506 (Everett/Northgate) begin service
 * 2000-09-18: Routes 540 (Redmond/U District), 545/546 (Redmond/Seattle) and 560 (Bellevue/SeaTac) begin service
 * 2001-10-19: ST Express celebrates 10th million rider
 * 2002-09-30: ST Express declared complete as Route 522 (Woodinville/Bothell/Seattle, replacing Metro route 307) begins service
 * September 2003: More route changes; ST Board asks to support regional connectivity over ridership goals
 * 2003: Route 586 upgraded from demonstration route to permanent route
 * 2006: Service revision eliminating several routes in favor of simplified system and higher frequencies
 * 2013: Everett route restructure
 * 2019: Anticipated restructure of SR 520 services after Montlake closure
 * 2019: ST 540 transferred to CT, later to PT (along with 541)
 * Outsourcing plans later cancelled
 * 2024: Stride BRT begins service, replacing 535 and 560, supplemented by 532 and 522

Service

 * Characteristics
 * Far stop spacing in suburbs
 * Common stops in downtown
 * Extensive HOV lane use
 * Direct ramps and freeway stations
 * Routes operated by local agencies
 * Pierce operating South/East King routes due to bidding

Fares



 * Fare zones, organized by county: King, Pierce, Snohomish
 * Low-income fare (ORCA Lift)
 * Flat fare beginning 2020: $3.25 on all routes

Corridors and routes

 * From 2018 SIP
 * Include histories and descriptions instead of creating separate articles (except for 545 and 550)

History

 * Predecessors
 * January 1981: Metro Route 340 extended from Bellevue to Southcenter; connecting Aurora Village to Southcenter via Kenmore, Bothell, Bellevue, and Renton; intended to form a "spine" for Eastside transit with eight park-and-ride stops


 * Development
 * HOT lane plans
 * ST3 in 2016
 * Stride branding in December 2018
 * April 2020: Line names (S1/S2/S3) designated
 * September 2021: Lines and stations finalized by ST Board, scheduled completion in 2026 and 2027
 * 2023: Further delays to 2028 and 2029

Lines

 * 10-minute daytime frequency (20 min for Woodinville)
 * BAT lanes and queue jumps
 * Off-board fare payment
 * Real-time information

Lines S1 and S2

 * 11 stations, mostly in HOT lanes
 * Interchange redesigns in Kirkland and Bothell

Stations

 * Off-board fare payment
 * Real time arrivals information
 * Transit priority lanes

Preliminary stations

 * I-405 South (S1)
 * Burien Transit Center
 * Tukwila International Boulevard station (Link)
 * South Renton Transit Center (South Renton Park and Ride)
 * Parking expansion in 2034
 * NE 44th Street station
 * Parking in 2034
 * Bellevue Transit Center (Link)


 * I-405 North (S2)
 * Bellevue Transit Center (Link)
 * NE 85th Street station (covered in Kirkland, Washington)
 * Totem Lake/Kingsgate station (Totem Lake Freeway Station or Totem Lake Transit Center?)
 * Expanded parking by 2035
 * Brickyard Park and Ride
 * NE 195th Street station / UW Bothell/Cascadia College Transit Center (SR 522 BRT)
 * Canyon Park Park and Ride (Swift Green Line)
 * Lynnwood Transit Center (Link)


 * SR 522 (S3)
 * Shoreline South/145th station (Link)
 * 145th at 15th Avenue NE station
 * 145th at 25th Avenue NE station
 * 522 at NE 153rd Street station
 * 522 at NE 165th Street station (new from preliminary)
 * 522 at Ballinger Way station (formerly Lake Forest Park station)
 * 522 at 61st Avenue NE station (new)
 * 522 at 68th Avenue NE station (formerly Kenmore station)
 * 522 at 73rd / Kenmore Park and Ride
 * 98th Avenue NE station at NE 182nd Street
 * 185th at 104th Avenue NE station
 * UW Bothell station (110th)
 * NE 195th Street station / UW Bothell/Cascadia College Transit Center (I-405 BRT)

Preliminary stations that were skipped: 145th at 25th (moved to 30th), 522 at 145th, 522 at 155th (moved to 153rd), 185th at 101st (moved to 104th)


 * Woodinville shuttle
 * Every 20 minutes from Woodinville to Bothell, with peak extension to Bellevue

Operations

 * North Bus Base at current Phillips warehouse in Canyon Park
 * Capacity for 120 buses, including double deckers and battery electric fleet

Fleet

 * S3: 10 BYD RIDE K11M articulated battery electric buses ordered with chargers for $33.52 million
 * To be used on SR 522 (S3)
 * S1 and S2: 32 Alexander Dennis Enviro500EV double decker battery electric buses ordered with chargers for $73.16 million
 * 33 ordered with dual stairways

Routes

 * Pacific Avenue (Route 1)
 * Pierce Transit BRT lines planned along Routes 2, 3, 4 and 402

History

 * Route 1 history?
 * 2020: Project downsized
 * September 2020: Stream name selected for whole system, names for individual lines TBA
 * 2023: Delayed to 2028

Pacific Avenue line

 * Original plan
 * Dedicated lanes
 * ST3 funding
 * No underlay for Route 1 (eliminated)


 * Enhanced bus plan
 * Launches on April 1, 2024
 * 20-minute frequencies
 * Route 1 retained

Types of bus lanes

 * Full lanes
 * 3rd Avenue restrictions
 * BAT
 * Peak-and-parking

History

 * Bus tunnel
 * Red paint in 2010s

Rules and enforcement

 * Automated ticketing cameras introduced in 2019?

Background

 * Metro begins operating transit service on January 1, 1973

Timeline

 * November 9: Strike announced, drivers and mechanics vote 746-557 against contract from Metro
 * November 11: First weekday of strike, noticeable but not significant congestion (Veteran's Day holiday)
 * November 12: Car-pools form, traffic reported; other strike from sewage side of Metro threatened
 * Car-pool formation, drivers parking in bus lanes, retail clerks laid off, parking shortages
 * Seattle schoolchildren unable to attend
 * Sunday, November 24: Strike ends; trolley buses out of service temporarily
 * Concurrent Greyhound strike ends same day

Mediation

 * Federal mediation from Albert L. Gese begins meeting with both parties on November 11
 * Wage increase: $6 from $5.18

Impact

 * No strike clause
 * 1977: Metro hires part-time drivers
 * Later ATU actions and lawsuits in 1990s

Service

 * Ridership

=Swift lines=

Lines table

 * Notes

=University of Washington buses=


 * Health Sciences Express: UW to Harborview, UWMC, Roosevelt, SLU
 * NightWalk and NightRide
 * Historic service: U-Trans (1970s)
 * Established in March 1972 with Rainier Express (absorbed by Metro in 1975)
 * Fall 1972: Capitol Hill, Sand Point, and Fremont/Wallingford routes added
 * Fall 1973: Lake City route added
 * December 1974 statistics: 2,700 daily riders; buses hourly or better in evening; same fares as Metro with extra dime for long routes

Location and layout
Ash Way Park and Ride is located on the west side of Interstate 5 on the north side of its interchange with 164th Street Southwest. It is 2 mi west of central Mill Creek and 3 mi north of Lynnwood Transit Center.

Nearby development
The area around Ash Way Park and Ride, historically home to single family homes, has seen transit-oriented development in the form of high-rise apartments in the 2000s. The mixed-use Newberry Square project opened in 2005 and includes 123 apartments and several businesses at ground level. In 2014, the Tivalli apartment complex opened to the north of the park and ride, adding 383 units across several buildings.

History
The park and ride was opened on July 21, 1999, with 1,000 stalls, and was funded partially by Sound Transit and Boeing. It was planned in the early 1990s by Community Transit to help relieve nearby park and rides at Swamp Creek and Lynnwood Transit Center. It opened as the largest park and ride lot in Washington state, surpassing the 808-stall lot at Lynnwood Transit Center; Ash Way itself was surpassed by the Tacoma Dome Station garage, which holds 2,273 vehicles.


 * $18 million HOV direct access ramp opens September 19, 2005
 * Bus-only, south-only (design option for north end)
 * Delayed from September 2004 opening by design challenges, other construction issues
 * Bay re-assignment for commuter routes in 2017, finalized in 2018
 * April 2021: Mass COVID vaccination site
 * 2021: Bike lockers installed

Future light rail
Early in the planning process for the park and ride, it was identified as a potential terminus for a regional rapid transit system that would run along the Interstate 5 corridor towards Downtown Seattle.


 * RTID/Roads and Transit in 2007 (rejected)
 * Truncated to Lynnwood TC in 2008
 * ST3: light rail to Everett via Ash Way to open in 2036

History

 * Proposed in "Metro's 1990 transit plan"
 * Park and ride and north bus bays opened in September 1994
 * Service includes Boeing (187), Seattle (new 435), Bellevue (407)
 * New routes to Canyon Park began in February 1995
 * Community Transit annexation issue due to Bothell being part of King County
 * Result of WSDOT study into Bothell park and rides
 * Built to accommodate new business park
 * Overpass and south flyer stop opened in 2007, at a cost of $10.7 million
 * Construction began in 2006?
 * North bays converted to bus-only lane; eliminated access issues


 * Future
 * Swift Green Line terminus in February 2019 (further extension to Bothell planned)
 * I-405 BRT stop in 2024, using existing flyer stops

Layout

 * 3 bays (2 on north, 1 on south)
 * 302 parking spaces
 * Nearby: Business parks

Services

 * Routes: Swift Green, 105, 106, 120, 435, 532, 535
 * Future: Stride

History

 * May 2017: Construction begins
 * July 6, 2017: Groundbreaking with local and Boeing officials
 * March 31, 2019: Non-Swift services moved
 * Replaced outer loop for CT routes (still used by Everett and shuttles)

Layout

 * Center island and outer platforms
 * Operator break area in the middle

Services

 * Boeing shuttles 31 and 32
 * Swift Green Line
 * KC Metro 952
 * Peak-only extensions of CT routes
 * ST Express 513 (added in September 2019)

History
Real estate developer Manson F. Backus announced plans to build a $17 million shopping center at the intersection of Aurora Avenue and North 205th Street in April 1959. The initial plan was to build a 383,192 sqft of retail space for 45 to 50 stores on 32 acre in a "pedestrian-friendly" mall designed by John Graham & Company, who also worked on the nearby Northgate Mall. After the signing of major tenants, including J.C. Penny and Pay 'n Save, construction on the mall began in July 1959. An initial phase of 11 stores opened with the mall in April 1960.


 * July 1963: Frederick and Nelson (three-story) opens
 * May 1974: Nordstrom (two-story) opens with new parking deck
 * F&N bankruptcy causes cancellation of renovations
 * Closed in 1992, with Nordstrom as last tenant
 * Bank repossess Aurora Village Mall
 * 1992: Metro expands transit center using F&N site
 * 1994: "Rebirth" as discount store center
 * 1995: Shoreline incorporates
 * 1993: Edmonds considers annexing Aurora Village for taxbase
 * Costco stores opens in 1994 after years of negotiations

Transportation
Aurora Village Transit Center is a bus station and park and ride in Shoreline, Washington that is served by King County Metro and Community Transit.

History

 * Lake Ballinger
 * Echo Lake
 * Former interurban stop
 * Interurban Trail
 * 1985-04: Opened
 * 2001-10: Aurora Village TC closes for renovation construction, stops moved to N 200th Street
 * 2002-04: Renovated Aurora Village TC reopens
 * Increased capacity, transit bays, layover space, parking, new driver comfort stations, supervisor space, offices/retail space; reconfigured loading islands


 * BRT terminals
 * 2009-06-01: Swift terminal construction begins
 * 2009-11-29: Swift replaces CT Route 100/101
 * 2014-02-15: Route 358X becomes RapidRide E Line


 * Future
 * 2023: Possible extension of Swift south to 185th Street Link station

Layout and services

 * King County Metro
 * RapidRide E Line to Downtown Seattle via Aurora Avenue
 * Commuter routes (peak only): 301 to Downtown, 303 to First Hill, 342 to Bellevue/Renton, 373 to UW
 * Local routes: 331 to Shoreline CC/Kenmore, 346 to Northgate
 * Metro Access paratransit/DART


 * Community Transit
 * Swift Bus Rapid Transit to Everett via SR 99 (shadowed by route 101)
 * Route 115 to Edmonds and Lynnwood TC
 * Route 130 to Edmonds and Lynnwood TC