The Sound Transit Board had its September 26th meeting. I finally recognized the video of this meeting as well as all those in September was available on YouTube rather than Livestream. The meeting agenda's, Reports to the Board, "Sound Transit Recent Accomplishments and Lookahead" was of particular interest
The assumption being “Recent Accomplishments” would include riders added by the four Lynnwood Link extension stations. Previous posts had predicted the Line 1 wouldn’t have the capacity to accommodate Sound Transit’s predicted 25,300 to 34,200 boarders. Their concerns over “clogging” resulted in adding a Sounder route from Everett, continuing ST510 from Everett, and a new ST515 route from Lynnwood all into Seattle.
Other posts have questioned Sound Transit’s boarder predictions. Their July 2024 Ridership data reported riders added at the stations at Northgate, Roosevelt, and University totaled 14,741, a fraction of Sound Transit's 41,000-49,000 Northgate Link pre debut predictions. Posts had also predicted the need to transfer to and from Lynnwood Link and the more convenient egress and access in Seattle would dissuade some of the Commuter Transit 400 riders from using transit.
Thus, the assumption was,“Recent Accomplishments”, would include both Lynnwood Link boardings and more recent system wide riderships. Another earlier post detailed Lynnwood Link operations could add up to more than $300,000 in Line 1 operating costs. So, ridership data could provide the cost per boarding for the Link in comparison to the data in the Quarterly Financial Report Q1/24.
However, rather than ridership results, Sound Transit’s Recent Accomplishments presentation was limited to detailing the system expansion. That there had been “unprecedented system growth, from 25 to 43 total stations, a 76% increase, and 17 more miles of track, 60% further". That, as a result 173,000 more people were now living within one mile of a Link station, with 68,000 within a mile of the 4 new Line 1 Lynnwood stations.
The presentation neglected to mention the KCM RapidRide E Line from Aurora Village with multiple stops for access along Aurora Ave into Seattle. Instead, claiming they’ve “enhanced access to opportunity, jobs, recreation, housing, or education”. Claiming any growth in the area is attributable to light rail extensions. Claims record-breaking ridership and I-Line regularly exceeding 100,000 daily riders are belied by the July 2024 Link’s 87,856 average boardings a day, nearly 3000 fewer than the July 2023 Link’s 90,670.
Yet the only Lynnwood ridership report was that “71,000 rode the system just on opening weekend” heralding it as "the average weekday ridership of the entire one line last December". Denigrating Line 1 December ridership, 73,925 in the July report, seems an odd way to promote Line 1.
The bottom line is that prior to the debut, the Seattle Times Traffic Lab spent the week heralding the Lynnwood Link as "new transit era" and how all the riders could and would benefit. It’s now been nearly a month since its debut and they still haven't told us how many of Sound Transit's predicted 25,300 to 34,200 boarders did so.
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