I’m really happy Claudia Balducci got to be master of ceremonies at this opening event. She’s been so deeply involved at every step of this massive effort and there was no one better suited to orchestrate this morning’s program.

The 2 Line is an important part of a network, but it’s not the only part. The next major ST expansion is the BRT network (Stride) which will give people 33-38 AM peak travel times from Lynnwood to Bellevue. Current is 57 mins.

Sound Transit Boardmember, member of the Rider Experience and Operations Committee, @kccclaudia.bsky.social checking out station access problems on Rainier Ave because, you know, rider experience matters.

What a super fun day opening transformative infrastructure! 1/2 #soundtransit #crosslake

Happy birthday to the Washington Metro, which opened 50 years ago today with service on 4.6 mi of Red Line between Rhode Is. Ave & Farragut N. System now serves 130 mi. The DC Metro shows that, with good planning & enough investment, the public sector can succeed & build something extraordinary.

I think it's going to be absolutely game changing for people. #CrossLakeConnection #EastLink #LightRail #SoundTransit

King County has produced a more complete picture of what the sales tax changes included in the Millionaires' Tax bill look like for county revenue: a $93 million hit in 2029 that ultimately grows from there. As you can see, Metro is the largest county division that would be impacted by this hit.

For Transit Operator Appreciation Day - took a 550 to/from Seattle, 594 to Tacoma for the @sound-transit.bsky.social Board Retreat & a Sounder back north - sharing the ride with transit advocates like Noah from @seattletru.bsky.social and thanking operators and transit workers all along the way.

Right, it's getting much worse with time. Ventura was considered an absurd candidate but he had reams more real-world community/political experience, as the mayor of a mid-sized city, than Platner or Abughazaleh (or Trump in 2016). People are realizing you literally don't need anything but a brand.

This NACTO/USDOT report addresses how to downsize fire trucks in cities. nacto.org/wp-content/u...

Dow 50,000! Also 21st out of 23.

Language shapes car culture, so when my oldest learned on day one of drivers ed, “there are no accidents - only wrecks, crashes, and collisions,” it makes me feel change is possible. #CrashNotAccident

another year of us not running a super bowl ad

Today we have US transit data for all of 2025, & DC's WMATA was officially the fastest-growing major US agency, with ridership up 8.7%! The LIRR (NY, 6.4%), King County Metro (Seattle, +6.5%) & SEPTA (Philly, +4.7%) performed well, while LA Metro & NJTransit lost riders🧵

Each mayor has to pedestrianize one street for every point scored by the opposing team.

I just want both teams’ urbanist mayors @wutrain.bsky.social & @mayorofseattle.bsky.social to make some sort of sweet transit oriented bet on the Super Bowl. Winner gets a lifetime CharlieCard or ORCA Card?

Well, there's at least one member of the King County Council thinking about the future of RapidRide and the fact that we've gotten much slower at delivering transit upgrades intended to increase frequency, speed, and reliability.

Seattle Fire Code has its own provisions for fixed guideway transit which are more restrictive than NFPA 130 For example, it doesn't allow escalators & elevators to count toward egress capacity under any circumstance, and enclosed emergency exists must provide at least 50% of egress capacity

Kids who got new bikes for Christmas, "super excited" to walk them around the city that's too dangerous to ride in. www.creativebyrovelo.com/therovelorec...

Always fun to run into the remains of bike share past. #seabikes

most people, left and right, treat traffic violence like the weather and not a specific policy choice

Moody Seattle skyline throwback

What an inspiring outpouring of support for Harbor Island Studios this week! Shoutout to the community for jumping into action and to King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci for her leadership in supporting film industry jobs and the creative economy. #KeepFilmInWA

Often, Seattle playgrounds go dark at sunset due to a lack of lighting while the nearby parking lots are well lit

TBH I'm not sure there would still be a RapidRide program if Claudia Balducci hadn't been on the county council after 2020.

My sincere hope for the Mariners is that every move they make from now to Opening Day is marked by new ambition. You just got your teeth kicked in, but you were a bad pitching change away from your first World Series, and in a year when much of your rotation was banged up. Go get better.

JUST SAW A FOUR CAR TRAIN ON MERCER ISLAND - !!!! That’s it just had to get it out there so I don’t hyperventilate.

NEW // How Ballard and West Seattle Light Rail Became a $30 Billion Undertaking Story by @typewriteralley.bsky.social via @theurbanist.org www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/10/h...

Transit safety isn’t optional, it’s a necessity. This week, CM Balducci led a Transit Safety Report briefing—a blueprint built with operators, safety experts, & community leaders. Now it's time to turn these recommendations into action. Watch KING 5’s coverage:

🚇 Seattle’s biggest transit challenges mean we need bold thinking to deliver ST3 without breaking the bank. That means reimagining the second downtown tunnel, speeding up delivery, and putting riders first. Read more in @publicola.bsky.social >>>

Three Key Questions to Save Our Light Rail Future In a guest post, Sound Transit board member and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci says it's time to consider light-rail options that don't require digging a second tunnel through downtown Seattle. publicola.com/2025/10/08/t...

“The e-bike market is skyrocketing — and, according to some studies, outpacing electric cars…The question now is: Do officials double down on deadly car-centric urban design, or do they rethink cities to encourage people to ditch four wheels for two?” Via @grist.org grist.org/transportati...

Raised crosswalks solve two problems with one intervention: 1) accessibility for people on sidewalks without curb ramps and 2) traffic calming, resulting in fewer injuries and deaths

This is the biggest story in America right now. Coffee up 20.9% year-over-year Steaks up 16.6% Apples up 9.6% Bananas, 6.6%. www.axios.com/2025/09/11/t...

Amazing photos from last night's historic floating bridge rail crossing. Courtesy: @sound-transit.bsky.social #soundtransit

Two amazing sights, all at one moment: “At nearly the same moment the railcar first entered the I-90 bridge from the Mercer Island side, 11:49 p.m., a thick shower of sparks streaked high above the park, from an apparent meteor.” www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

So beyond exciting to be out watching this historic moment with a crowd of rail fans!

Super fun to watch this historic moment.

What a night!

“As usual, King County Councilmember @kccclaudia.bsky.social came with the most highly-detailed suggestions…”

100% a deserved celebration but: “…the dropped elements that didn’t make it to the point of a ribbon-cutting are a reminder that much work remains to create a people-focused downtown. That more complete metamorphosis this will take bold leadership from those steering Seattle into the future.”

Apocalypse Now, famously a movie about how war is awesome and always turns out well

That’s why we owe it to our region to invent a Sound Transit future that’s affordable, reliable & boldly reimagined. Let's review the option of building a second downtown tunnel, explore creative ways to break up megaprojects into manageable portions & deliver service that works for riders.

Disease prevalence in US states before & after vaccine introduction 🧪 From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...

Great short video by TransLink explaining “the empty bus lane myth”

Harrell is touting the work Seattle did to streamline development standards and to start to staff up to handle ST3 planning. He is also supporting Claudia Balducci in pushing ST to look at a second downtown tunnel as part of Ballard Link.

Yesterday at the Sound Transit Board meeting, I questioned the necessity of an additional tunnel downtown—from CID Station to Westlake—so we could save money and better tackle the agency's financial challenges. I’m fully committed to delivering the light rail network our region deserves.

NEW: King County Audit: Potential multimillion dollar fraud in juvenile diversion programs. Councilmember Reagan Dunn: "There is no sugarcoating the findings, this is bad". Councilmember Claudia Balducci said the findings are "damning". @komonews komonews.com/news/local/a...

Here it is, the Sound Transit story of the year. Sound Transit plans major program reset in face of $30 to $40 billion shortfall www.theurbanist.org/2025/08/28/s...

At a Sound Transit board meeting right now, King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci is currently broaching the subject of whether the agency needs to fund a second light rail tunnel under downtown Seattle as a part of building out the full ST3 network.