Seattle Prepares for Major Transit Disruptions

Upkeep tasks deliberate by the Seattle space’s Sound Transit may trigger main disruptions in service over the subsequent a number of months. As Stephen Fesler writes in The Urbanist, “The deliberate service disruptions in July and within the fall will cut back Hyperlink frequencies to twenty minutes. This equates to a 53% discount throughout peak intervals and about 50% throughout off-peak intervals.”

Fesler argues that whereas upkeep work is sensible in gentle of the transit extensions slated to open within the subsequent few years, “it’s clear that the service disruptions don’t have to be as extreme because the company is planning, and that raises the specter of main service disruptions for modest upkeep work changing into routine.”

Fesler lists the schedule and impacts of deliberate service disruptions, pushing again on a number of the company’s extra questionable selections, resembling selecting to go single-track or not contemplating utilizing crossover tracks to keep up service whereas work is occuring. Based on Fesler, the announcement got here with out significant neighborhood engagement and with little clarification of the plan to the company’s board. “Finally, Sound Transit’s Future Prepared service disruptions are the results of company employees deciding in favor of a blunt instrument of simplicity to finish upkeep work, not considered one of necessity.”