The Triangle Route has had some scheduling changes in recent weeks because of boat trouble around the Washington State Ferries system, and one more is ahead. Tomorrow (Monday, January 19), WSF says that “Due to the timing of boat moves, the route will be on the two-boat schedule with the Kittitas and Cathlamet.” But it’s expecting the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route to return to regular three-boat service as of Tuesday (January 20).

(Photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor – WSF and Kitsap Transit vessels on Elliott Bay)

Wednesday is the day for WSF’s next two systemwide community meetings, both to be held online, one at noon and one at 6 pm; we’ve published the announcement before, but here’s WSF’s reminder:

This is your chance to share feedback and ask us questions. Each meeting will start with a short presentation that looks back at 2025 and previews our 2026 service. We’ll cover topics including new vessel construction, terminal upgrades needed for charging vessels, our Service Contingency Plan, workforce development efforts, our budget, and what to expect in the 2026 Washington legislative session.

Both meetings will cover the same topics, and most of the time will be dedicated to answering questions. Registration is required. To learn more and register, visit our Community Participation webpage.

Metro is proposing changes affecting Route 60, which runs from Westwood Village to Capitol Hill via White Center, South Park, Georgetown, Beacon Hill, the International District, and First Hill. The changes could affect other transportation-corridor users, so you might be interested in offering feedback even if you’re not a bus rider. They’re asking for feedback via this survey, and detailing the proposals in four segments – here’s the summary of how the West Seattle (and vicinity) segment could change:

Segment 4: East Marginal Way & 16th Avenue South to Westwood Village (South Park, Westwood-Highland Park).

The East Marginal Way to Westwood Village segment includes portions of the South Park and Westwood-Highland Park neighborhoods. The route serves multiple community assets such as the Olson/Myers Park and Ride and Westwood Village.

Potential improvements to this segment may include:

-A new bus priority lane on Cloverdale Street approaching 14th Avenue South. This lane would help buses bypass long lines of traffic during morning and evening rush hours.

-Intersection improvements near the Olson Place and Myers Way Park and Ride to reduce travel time and improve bus reliability.

-Closure of the eastbound bus stop at Barton Place and 22nd Avenue Southwest. Removing this stop will help improve travel time and result in better stop spacing that aligns with Metro’s recommended guidelines.

All segments’ proposed changes are detailed here. Metro is asking for responses to its Route 60 survey by February 20.

King County Metro is increasing service, and is now hiring for drivers to make sure they can keep up with an influx of tourists this summer and beyond. Part of the increase is for the World Cup, but there are longer-term increases in service too, including additional RapidRide lines. Metro plans to hire 375 part-time and 150 full-time drivers this year.

(King County Metro photo)

When hired, drivers go through up to 2 months of paid training, including getting the license that allows them to drive busses. There is also a bonus available and a starting wage of $31.39 after training.

The deadline for applications for part-time positions is next Friday, January 23rd. More information can be found on Metro’s website.

Checking the Washington State Ferries alert page to see if there’s been any change in the projection that Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth will be down to two boats until at least Tuesday, we see the system now has three boats out of service on Seattle (including West Seattle) routes: Seattle-Bainbridge is down to one boat because 28-year-old M/V Tacoma broke down; Seattle-Bremerton was already down to one boat because 52-year-old M/V Walla Walla is out of service; and Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth remains down to two boats because 46-year-old M/V Kittitas needs repairs. So if you’re planning to go just about anywhere via WSF any time soon, be aware they’re running on a much-reduced fleet right now – already below the number of vessels considered the desired baseline (currently 14 are in service per the real-time map). The alert page has links to the alternative schedules currently in use.

For Metro, today is Mark McLaughlin Day, a tribute to the driver murdered on the job on the day after Thankgiving in 1998, including a 4 pm moment of remembrance for drivers if they can stop safely. Here’s the system alert:

Metro bus service will pause for a moment of reflection and remembrance for transit operator Mark McLaughlin at 4 pm today.

Metro operators will honor the legacy of operator Mark McLaughlin, who died tragically while driving Route 359 in 1998. Operators throughout the system will pause for a moment of silence at 4 pm today to honor Mr. McLaughlin. Operators participating in the annual remembrance will stop only where and when it is safe to do so. Operators will not pause service if they are traveling on highways or on roadways where there is no place to safely pull over.

This Metro Matters post from two years ago has the backstory.

Starting right after an SDOT crew left California SW and SW Alaska on Saturday morning, people started asking us about the then-covered-up pushbuttons they installed on all corners. Some worried these were “beg buttons” meaning the intersection would stop being automatically cycled “Walk All Ways.” An explanation wasn’t available over the weekend, but we just got this reply from SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali:

What you’re seeing are new Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) push buttons being installed to meet ADA standards. These provide audio and tactile cues to help people who are blind or low-vision know when it’s safe to cross. The cardboard covers are just temporary — crews keep them in place until all APS units are ready to be activated at the same time.

We’re also replacing some vehicle signal heads and overhead signs while crews are onsite, but none of this changes how the intersection operates. The California/Alaska all-walk “scramble” will continue to activate automatically. We are not switching to push-button (“beg button”) operation or making any other timing or operational changes.

Our crews will also be doing this same type of work at California Ave SW & SW Oregon St — upgrading APS push buttons and replacing vehicle signal heads and overhead signage. That work may begin once the Alaska intersection is complete, possibly early next year, weather depending.

Some other intersections already have the APS buttons – just a block east, 42nd SW and SW Alaska, for example.

SDOT has just announced the timeline for previously promised changes/additions on the Alki Point “Healthy Street” – Beach Drive and Alki Avenue’s stretches west of 63rd SW – and vicinity. These are basically what it announced early this year would be the “next steps.”

That SDOT graphic summarizes what’s ahead:

We’re excited to announce that we’ll soon begin making upgrades to the Alki Point Healthy Street at 63rd Ave SW and Beach Drive SW. These upgrades will enhance safety, accessibility, and make it easier for people to cross the street. They include:

-New accessible curb ramps, crosswalk, a flashing pedestrian / bike crossing sign at the intersection of 63rd Ave SW and Beach Dr SW.
-Two new accessible parking spaces and two new passenger loading zones near the intersection of Beach Dr SW and 63rd Ave SW. These will be on the north side of Beach Dr SW just west of the intersection at 63rd Ave SW and on the west side of Beach Dr SW just south of the intersection at 63rd Ave SW.
-An extension of the walking and rolling path on Beach Dr SW to 63rd Ave SW that will include wheel stops and a painted edge to match the existing path.

We expect to begin installing these upgrades as soon as later this year. During installation you can expect some temporary parking restrictions, sidewalk and travel lane closures, and construction equipment staged in the work area. We expect work to occur during daytime hours. Design details are subject to change as we finalize design and prepare for construction. We’ll share more information about what you can expect once the work is scheduled.

As also mentioned in the previous update, a painted mural will be installed in the walking/rolling lane – here’s the design concept:

As previously announced, the artist will be Angelina Villalobos, who’s created other murals in the area, including this one.

P.S. One thing mentioned early this year but not mentioned in either today’s announcement or on the project webpage – consideration of possibly making the Beach Drive stretch one way. We’ll follow up to see if that idea is still under review or permanently scrapped.

Just back from Alki, where we checked on the 60th/61st/62nd SW speed-bump project. As of noon, two speed humps (no cut in the middle) are newly installed on 60th SW, south of Stevens.

We saw two SDOT trucks in the area but it wasn’t clear where crews would work next. The installation was delayed by the rainy weather. In all, the plan was for 11 new bumps in all on the three streets, between Alki Avenue and Admiral Way – speed humps on 60th and 62nd, cushions (the type with space between them) on 61st.

More than a week has passed since SDOT‘s tentative start date for installing 11 new speed cushions/humps on 60th, 61st, and 62bd SW between Alki Avenue and Admiral Way, but as we’ve been noting in daily traffic/weather/road work roundups, no sign of work. They always warn that it’s weather-dependent, but at this point in the year, the rainy days tend to outnumber the non-rainy days, so we asked SDOT if they’re considering shelving it until spring, No, replied a spokesperson, they’re still planning on installation: “I’m told crews cannot do speed cushions in the rain and so the weather is the reason you haven’t seen them out there. The ‘no park’ signs are being pulled for now, but crews are hoping to start construction next week. That said, I can’t give a set date because the work continues to be weather-dependent.” (The “no parking” signs were marked to expire yesterday.)