The 11/29/14 post
“Sound Transit’s ‘Integrated Transit Service’ Insanity” detailed the problems
with their decision to force all cross-lake transit riders to transfer to and
from light rail at the South Bellevue and Mercer Island light rail stations for
their commute into and out of Seattle.
ST plans for East
Link service, one 4-car train every 8 minutes or 30 cars per hour will limit
ITS capacity to far less than current bus ridership and a fraction of their
DEIS promise to increase I-90 capacity by 60%. The result will be more commuters forced to “drive” rather
than “ride” exacerbating the outer roadway congestion from loss of center
roadway, inevitably leading to future gridlock.
However, a T/C at the
University light rail could make ITS a major contributor to improving Central
Link light rail efficacy. The UW T/C would have twice the number of trains as East Link and the easy access to the resulting bus/rail combination could attract thousands of 520 transit commuters from both sides of the lake. Terminating 520 buses
there would also reduce the number of buses merging on to I-5 and in downtown
Seattle.
Even if they insist
on extending light rail to Northgate, there will still be plenty of light rail
capacity at the UW station when service begins in 2021. The T/C would also provide needed
riders if operating costs forced ST to terminate some Central Link routes
there.
ST claimed the
following benefits from ITS in the Nov 19th MI presentation.
• Smooth bus-rail transfers
• Help improve efficiency and
cost-savings
• Provide more reliable and
frequent service
• Enhance rider experience
• Help optimize transit
operations
A UW T/C could make those
benefits a reality.
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