Michael Smith
@mesmith35673.bsky.social
Seattle, WA
Software engineer, safe streets advocate, and occasional Seattle Transit Blog writer
You’ll find me exploring the city by bike/bus or analyzing transit ridership data.
He/him
Software engineer, safe streets advocate, and occasional Seattle Transit Blog writer
You’ll find me exploring the city by bike/bus or analyzing transit ridership data.
He/him
Pinned
One of my goals for 2026 is to ride every mode of transit from each agency in the ORCA pod. I counted 29 modes after excluding paratransit, school routes, and carpooling/car sharing services.
Reposted by Michael Smith
Two months until the Judkins Park Station will open to riders, and unfortunately one of the major routes to the station still doesn't have working light.
January 24, 2026 at 5:45 AM
Two months until the Judkins Park Station will open to riders, and unfortunately one of the major routes to the station still doesn't have working light.
The only acceptable incorrect sign.
January 24, 2026 at 5:09 AM
The only acceptable incorrect sign.
FWLE ridership data for December is now published. Federal Way Downtown had 12k daily boardings, on par with Northgate and Roosevelt. Kent Des Moines and Star Lake are now the two lowest ridership stations on the 1 Line with 2.8k and 2.6k daily boardings respectively.
January 23, 2026 at 8:10 PM
FWLE ridership data for December is now published. Federal Way Downtown had 12k daily boardings, on par with Northgate and Roosevelt. Kent Des Moines and Star Lake are now the two lowest ridership stations on the 1 Line with 2.8k and 2.6k daily boardings respectively.
The East Link project page has been updated (once again) to say the full 2 Line will open on March 28!
The East Link project page has been updated to say the full 2 Line will open on March 28! I’ve reached out to Sound Transit to confirm if this is accurate.
www.soundtransit.org/system-expan...
www.soundtransit.org/system-expan...
January 23, 2026 at 7:12 PM
The East Link project page has been updated (once again) to say the full 2 Line will open on March 28!
Tap to pay will soft launch on the G Line February 2, and should launch on the rest of the system by the end of February. Tap to pay will allow passengers to use credit/debit cards and cards stored digitally (eg: Apple Wallet).
January 22, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Tap to pay will soft launch on the G Line February 2, and should launch on the rest of the system by the end of February. Tap to pay will allow passengers to use credit/debit cards and cards stored digitally (eg: Apple Wallet).
The East Link project page has been updated to say the full 2 Line will open on March 28! I’ve reached out to Sound Transit to confirm if this is accurate.
www.soundtransit.org/system-expan...
www.soundtransit.org/system-expan...
January 22, 2026 at 4:23 AM
The East Link project page has been updated to say the full 2 Line will open on March 28! I’ve reached out to Sound Transit to confirm if this is accurate.
www.soundtransit.org/system-expan...
www.soundtransit.org/system-expan...
I assume ST has to say fares are still required for legal or policy reasons, but I hope the agency redirects Fare Ambassadors to help confused passengers instead of checking fares when ORCA readers and TVMs are down.
Passengers can purchase tickets digitally by downloading the Transit Go app.
Currently the ORCA card readers are unavailable to tap on/off for 1 Line service. While ORCA readers are unavailable, passengers are still required to have valid proof of paid fare.
Currently the ORCA card readers are unavailable to tap on/off for 1 Line service. While ORCA readers are unavailable, passengers are still required to have valid proof of paid fare.
January 22, 2026 at 12:01 AM
I assume ST has to say fares are still required for legal or policy reasons, but I hope the agency redirects Fare Ambassadors to help confused passengers instead of checking fares when ORCA readers and TVMs are down.
Reposted by Michael Smith
Abolish ICE.
Six Seattle Schools Sheltered-in-Place After Unconfirmed ICE Activity
Six Seattle Schools Sheltered-in-Place After Unconfirmed ICE Activity
At least six schools sheltered-in-place after these unconfirmed reports.
www.thestranger.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:15 AM
Abolish ICE.
This is a neat tool for highlighting places where our streets should be improved. While the City knows which streets are dangerous (just about every arterial), this map can emphasize which streets are uncomfortable or used inappropriately (eg: cut through traffic).
Psst: cool new project to dream, plan, and organize for better street experiences in Seattle.
Give Avery's site a click and drop pins with your thoughts
calmmystreet.com
Give Avery's site a click and drop pins with your thoughts
calmmystreet.com
Calm My Street
Our streets are for us. Report unsafe streets on our map to create calmer streets throughout the City of Seattle.
calmmystreet.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:00 AM
This is a neat tool for highlighting places where our streets should be improved. While the City knows which streets are dangerous (just about every arterial), this map can emphasize which streets are uncomfortable or used inappropriately (eg: cut through traffic).
Reposted by Michael Smith
SDOT’s 2025 highlights reel put the spotlight on its Beacon Ave safety project, where the first fatal cyclist-vehicle incident in nearly two years occurred only months after the street was freshly painted.
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/20/2...
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/20/2...
SDOT’s Year in Review reveals room for improvement
On New Year’s Eve, SDOT posted a short video highlighting several projects it completed in 2025, distilling a longer summary shared in a blog post earlier in December. The blog post gives rou…
seattletransitblog.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:46 PM
SDOT’s 2025 highlights reel put the spotlight on its Beacon Ave safety project, where the first fatal cyclist-vehicle incident in nearly two years occurred only months after the street was freshly painted.
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/20/2...
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/20/2...
The only sign at ground level that indicates platform direction at Mount Baker station is an A-frame sandwich board. And the sign for the southbound platform says “Angle Lake”. This is ridiculous.
January 20, 2026 at 3:31 AM
The only sign at ground level that indicates platform direction at Mount Baker station is an A-frame sandwich board. And the sign for the southbound platform says “Angle Lake”. This is ridiculous.
Am I the only one who has a favorite sidewalk? The southern sidewalk on S Americus St between 39th Ave and 42nd Ave has it all. This grade separated sidewalk has greenery on both sides and offers great views of Seattle’s skyline, Lake Washington, and Mount Baker (the neighborhood and mountain).
January 20, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Am I the only one who has a favorite sidewalk? The southern sidewalk on S Americus St between 39th Ave and 42nd Ave has it all. This grade separated sidewalk has greenery on both sides and offers great views of Seattle’s skyline, Lake Washington, and Mount Baker (the neighborhood and mountain).
Cancelling safety upgrades does not make the issues disappear. We heard from many people yesterday who had safety concerns with LWB and nearby streets in Mount Baker. @mayorofseattle.bsky.social and @cmeddielin.bsky.social, can we finish the shovel-ready safety upgrades on LWB?
January 18, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Cancelling safety upgrades does not make the issues disappear. We heard from many people yesterday who had safety concerns with LWB and nearby streets in Mount Baker. @mayorofseattle.bsky.social and @cmeddielin.bsky.social, can we finish the shovel-ready safety upgrades on LWB?
Reposted by Michael Smith
Here’s the stickers folks put up to indicate where they feel unsafe or uncomfortable in D2! Lots of good conversations at the library and the Night Market.
January 18, 2026 at 5:49 AM
Here’s the stickers folks put up to indicate where they feel unsafe or uncomfortable in D2! Lots of good conversations at the library and the Night Market.
The meeting got off to a rough start but we had some great conversations with our neighbors about where there are dangerous streets in D2. We are now at the Columbia City night market, come say hi!
January 18, 2026 at 2:03 AM
The meeting got off to a rough start but we had some great conversations with our neighbors about where there are dangerous streets in D2. We are now at the Columbia City night market, come say hi!
“Coming right up” into the bike lane.
January 17, 2026 at 2:45 AM
“Coming right up” into the bike lane.
Reposted by Michael Smith
Join us tomorrow (Saturday January 17) from 4:00-5:30 pm and share your thoughts on what we can support to make SE Seattle safer for people to walk, bike, roll, drive, & take public transit!
@rvgreenways.bsky.social is hosting a drop-in visioning session at the Columbia City Library Saturday January 17th from 4-5:30pm, if you live in D2 you should stop by!
January 16, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Join us tomorrow (Saturday January 17) from 4:00-5:30 pm and share your thoughts on what we can support to make SE Seattle safer for people to walk, bike, roll, drive, & take public transit!
Sound Transit's first ever night-owl service starts in just 2 months! While not yet finalized, the agency's night-owl network will likely expand to three routes between Seattle and Everett, Lakewood, and Redmond this Fall.
New Post: Friday Roundtable: Sound Transit to Pilot Night Owl Bus to Sea-Tac Airport seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/16/f...
January 16, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Sound Transit's first ever night-owl service starts in just 2 months! While not yet finalized, the agency's night-owl network will likely expand to three routes between Seattle and Everett, Lakewood, and Redmond this Fall.
Reposted by Michael Smith
Bus lanes on Denny Way will also help first responders avoid dangerous maneuvers during an emergency response.
January 16, 2026 at 1:48 AM
Bus lanes on Denny Way will also help first responders avoid dangerous maneuvers during an emergency response.
Big day for bus riders in Seattle. Wilson directs SDOT to build bus lanes on Denny and ST announces a pilot night owl bus route between downtown and the airport!
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/15/m...
www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-...
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/15/m...
www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-...
Mayor Wilson’s First Orders: Denny Way Bus Lanes and Housing
Route 8 stuck in traffic on Denny Way (Michael Smith) This morning, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced two executive orders delivering on campaign promises: one will accelerate production of emer…
seattletransitblog.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Big day for bus riders in Seattle. Wilson directs SDOT to build bus lanes on Denny and ST announces a pilot night owl bus route between downtown and the airport!
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/15/m...
www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-...
seattletransitblog.com/2026/01/15/m...
www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-...
Reposted by Michael Smith
Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin suggested, as an aside, that the city might charge more for parking if you choose to own a GIANT VEHICLE.
👏👏👏
Drivers sitting in the cabs of huge trucks and SUVs can't see pedestrians; this choice is a type of (IMO, sociopathic) traffic violence.
👏👏👏
Drivers sitting in the cabs of huge trucks and SUVs can't see pedestrians; this choice is a type of (IMO, sociopathic) traffic violence.
January 15, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin suggested, as an aside, that the city might charge more for parking if you choose to own a GIANT VEHICLE.
👏👏👏
Drivers sitting in the cabs of huge trucks and SUVs can't see pedestrians; this choice is a type of (IMO, sociopathic) traffic violence.
👏👏👏
Drivers sitting in the cabs of huge trucks and SUVs can't see pedestrians; this choice is a type of (IMO, sociopathic) traffic violence.
Woohoo! @fixthel8.bsky.social - I think Route 8 will want to race again after these are installed.
The second item: "We're going to be getting out the red paint on Denny Way," Wilson said. "We cannot let one of our highest ridership routes languish in traffic." Bus lane inbound.
January 15, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Woohoo! @fixthel8.bsky.social - I think Route 8 will want to race again after these are installed.
I really need to stop looking at Link wayfinding signs. Westlake station has an updated, but still incorrect and outdated, Frequent Transit Routes from here sign. This sign is from SDOT’s Seamless Seattle Pedestrian Wayfinding Program which dates it to 2020.
January 15, 2026 at 2:02 AM
I really need to stop looking at Link wayfinding signs. Westlake station has an updated, but still incorrect and outdated, Frequent Transit Routes from here sign. This sign is from SDOT’s Seamless Seattle Pedestrian Wayfinding Program which dates it to 2020.