Transit in Seattle: Good? Bad? Neither? Here’s a survey

From SDOT, circulated by the city’s Junction-based Southwest District Coordinator Stan Lock:

SDOT is updating the Seattle Transit Master Plan and would like you to provide your input by completing a survey:

Want a better transit system? Tell SDOT what you’d like to see!

Getting around Seattle can be tricky — everyone has waited for a delayed bus in the rain, driven to work to save time, or needed room for just one more bike on the train. Maybe you wish the bus stopped closer to your house or was easier to get to on foot or by bike. We know you have ideas about how transit should be improved, so here’s a chance to share your take with the city.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is updating Seattle’s Transit Master Plan, which will help to determine the city’s future investments in transit. As part of this process, SDOT is conducting a short survey to figure out what’s working and what isn’t in Seattle’s transit system. The survey takes less than 10 minutes and asks some basic questions about how you currently use transit and what you’d like to see improved. Throw in your two cents at
seattle.gov/transportation/transitmasterplan/survey and check out
seattle.gov/transportation/transitmasterplan.htm for more information
about the plan.

Tiffany B November 17, 2010 (6:06 pm)

The last question of the survey is super confusing. It’s about the priority of transit vs. street maintenance, bike facility improvements, pedestrian safety improvements and neighborhood traffic calming. I can’t tell if the question is asking whether transit is more/less important than these things or whether each of these is more/less important than transit.

miws November 17, 2010 (7:59 pm)

Hi Tiffany. I took it to mean that transit, in answering any of the questions with response number one, or number two, was more important.

Mike

Out for a walk November 17, 2010 (8:50 pm)

I agree it was confusing; but, hey, at least they are asking our opinions.
I don’t understand why we don’t have more vans that can go around quickly and get folks to where they need to go.

Lorelee November 17, 2010 (10:04 pm)

Um, “out for a walk” I think you’ve been out too long. haven’t you heard that our city and county are in budget crisis? They aren’t exactly funded at the same level MSFT is… No, commuter van service isn’t cheap.

ws November 17, 2010 (10:48 pm)

Yeah, what was the intent of that last question? They are asking bus riders about bike lanes and traffic jamming (aka calming)?

And why wasn’t “Run the busses ON TIME” a choice in even a single answer. To me, if the evening busses would just come when they are supposed to (in Sodo, specifically) that would be a huge improvement.

Rod Clark November 18, 2010 (12:07 am)

“van service isn’t cheap.”
.
You can say that again. King County’s van services (paratransit and vanpools taken together) in the upcoming budget cost $132 million. Van services now consume 11% of Metro Transit’s entire budget.
.
For comparison, the King County Sheriff’s Dept. costs $143 million.

KBear November 18, 2010 (9:55 am)

Yes, the last question was confusing. I’ll bet many people’s answers will be interpreted as the opposite of what they intended.

Kathy A. November 18, 2010 (2:37 pm)

Just what is ‘neighborhood traffic calming,’ anyway?

I’d like to see a comment field for that last question, and a comment field in closing for general comments one may way to add without using this public forum.

WSB November 18, 2010 (3:17 pm)

Neighborhood traffic calming is: speed bumps, traffic circles, radar signs, etc.

miws November 18, 2010 (6:20 pm)

Kathy A, I, too, wished there had been a general comment box at the end of the survey. As it was, I ended up adding to a comment I’d made in one that was provided for a previous question.

Not a huge deal, as the added part was somewhat related to that question, but I would have liked to go into a little more detail on why I have such an interest in transit issues, even though in my current situation I’m riding very little.

Mike

myla November 19, 2010 (11:41 am)

My bus is overcrowded-at least once a week I have to stand all the way to Lynnwood-seems very unsafe-The 855 always seems to be late (scheduled at 4:44pm) for me especially when it rains and a lot of times doesn’t even show up, so I am standing on 45th in the rain and cold for a good 45 minutes to an hour some nights and I have been doing this for 5 years now….I have lately begun to consider driving. Its just not worth it anymore….there needs to be more busses available now that the UW students are back in school because I am tired of standing or squeezed into a spot between two other people. Just not worth riding anymore to me.

madhu November 29, 2010 (10:43 am)

I have to take two buses to get to work and when its rainy and cold I wish I just had one bus to take. I take 218 to get to downtown but my work is near space needle and the bus does not stop anywhere closeby. I have to get off and catch 1,2,3 bus nos to get to work.

I wish the bus 218 or 554 stops closer to space needle.

Sorry, comment time is over.