Washington Will Be A World Leader for Self-Driving Cars and Elective Ferries, Governor Predicts

GeekWIre | Taylor Soper | March 29
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/washington-will-world-leader-self-driving-cars-electric-ferries-governor-predicts/

“The future of transportation will be in Seattle. That’s a proclamation Washington Gov. Jay Inslee made at an event Wednesday evening celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Alliance of Angels investment group. Speaking to leaders from the technology, political, business, and other industries, Inslee predicted that Seattle will be home to the first electric ferries in America and a hub for autonomous vehicle development. “We are going to be the future of the electrification of the transportation system and the autonomous vehicle center of the U.S.,” Inslee said.”

Seattle’s Highway 99 Tunnel Could Open to Traffic in October

Seattle Times | Mike Lindblom | March 27
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattles-highway-99-tunnel-could-open-to-traffic-in-october/

“The new Highway 99 tunnel could be ready for drivers by October. Crews were installing the final rows of lights over the upper, southbound deck and painting the walls white during a news-media tour Tuesday. Fireproof gypsum has been sprayed onto the arched ceilings, which now look like cappuccino-colored stucco rather than a vast grotto of trapezoids. Contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) is closing in on a mid-August finish line.”

‘One of the Smartest Tunnels Ever Built’: New Video Explains How Tech Will Help Keep Seattle Drivers Safe

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | March 27
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/one-smartest-tunnels-ever-built-new-video-explains-tech-will-help-keep-seattle-drivers-safe/

“Leave it to a high-tech city above ground to build a high-tech roadway underground. Seattle’s SR 99 tunnel project has a number of noteworthy engineering and construction milestones in the rear view, but as crews work to wrap everything up, the Washington State Department of Transportation revealed Tuesday how much work remains on smart systems — and the operational and safety role all of that tech will play. Earlier this month, Seattle Tunnel Partners completed work on the double-deck highway. Workers installed the last of the 1,152 road panels that locked together to form the lower/northbound roadway (video below).”

You can see the video here.

Seattle Just One of 5 Big Metros Last Year That Had More People Move Here Than Leave, Census Data Show

Seattle Times | Gene Balk | March 27
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/seattle-just-one-of-5-big-metros-last-year-that-had-more-people-move-here-than-leave-census-data-show/

“In terms of culture and climate, Seattle doesn’t have a whole lot in common with the southern U.S. But when it comes to attracting newcomers, we’d fit in very nicely down there. New census data show that among the country’s 15 largest metro areas, just five had an increase in “net domestic migration” — in other words, more people moved in from other parts of the country than moved away…From 2016 to 2017, we gained 21,000 more people from elsewhere in the U.S. than we lost.”

New Seattle-Dublin Route is Part of Ambitious U.S. Expansion by Aer Lingus

Seattle Times | Dominic Gates | March 25
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/new-seattle-dublin-route-is-part-of-ambitious-u-s-expansion-by-aer-lingus/

“Irish airline Aer Lingus begins flying between Seattle and Dublin in May, opening a new gateway to Europe for the Pacific Northwest. In an interview, Chief Executive Stephen Kavanagh said Aer Lingus will partner with Alaska Airlines to serve business and tourist travel between here and Ireland…Starting May 18, the airline will operate a summer schedule of four Seattle-Dublin nonstop flights a week, reduced to three in the winter.”