transit

Looming cuts to transit cast doubt on Microsoft’s vision for Seattle-Vancouver high-speed rail

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 at 1:11 pm 7 Comments

Microsoft’s aspiration to build one of America’s first high-speed rail lines in the Pacific Northwest hit a speed bump this week as Washington state voters pumped the brakes on other… Read More

Google Maps adds Lime scooters and bikes as transportation options in more than 100 cities

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 at 8:22 amComment

Drive, walk, transit, bike, or — scooter? Free-floating electric scooter-share is the latest mobility option Google Maps will serve up to travelers looking for the best route home. Alphabet and… Read More

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Seattle transportation officials experiment with ride-hailing to fill transit gaps

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 12, 2019August 12, 2019 at 1:08 pmComment

Here’s a test. You’re in Seattle, trying to get to a destination that isn’t easily reached by public transit. What mode of transportation do you turn to? For many people,… Read More

Study: High-speed rail connecting Seattle to Vancouver BC would spur $355B in economic growth

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 15, 2019October 3, 2019 at 1:10 pm 16 Comments

A high-speed train connecting the biggest cities in the Pacific Northwest — zipping passengers from Seattle to Portland or Vancouver in less than an hour — would be an economic… Read More

Seattle mayor: Fighting traffic with congestion pricing is an uphill battle in West Coast tech hubs

by Monica Nickelsburg on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019 at 10:42 am 2 Comments

Earlier this year, New York became the first city in America to adopt congestion pricing, a.k.a. tolls that drivers pay when they enter the most congested neighborhoods during the busiest… Read More

Geek of the Week: Kona Farry’s transit tracker maps buses, trains and ferries in the Seattle region

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 19, 2019April 19, 2019 at 9:24 amComment

Kona Farry is a self-described transit geek and student at the University of Washington who set out to solve a simple problem. In his words, he “just wanted to see… Read More

Uber and Lyft push for congestion pricing as Seattle considers tax on ride-hailing companies

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 25, 2019March 25, 2019 at 12:13 pm 2 Comments

Uber and Lyft are resisting a tax on their services under consideration in the Seattle mayor’s office, claiming the cost would ultimately be passed on to riders and drivers. Seattle… Read More

Amazon patents a plan to have packages ride public buses for customer pickup

by Alan Boyle on January 31, 2019January 31, 2019 at 1:34 pm1 Comment

Amazon’s inventors have suggested using drone-dispensing trucks, rail cars and airships to deliver packages, but one of the company’s latest patents lays out a more mundane route for future customers:… Read More

Should Uber and Lyft cover rides to nonprofits and essential services?

by Monica Nickelsburg on January 8, 2019January 8, 2019 at 12:48 pm1 Comment

Over the past year, Uber and Lyft have been offering free and discounted rides to help people in need of services get to select nonprofits. The programs have helped people… Read More

Lime pursues car sharing in Seattle, breaking new ground for the bike and scooter startup

by Monica Nickelsburg on October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 at 7:22 amComment

Lime wants to add cars to its Seattle mobility fleet, expanding beyond the bright green, rentable bikes the company currently operates in the city. The Bay Area mobility startup applied… Read More

Seattle-area public transit adds Chariot micro-shuttles in new mobility pilot

by Monica Nickelsburg on October 18, 2018October 18, 2018 at 1:23 pmComment

Commuters in the Seattle region will soon be able to request shuttle rides to and from transit stations using a mobile app, thanks to a partnership between King County Metro… Read More

Private shuttles like Microsoft Connector can share public bus stops without disrupting service, researchers find

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 22, 2018August 23, 2018 at 5:02 pm 3 Comments

In crowded cities like Seattle, employers are coming up with creative ways to get employees out of single-occupancy vehicles when they commute. For big companies, like Microsoft and Seattle Children’s… Read More

New York’s new Uber cap could be a blueprint for other cities seeking to curb ride-hailing

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 at 3:41 pm 2 Comments

Cities across the country are looking at New York. On Wednesday, the New York City Council approved a one-year pause on new licenses for Uber and Lyft vehicles while officials study… Read More

Portland launches free-floating electric scooter share pilot with Bird and Skip

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 26, 2018July 26, 2018 at 2:35 pmComment

Portland will allow two shared, electric scooter companies to launch as early as this week, according to an announcement from the city’s Bureau of Transportation Wednesday. Bird and Skip have… Read More

Seattle region invites mobility companies to pilot shared employer shuttles for commuters

by Monica Nickelsburg on February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 at 3:32 pmComment

King County Metro — which covers Seattle, Bellevue, and surrounding communities — is launching a pilot program for commuter shuttles shared by employers. Mobility companies will be allowed to offer… Read More

Chariot wants to launch public mini-bus commuting service in Seattle early next year, with 100K riders and electrification by 2019

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 21, 2017November 21, 2017 at 2:34 pm1 Comment

Chariot hopes to roll out its public commuting service in Seattle during the first quarter of 2018, according to CEO and founder Ali Vahabzadeh. “Seattle has the potential to be… Read More

Pacific Hyperloop keeps chugging along amid interest in ultra-high-speed transit

by Alan Boyle on November 19, 2017November 20, 2017 at 11:51 am 8 Comments

Pacific Hyperloop is moving ahead with its concept for tube travel between Seattle and Portland, in hopes of riding in the slipstream of the Pacific Northwest’s growing interest in ultra-high-speed… Read More

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Hyperloop One’s picks for high-tech transit include Midwest, Rockies, Texas, Florida

by Alan Boyle on September 17, 2017September 17, 2017 at 11:37 pmComment

A California startup that aims to turn tech pioneer Elon Musk’s Hyperloop rapid-transit concept into reality has chosen 10 winners in a global competition – including proposed routes stretching from Chicago… Read More

Chariot CEO says Ford-owned shuttle service will help alleviate Seattle’s ‘transit deserts’

by Nat Levy on June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 at 4:23 pmComment

Ford-owned shuttle service Chariot is launching in Seattle today. For the time being, it will focus primarily on working with big companies and other institutions to take their employees to… Read More

Uber announces new integration with Transit app to better connect users with public transportation

by Nat Levy on May 16, 2017May 15, 2017 at 10:48 pm1 Comment

Uber announced Tuesday it is integrating with the Transit app in more than 50 cities across the U.S., including Seattle and Portland, as the company positions itself as a complement,… Read More

Seattle to Portland in 15 minutes? Pacific Hyperloop begins campaign to make it so

by Alan Boyle on March 17, 2017March 21, 2017 at 10:23 am 60 Comments

A fledgling venture called Pacific Hyperloop is kicking off its effort to win support for a high-speed transit link between Seattle and Portland, using the Hyperloop system envisioned by SpaceX… Read More

Trulia’s new ‘Rent Near Transit’ tool aims to find affordable housing near rapid transit

by Kurt Schlosser on June 30, 2016June 29, 2016 at 9:29 pmComment

Online real estate companies are increasingly looking to be one-stop shops for information about neighborhoods where people might want to live. Trulia, part of Seattle-based Zillow Group, added another tool to… Read More

Apple Maps quietly adds public transit directions for Seattle riders

by James Risley on April 18, 2016April 18, 2016 at 2:46 pm 2 Comments

“Hey Siri, give me transit directions to Pike Place Market.” A few days ago, that wouldn’t have gotten residents of the Emerald City anywhere, but Apple quietly rolled out support… Read More

Amazon envisions package pickups on public transit, using lockers on buses, trains and subways

by Todd Bishop on August 13, 2015August 13, 2015 at 12:31 pm 2 Comments

Amazon is experimenting with all sorts of ways to deliver packages, using everything from drones to everyday people. But this is a new one. An Amazon patent application, made public today, describes a… Read More

Seattle ties for eighth nationally in tech-enabled transportation options

by Frank Catalano on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 at 9:38 am 2 Comments

A new report places Seattle in the top ten U.S. cities with innovative transportation options. The report, released by the Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG) Foundation and Frontier Group, says that Seattle… Read More

What it will be like to take a Sound Transit train from Seattle to Redmond in the year 2023

by John Cook on July 30, 2014August 3, 2014 at 8:15 am 22 Comments

Hey, Seattle area commuters. It is going to get a bit easier to cross Lake Washington — in about nine years. Sound Transit this week released an animated video showing… Read More

Portland’s new public transit mobile ticketing app is a huge success so far

by Taylor Soper on September 11, 2013September 11, 2013 at 1:27 pmComment

Looks like Portland likes the idea of paying for their public transit tickets with a smartphone. TriMet, Oregon’s largest provider of bus, light rail and commuter rail transit services, debuted its new e-ticket… Read More

Portland becomes first city to enable mobile ticketing for Streetcar

by Taylor Soper on September 10, 2013September 10, 2013 at 4:23 pmComment

First it was trains and busses. Now, the Rose City is allowing its streetcar riders to purchase tickets with their smartphones. Portland, Ore., became the first U.S. city to enable… Read More

Portland Streetcar to enable mobile ticketing; how about Seattle?

by Taylor Soper on June 14, 2013June 14, 2013 at 10:42 amComment

Portland Streetcar seems to be following the lead of TriMet and has plans to enable mobile ticketing this summer. According to the Portland Streetcar home page, the mobile ticketing service… Read More

Mobile-ticketing startup GlobeSherpa lands $1.3M to sell transit tickets on the go

by Taylor Soper on March 5, 2013March 5, 2013 at 12:04 pmComment

GlobeSherpa, a Portland-based provider of secure mobile ticketing software and services, today announced a $1.3 million series B capital funding led by The Oregon Angel Fund to help the startup expand its business… Read More