Seattle, WA

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: Feb 2–4, 2024 – EverOut Seattle

Published

2 years ago

February 4, 2024

Press Room

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Seattle This Weekend: Feb 2–4, 2024 – EverOut Seattle

Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Multi-Day

COMMUNITY

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According to the Gaelic calendar, spring starts on February 1st. Celebrate by putting on your dancing shoes and learning a traditional Irish jig! Ceili (pronounced kay-lee) dancing is a high-spirited, community event accompanied by live music that will leave you unbothered whether or not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. You don’t need to be Irish or have a partner to show up, though they do recommend bringing a water bottle and “shoes you can bounce in.” SL
(Wallingford Community Senior Center, Wallingford, $10)

FILM

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After producers rushed a rough cut of the film to an ’83 festival screening, where it received a mixed review from the New York Times, Charles Burnett’s My Brother’s Wedding scared off distributors. The film didn’t receive its flowers until a quarter century later, when Milestone Films acquired the rights and Burnett was able to finish the editing and re-release it. The result is definitely worth scoping out in lush 35mm—it’s a “belated realization of a nearly-lost work of art” and a South Central LA tragicomedy that reckons with the realities of working-class Black life in America. LC
(Grand Illusion, University District, $8-$11)

FOOD & DRINK

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Everyone’s favorite organic vegan doughnut chain is officially old enough to drink. Help it ring in its 21st with free mini doughnuts, gift card giveaways, and a special rum-flavored doughnut. JB
(Mighty-O Donuts, Wallingford, free)

LIVE MUSIC

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Slap on your oversized suit for a tribute to the Talking Heads’ iconic 1984 concert film/live album Stop Making Sense. The ’80s cover band Coool Babieswill feel the Byrne with a faithful rendition of the iconic setlist, which includes classics like “Psycho Killer,” “Burning Down the House,” and “Once in a Lifetime.” The Sunset Grooves will start the show with some smooth yacht covers. AV
(Tractor Tavern, Ballard, $15)

FILM

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If you’re a sucker for old-school cinema with an element of surprise, this recurring series has your name written allll over it. Grand Illusion will continue a longstanding tradition with its 16th season of matinee classics screened alongside a secret feature film every Saturday, all in dreamy 16mm. The series continues this weekend with “Revenge Westerns,” in which two undisclosed actors will “redefine the genre.” LC
(Grand Illusion, University District, $8-$11 tickets, $66 series pass)

FOOD & DRINK

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Named for a Thai word that means “oozy” or “lava,” the Bellevue-based pop-up Yérm Doughouse specializes in what they call “Seattle’s first fusion lava pía mochi,” a sensory delight of a treat that combines the Vietnamese pastry pía with chewy mochi and satisfyingly gooey fillings. Enjoy this unique Gusher-like delicacy alongside snacks like chicken wings and beverages like taro milk tea and salted cheese foam-topped Vietnamese coffee from the cafe Saigon Drip. JB
(Saigon Drip Cafe, Pioneer Square)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

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Birthed by “two Chicano friends looking to have a consistent dark dance night,” Cry Now Cry Later is your one-stop shop for darkwave, classic goth, industrial, and dark EDM dance cuts from both forgotten and classic artists. This weekend, DJs Dark Chisma and Shreddy Pippen will leave you with no tears left to cry for a rare all-ages edition featuring an onsite tarot reader and goth-centric vendors. AV
(Vera Project, Uptown, $15-$18)

LUNAR NEW YEAR

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Slither into the Year of the Dragon at Wing Luke Museum’s annual Lunar New Year Fair, which will include a traditional lion dance by Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon and Lion Dance Association, community information booths, storytime sessions, calligraphy lessons, and dragon-themed crafts with local artists inside the museum. While you’re there, check out the newest KidPlace exhibit, New Year’s All Year Round: Theater, Dance & Sound, to learn more about New Year’s traditions. LC
(Wing Luke Museum, Chinatown-International District, free)

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Take a pause from shopping to celebrate the Year of the Dragon at Bellevue Square (or risk having bad luck for the rest of the year, probably)! There will be performances and activities all day long, including a Chinese Lion and Dragon Parade, martial arts displays, and interactive arts and crafts. Bonus: everything’s indoors, in case another atmospheric river decides to show up (it will definitely not be raining on our parade). SL
(Bellevue Square, free)

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Celebrate the fiery good luck that the Year of the Dragon holds with Seattle Asian Art Museum’s cultural Lunar New Year offerings, including live performances from Mak Fai Kung Fu & Lion Dance Association, a taiji for health demonstration with Seattle School of Chen Style Taijiquan, storytelling sessions, art activities led by Korean American public artist Juliana Kang Robinson and illustrator Julie Kim, and “family-friendly surprises” from Asian American bookstore Mam’s Books. Hope you’re hungry—Shooby Doo Catering will serve up drool-worthy dumplings. LC
(Seattle Asian Art Museum, Capitol Hill, free)

VISUAL ART

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What better way to get the ball rolling on Black History Month than with a cool new art show at Wa Na Wari, a Black cultural arts center sited in a fifth-generation, Black-owned home in the Central District?! The organization’s newest exhibition centers photography, airbrush pieces, and more by Marin Burnett, Brandon Donahue-Shipp, DK, and Christopher Iduma. The opening on February 3 will include live music and snacks, and Donahue-Shipp will facilitate an airbrush collage workshop on February 4 as part of the exhibition. LC
(Wa Na Wari, Central District, free)

COMEDY

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Devised in the style of Norman Lear’s ’70s-era American sitcoms (think All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, and Good Times), Unexpected Productions’s Black Ice will channel the elements that made these shows pretty damn great—they often grappled with political and social themes while maintaining an approachable, disarming vibe. Audience members will offer suggestions to the comedian cast and provide the laugh track, so get your weirdest guffaw ready. LC
(Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater, Pike Place Market, $8-$20)

FILM

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I’m taking notes from Marlene Dietrich, who once said, “I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.” As Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg sought out the next screen siren, his working relationship with Dietrich became the stuff of legend: The pair made bliss, beauty, and opulence come to life on screen in six Paramount-produced films throughout the ’30s. Dietrich did it all—she was a “sultry chanteuse, a cunning spy, and the hedonistic Catherine the Great,” for starters—and von Sternberg’s chiaroscuro lighting captured it all. Dress for the image and head to the Beacon for screenings of all six of the films, continuing with Blonde Venus this weekend. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)

LIVE MUSIC

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Taking inspiration from beloved vocalists like Brandi Carlile, Amy Winehouse, and Norah Jones, local singer-songwriter Lucia Flores-Wiseman contrasts her powerful, timeless vocals with delicate acoustic guitars—and on her newest single “Promise You,” a ukulele. She will play her first-ever headlining show alongside bluegrass ensemble Northern Moon and alt-Americana band Big Dirt. AV
(High Dive, Fremont, $10-$13)

SHOPPING

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Though this all-ages market is actually happening in the afternoon, it’s channeling the dark vibes of a midnight lament with wares including incense, erotic art, leather goods, and florals. If you haven’t put any thought toward Valentine’s Day yet, this sounds like an excellent place to pick up everything you need for some fun (and a little bit kinky) plans. They’ll also be slinging slices of Stevie’s Famous Pizza, a huge draw since we no longer have to trek to Burien. SL
(Clock-Out Lounge, Beacon Hill, free)

LUNAR NEW YEAR

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The first of Seattle Center’s 2024 cultural festivals celebrates Tết, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year. A fashion show will feature colorful ao dai, traditional Vietnamese dresses, and the rest of the schedule is jam-packed with art, music, performances, and hands-on experiences that showcase Vietnamese culture. Expect red and yellow everywhere (they’re considered lucky colors) and get excited for lion dances and Vietnamese food from vendors like CÀPHÊTERIA and Cỏ May Bistro. There will also be a health fair providing free services, screenings, and support. SL
(Seattle Center, Uptown, free, Saturday-Sunday)

COMMUNITY

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If you’re a fan of House Hunters, watch HGTV more than any other channel, and won’t stop talking to your partners/friends/family/passersby about your latest home improvement project, this one’s for you! Bring five bucks cash and be treated to a world of resources, contractors, and design consultants ready to help make your development dreams happen. Children under 18 are free, so you can start ’em early (who knows, maybe the housing market will be better by the time they grow up). SL
(Seattle Convention Center, Downtown, $0-$5, Friday-Sunday)

EXHIBITS

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An often-overlooked 1968 social justice movement confronted poverty head-on and reimagined American activism, but you’ve probably never heard of it. The Smithsonian’s traveling exhibition Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign looks closely at the nearly six-week-long protest, which took place in a constructed “Resurrection City” in DC and drew attention to the impact of poverty on Americans. Everyone from rural Appalachians to residents of Puerto Rico and Native communities showed up for demonstrations and demands for jobs, living wages, access to health care, and more. Organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy, the Poor People’s Campaign was the “first large-scale, nationally organized demonstration to take place after King’s death.” Head to this exhibition to learn more about it through photographs, oral histories, and political ephemera. LC
(Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, $0-$14, Saturday-Sunday; opening)

FILM

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If the words “incisive literary satire” perk up your ears, then boy, does director Cord Jefferson have the film for you!! In his new dramedy (an adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure), Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a novelist who’s understandably aggravated by the establishment that profits from “Black” entertainment and its exhausting tropes. When Monk writes a book under a pen name, he finds himself paddling in the same phony waters he admonished in the first place. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, $13-$14, Friday-Sunday)

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Real Lanthimos heads know that he doesn’t direct anything without dystopic, black comedy underpinnings and plotlines that make audiences ponder why they’re on the planet at all. He is weird, as directors should be, and you’re either in or you’re out. This time around, he’s adapted a ’92 Scottish novel for the screen, painting the picture of a young woman (played by Emma Stone, who is raven-haired and looks charmingly bananas) brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist (played by my famous dad, Willem Dafoe). Best part? Poor Things “saved” my other dad, Mark Ruffalo, from “depressed dad typecasting.” Praise be. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, $13-$14, Friday-Sunday)

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Kick off Black History Month in the grooviest way possible with the Afrofuturist masterpiece Space Is The Place, which sees space prophet Sun Ra and the whole Intergalactic Solar Arkestra return to Earth (Oakland, to be exact) after a cosmic trip to prep Black people for an impending apocalypse through teleportation tunes. Their music aims to transport listeners to a “planetary paradise away from violence and racial prejudices”—if you haven’t seen the sci-fi classic yet, make this the year you fix that. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District, $12, Friday-Sunday)

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If you’ve been keeping up with A24’s films by international directors lately, including solid entries like After Yang and Dream Scenario, you’re probably already jazzed for The Zone of Interest, which is a co-production between the US, the UK, and Poland. Filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (who directed the Scarlett Johansson-as-an-extraterrestrial flick Under the Skin) tells the story of a Nazi commandant and his family, who attempt to build a happy life near the Auschwitz concentration camp. Call me presumptuous, but uh, I’m not rooting for them. The film has been shortlisted for Best International Feature at this year’s Oscars. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, $13-$14, Friday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

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Aiming to redefine stereotypes and notions of luxury in Black culture, the group exhibition Black & Boujee challenges the Eurocentric conception of opulence, centers Afrocentric aesthetics, and will likely expand your perceptions on all things expensive. The show is a great reason to visit Bainbridge Island—it’ll showcase works by Black artists and designers working in painting, sculpture, and other mediums to investigate the “complexity of navigating luxury in a society shaped by racial inequalities.” LC
(Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Winslow, free, Friday-Sunday)

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The brilliant, genre-transcending Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta died on September 8, 1985 after somehow “falling” from a window amid an argument with her husband, the minimalist artist Carl Andre, who passed away on January 24. Let’s pay Andre homage the right way: By focusing solely on Mendieta and her “earth-body” works, which stand the test of time and are infinitely stronger than anything he ever created. That’s what Colleen RJC Bratton does in Edgeless Burial, which directly references Mendieta’s Siluetas series of ephemeral body tracings created in varying landscapes. Bratton’s drawings “find their roots in the landscapes that birthed them,” including the Puget Sound, the Cascades, and a small farmstead, among other places. Bratton reckons with impermanence, transformation, and the climate crisis in her multimedia time-lapses and “biomorphic” installation, which also reference Washington’s landmark decision to legalize human composting. LC
(Gallery 4Culture, Pioneer Square, free, Friday-Sunday)

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You’ll find plenty of weekend-worthy exhibitions at Seattle Art Museum right now, like Remember the Rain, a collection of 20th-century Haitian paintings, and Elizabeth Malaska: All Be Your Mirror. (Pro tip for you Cheap and Easy readers: You can snag free museum passes from the Seattle Public Library and the King County Library.) Don’t forget to duck into SAM Gallery, though, where you’ll find Enter the Forest, a collection of works by local artists Linda Davidson, Chris Sheridan, and Sheryl Westergreen that feel as though they were pulled straight from the forest floor. LC
(SAM Gallery, Downtown, free, Friday-Sunday)

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In this joint show Merry Go Round of Pleasure & Understanding, two artists, Melissa Messer and Ian Kurtis Crist, share vastly different approaches to capturing the human form. Messer’s paintings of people—some solo, some warmly wrapped up in one another—will invite your eye to linger on the long brush strokes and lulling colors that shape their bodies. Crist’s work, however, is initially unsettling—stark scenes of sex, violence, and questionable characters will leave you wondering if I should be looking at all. Along with the show, which hangs at Koplin Del Rio through March 2, Messer and Crist are hosting a variety of complementary events including a free, bring-your-own-art-supplies figure drawing night (February 17), an artists’ salon (February 24), and a film night at the Beacon where the theater’s own Tommy Swenson will screen a secret movie inspired by the artwork (February 21). STRANGER ARTS EDITOR MEGAN SELING
(Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Georgetown, free, Saturday-Sunday; opening)

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Inspired by a recent residency in Joshua Tree National Park, which is home to delightful “Don’t Die Today” signage and over 300 historic mines, Katie Miller’s solo exhibition Overburden blends kiln-fired glass, photographic weavings, and hand-cut paper to think about the sociological influence of historic and modern mining and mineral extraction practices. A quick peek at Miller’s Instagram reveals ultra-detailed compositions that remind me of the Joshua tree’s spiky leaf growth. LC
(The Vestibule, Ballard, free, Friday-Saturday)

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Seattle, WA

Seattle weather: Drier skies Friday, some rivers remain above flood stage

Published

1 hour ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Seattle weather: Drier skies Friday, some rivers remain above flood stage

SEATTLE – High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers came to an end Thursday with only a few lingering showers. A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for the Mount Vernon area due to flood risks if local levees fail, which remains possible through Friday afternoon.

Our FOX 13 Weather Team is closely watching for potential flash flooding concerns over the Skagit River.

A Flash Flood Watch is posted until late Friday: there is a possibility of dike/levee failure. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Landslide and localized flooding will still remain an issue into the end of the week.

High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers come to an end Thursday.

We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for the state. We still have the likelihood of seeing record heights for the Skagit River at Mount Vernon this evening into early Friday morning as it crests. Most of our area rivers will continue to decrease overnight and throughout Friday.

We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for Western Washington.

Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.

Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.

Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.

Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.

What’s next:

Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington. High pressure will slowly build back in for Friday and Saturday, aiding in the rivers receding and for the soil to dry out.

Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington.

Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s. We will see dry skies and even some sunbreaks for Saturday. Our next round of showers return Sunday with scattered rain, then heavier showers and lowering snowlevels by the middle of next week.

Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s.

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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

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The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologist Claire Anderson and the National Weather Service.

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Seattle, WA

Op-Ed: Seattle Monorail Should Honor Transfers, Be Treated Like Real Transit » The Urbanist

Published

13 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Op-Ed: Seattle Monorail Should Honor Transfers, Be Treated Like Real Transit » The Urbanist

The Seattle Monorail has connected the Westlake Center and Seattle Center since 1962, but rising fares could sap local ridership. (Doug Trumm)

Seattle landmarks are woven into the city’s identity: the Space Needle, Gas Works Park, Pike Place Market, Humpy the Salmon. They’re playful, iconic, and accessible to locals and visitors alike. The monorail should belong in that same category. It is a piece of transportation infrastructure history that helps residents move through the city and remark on times gone by. Instead, it is becoming a premium attraction aimed at visitors, rather than a practical option for everyday riders.

Fresh off hiking fares on the nearly-one-mile-long monorail to $4.00, Seattle Monorail Services is getting rid of transfer credits to other transit services in a blow to riders. In early December, ORCA informed riders that starting January 1, 2026, monorail fares paid with ORCA E-purse will no longer receive the two-hour transfer credit. Every ride will require full payment, even if the rider tapped onto another service minutes earlier.

For transit users who rely on transfers to move through the city, this is a step backward. It is also a policy decision that treats the monorail as an exception to regional transit norms — or perhaps not a service intended for use by locals, at all.

Taking the 1 Line from Lynnwood and transferring to the monorail to attend Pride, Seattle Eats, or any number of other events in Seattle Center just jumped from $4 per person to $7 per person. Fortunately, many Climate Pledge Arena events come with monorail cost bundled in the ticket cost.

History of the Seattle Monorail

Seattle’s monorail began as a showpiece, built in 1962 for the Century 21 World’s Fair. The idea wasn’t to serve commuters, but rather to dazzle visitors and move crowds between downtown and the fairgrounds. For more dazzling during the World’s Fair, Seattle Center had rollercoasters, which I, for one, am in favor of bringing back.

The monorail system worked as millions rode it in its first year, and the sleek elevated trains helped cement the city’s Jet Age identity. But the system was never expanded, and the short two-stop alignment was left behind as a novelty once the fair ended.

Seattle actually tried to scale that vision into real transit. In 1968 and 1970, voters were asked to approve the Forward Thrust plan, a regional rapid transit system combining tunnels, elevated lines, and stations across the city. Both measures earned a majority, but Washington law required 60% voter approval to issue bonds. The transit proposals failed, and the federal funds earmarked for Seattle were redirected to Atlanta (where only a simple 50% majority vote was required), funds that ultimately seeded MARTA.

Meanwhile, Seattle spent decades without rapid transit, and the monorail became a relic of a future that never materialized. Fortunately, Seattle eventually invested in light rail and continues to do so despite financial hurdles.

But before light rail buildout, Seattle made one more attempt to turn the monorail into a network. From the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, voters backed the Seattle Popular Monorail Authority, which pursued the elevated “Green Line” from Ballard through Downtown to West Seattle. The citizen-led program struggled with escalating costs, uncertain financing models, and political backlash.

After five public votes, the project was dissolved in 2005 without breaking ground. What remained was the original 0.9-mile segment. Still iconic, still beloved by tourists, but functionally unchanged since the Eisenhower era.

Recent fare hike

In 2024, the City and the contracted operator of the monorail announced another round of fare increases. Adult fares rose from $3.50 to $4.00, a 14% jump in a single adjustment.

The monorail fare hike was much steeper than those on other transit services in the region. King County Metro buses moved from $2.75 to $3.00, a 9% increase. Sound Transit’s Link light rail standardized fares at $3.00 regardless of trip distance, in a win for long-distance commuters. Even in larger cities with higher living costs, like New York and San Francisco, transit fares remain lower at around $2.85–$2.90 for metro service. The monorail is now one of the most expensive local transit rides per mile in the country.

For many riders, fare increases alone would be frustrating but manageable. Seattle transit often requires combining services: a bus from a neighborhood, a train downtown, then the monorail to a shift at Seattle Center or an event at Climate Pledge Arena. The regional ORCA card system has long made this a possibility. Riders are given a two-hour transfer window so multiple trips are counted as part of the same journey rather than priced separately.

That saving grace is about to end with the end of monorail transfer credits in 2026.

The monorail has always been an unusual piece of infrastructure. The city owns the physical system, but operations are handled by a private contractor. That arrangement gives the operator strong incentives to raise revenue, while riders are left without the protections and policies that apply to publicly-run transit service.

The argument for ending transfer credits is that monorail operating costs have risen, and maintenance is essential to preserving a historic system. That is a reasonable concern. Transit infrastructure requires investment, but charging riders twice within two hours, once for a bus or train and again for the monorail, does not preserve the system; it discourages the very people who use it most consistently. The monorail should not be the transfer exception.

Ridership rebound

“But Sam hardly anyone takes the monorail anyway. Why does it matter?” I hear you say. Despite its short route and just two stops, the monorail sees real usage. The Seattle Times reported that the monorail hit its highest ridership in over a decade in early 2023. Buoyed by Seattle Kraken hockey fans, the monorail recorded 533,000 rides in the first quarter of 2023, 150,000 more than during the same period in 2022, and over 100,000 more than in the same four months of 2019. That’s about 4,000 rides per day.

In 2023, the monorail carried nearly 2.1 million passengers and in 2024 approached 2.2 million trips, offering a strong indication that, given the right circumstances, the monorail serves a concrete transit need, not just occasional tourists.

Admittedly, other transit lines get far more ridership. In 2024, the region’s six ORCA transit agencies delivered about 151 million trips, up from roughly 134 million in 2023, a 12% increase. Within that total, Sound Transit alone logged 41.5 million trips in 2024, up by more than 4 million from 2023 (about an 11% year-over-year increase).

The Link light rail system operated by Sound Transit carried 30.8 million passengers in 2024 and averaged about 90,050 weekday riders system-wide. Recent months have seen ridership climb even higher: as of May 2025, Link weekday boardings exceeded 112,000, a 23% increase over May 2024.

For the monorail, much of that boost came from event traffic. With the arrival of the Seattle Kraken hockey franchise and the rebound in concert and arena events at Climate Pledge Arena after the 2020 pandemic, a notable portion of fans used the monorail (or other transit) to avoid heavy traffic and gridlock around Seattle Center. Now, with a new Professional Women’s Hockey League hockey team and the FIFA World Cup on the horizon the entire city’s infrastructure needs to be ready, with transit running at peak efficiency to handle the load. Mega events act as a canary in a coal mine, stress testing our transportation network.

But the monorail’s renewed popularity and potential to help shoulder the load during World Cup games doesn’t mean its pricing should shift even further toward tourists. If anything, high ridership underscores its value as part of a functioning public-transport network.

Possible solutions

Unlike most transit systems in Washington, the Seattle Center Monorail is not a drain on the public purse. The monorail’s operations are uniquely funded through fare revenue rather than taxpayer subsidies, and even returns money to the City of Seattle annually under a concessions agreement. That revenue covers day-to-day operations, and equipment upgrades, an almost unheard-of arrangement in U.S. transit.

But the monorail’s success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Its elevated track and supporting pylons occupy the public right-of-way along 5th Avenue and Belltown corridors, forming a permanent footprint above some of the city’s most heavily used streets. Riders may not feel it, but the system relies on the city’s public infrastructure and airspace to operate.

Seattle’s broader goals like reducing car dependency, cutting emissions, and encouraging public transit depend on regional coordination. Breaking fare integration works in the opposite direction. If the monorail is truly a civic asset, it should align with the rest of the city’s transportation policies.

There are realistic solutions. The City of Seattle can require that the monorail restore ORCA transfer credit as a condition of its operating agreement. The City can tie future fare increases to best practices other agencies typically follow, such as conducting public outreach, publishing a cost-benefit analysis noting ridership impacts, and providing a public forum to debate the tradeoffs.

Most importantly, Seattle leaders can treat the monorail as part of the transit network rather than an isolated, revenue-dependent attraction. None of these changes require a huge funding infusion or an expansion of the system (even if I think it would be cool if they expanded the monorail). They simply require prioritizing residents over ticket revenue.

I ride the monorail more than most living in Lower Queen Anne/Uptown. It avoids traffic, provides a distinct view of the city, and remains one of Seattle’s most recognizable transit experiences. It should not be reserved for tourists or special occasions. Public transportation should be priced to serve the public. If it brings joy while doing so, that is even better.

Samuel Ross

Samuel Ross is a Seattle based public servant, returned Peace Corps volunteer, and self-described nerd. He works to promote sustainable development backed by mixed-method research. All opinions expressed are his alone and do not reflect attitudes of any organizations he is affiliated with.

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Seattle, WA

WA river levels remain high through Thursday, scattered showers remain

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

WA river levels remain high through Thursday, scattered showers remain

SEATTLE – A strong atmospheric river remains over the Pacific Northwest, bringing heavy rain, record level flooding and dangerous conditions. Winds continue through this evening, but will ease into Thursday morning. Landslide risks remain high through the end of the week with very saturated soil.

A strong atmospheric river remains over the Pacific Northwest, bringing heavy rain, record level flooding and dangerous conditions.

A rare Flash Flood Watch is in effect for parts of western Skagit and northwestern Snohomish County through Friday night due to a possible threat of levee or dike failure. Heavy rain is creating extreme flooding forecasts, which could break the current levee or dike structure below Sedro-Woolley. This could cause inundation in areas like Burlington and Mount Vernon, then along to Skagit Bay. This is an alert to “Get Ready,” because if the levees break, they will release a sudden torrent of water.

A rare Flash Flood Watch is in effect for parts of western Skagit and northwestern Snohomish County through Friday night due to a possible threat of levee or dike failure.

Rain totals reached one to over two inches for parts of Western Washington as steady rain fell through this evening.

Rain totals reached one to two inches for parts of Western Washington as steady rain fell through this evening.

Heavy rain will fall through early Thursday, but the atmospheric river will slowly sag southward throughout the day. Showers will still be around Thursday, but will not be as heavy as the past several days. We could also see snowfall at the higher mountain passes and peaks, mainly above Stevens Pass.

Heavy rain will fall through early Thursday, but the atmospheric river will slowly sag southward throughout the day.

Major river flooding is expected to continue through Friday afternoon, and we will continue to watch the latest conditions very closely. Linger showers continue Friday with drier skies by Saturday. A few showers are possible Sunday, with another round of showers into next week.

Major river flooding is expected to continue through Friday afternoon, and we will continue to watch the latest conditions very closely.

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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologists Claire Anderson and Ilona McCauley, and the National Weather Service.

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