October 2026

The Sound Transit System Expansion Committee voted Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, to advance a major land acquisition measure for the West Seattle Link Extension, moving the light rail expansion closer to full board approval despite pushback from local property owners and residents.

Chaired pro tem by Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello in the absence of committee leadership, the panel gave a due pass recommendation to Resolution No. R2026-23. The resolution authorizes Sound Transit Chief Executive Officer Dow Constantine to acquire real property interests across 64 properties along the alignment, including the legal authority to acquire property via condemnation if necessary.

A lease dispute over 281 paid parking spaces, new city meters and a wave of coming density could reshape how, and whether, customers reach West Seattle's business core

The future of parking in the West Seattle Junction is uncertain. The two organizations that control the district's off-street lots are at an impasse, and the city has now announced it will add parking meters to Junction streets, likely in 2027.

At the center of the dispute are 281 surface parking spaces. The landlord, West Seattle Trusteed Partners (WSTP), says it will not approve a $1 parking rate increase unless its sole tenant, the West Seattle Junction Association (WSJA), agrees to revise the 20-year lease signed in 2018 to allow the land to be developed.

Update October 6

Seattle City Light said today that repairs, restoration and prevention measures on the lights and wiring on the West Seattle Bridge began on October 5 and will be complete by October 15. It will mean occasional lane closures through the repair periodd

Update September 21

Seattle City Light is nearing the end of planning for the repair and replacement of wiring powering streetlights on the West Seattle Bridge. As WestsideSeattle reported earlier this month the project will require some ramp closures meaning coordination with Seattle Department of Transportation is requied.

Construction is set to begin by the end of the month with crews working overnight from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. for about three weeks.

According to City Light enhanced anti-theft protections including welded access doors and tamper-proof lids will help secure electrical components.

Ferry operations across Puget Sound are experiencing lingering disruptions today (Tuesday, October 6), as Washington State Ferries (WSF) works to rebuild schedules following widespread cancellations caused by an engine-room labor call-out. While overall service has improved compared to Monday's widespread shutdown, spot cancellations and reduced schedules remain active across several key routes due to ongoing staffing limits and crew availability constraints.

The continued disruptions follow emergency interventions by Governor Bob Ferguson, who met with WSF leadership and state representatives after Monday's severe commuter gridlock to demand operational fixes, wage solutions, and an immediate restoration of full service. Although the Governor called for all routes to be fully restored by Tuesday morning, operational realities continue to fall short of that goal.

Are people speeding through your neighborhood? From Seattle to Burien it's extremely common and obviously dangerous. While distracted driving is the number one cause for accidents, speeding kills people. How can the average person get something done about it?

Nobody "likes" speed humps and obviously getting a ticket is no fun. Still, people walking or biking face danger from people racing through uncontrolled intersections. 

According to annual crash statistics from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), an estimated 400 to 450 people have suffered serious, life-altering injuries directly attributed to distracted driving or speeding in Seattle over the last five years.