iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

AvgZing @avgzing.com · 28/09/2026

The word "momentum" doesn't seem to be one that the Seattle area understands. Be it light rail, housing, politics, literally anything... we're very much a cyclical region, and it's happening again. Not for the better.

$Only a fraction of the over 100 thousand units in the development pipeline in the Puget Sound are actually proceeding right now.$

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 23/09/2026

New UI. Much cleaner. Took me weeks to rewrite basically every element of the frontend (particularly for mobile compatibility), but I'm quite happy with it now.

Globe view Desktop, not signed in. So many routes, and this isn't even buses!

Globe view Mobile, not signed in. So many routes, and this isn't even buses!

Route view Desktop, signed in with progress.

Route view Mobile, signed in with progress.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 18/09/2026

Yes. Look at the travel times. Good TOD potential too.

SWEIC current time 42/57 mins, time with Link 18/18 mins

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/09/2026

One more, a good takeaway for the overall approach. Growth will solve our problems: we need to embrace it.

Executive summary: Seattle can close its budget gap by adding 5,000 residents per year, well below its 2010s pace, and simply growing the city accordingly.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/09/2026

ICYMI: The City of Seattle released a report last week on the state of our economy. Here are a few of my favorite snippets. Based on last week's executive order, (wilson.seattle.gov/2026/09/09/m...) the city seems willing to take action on these recommendations. Let's see what comes out of it.

Executive Summary: Both sides in the tax debate are right - taxes have increased rapidly, but are still moderate compared to peer cities. The threat is the differential between Seattle and Bellevue, and the broader Seattle tax structure.

Executive Summary: Seattle needs to become more affordable, and labor is the highest cost. But labor costs cannot be reduced without also addressing the high cost of living, including by reducing housing and childcare costs.

Recommendation: Major permitting reform by the end of 2026 including fee waivers, consolidated inspections, automated approvals, and a public dashboard of permit timelines, all themed around increasing speed and cutting red tape.

Recommendations: Accelerate housing supply not just through Taller Denser Faster and the Comprehensive Plan but by recalibrating MHA, eliminating parking minimums, and implementing the permit dashboard (see recommendation #1) to track permit timelines and housing delivery.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 04/09/2026

Celebrating the occasion

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 04/09/2026

Also a great night in Ballard for the Free Nordic Museum and last weekend of the Moomin Exhibit.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 21/08/2026

Instead of being productive on the app today, I spent a couple hours working on a logo for it. Thoughts? Anyone recognize the colors? :D

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 18/07/2026

Jimothy canonically queer and nonbinary they/them <3 Love this so much Thanks @councilmember-amr.bsky.social @wsdot.wa.gov @kcls.org !

King county library system jimothy post with rainbow text

WSDOT jimothy post with rainbow background

Alexis Mercedes Rinck jimothy post with they/them pronouns in second paragraph of image

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 13/07/2026

Meanwhile, after successfully extracting another soul, Mitch McConnell has come back to life. And we've got a long ways to go before he's gone again.

Mitch McConnell, famously looks like a giant tortoise, which can live 150 years

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 12/07/2026

It is SO funny how nobody has obituaries prepared for him. Haven't seen a single one.

Everyone waiting for the official announcement that Mitch McConnell has died... Lindsey Graham dying sneaks up behind and scares

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 09/07/2026

All at once, everyone. INDUCED DEMAND! Today is the first day I'm seeing two-directional traffic backups in months. The reopening of the express lanes, plus today being a post-FIFA normal commute day, has people out and about. During Revive-I5, only one direction was ever backed up at a time!

I-5 view at Northgate, traffic in both directions

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 07/07/2026

I really think that some wayfinding things are just skill issues. We're following international numbering and lettering standards, and we have clearly marked Information Stations all along platforms, with all the information you need about stations, exits, surroundings, and more.

Helpful wayfinding station, one of 4 on this side of the platform, with a (?) sign obscured by the perspective poking out toward me between the exit signs

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 07/07/2026

Check out this beauty. Valet parking 😎

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 04/07/2026

Restructure is almost done, which is great. Moving to edge cases, maintenance improvements, and visual polish... like this incredible underlay.

USA/North American continental transit map

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 24/06/2026

The official number is only 400 housing units, under current zoning. More than anything, this reminds me that our zoning allowances are dramatically too low in neighborhoods worried about gentrification, to the point that our too-marginal new housing induces gentrification rather than offsets it.

reroute and reclaim page from the study, showing just 400 housing units

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 18/06/2026

This is every single permit approved in Seattle in 2026 adding over 10 housing units. 12 permits...total. 1054 units...total. For the entire first half of the year. 😬

Snapshot from City of Seattle's Building Permit dashboard

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 11/06/2026

If Seattle was serious about the housing crisis, we'd look like this. But we're not, so.

hk Northern metropolis progress: lots of cranes

hk Northern metropolis progress: land being prepped for new high-rises

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 03/06/2026

Absolutely awful, dystopian signs put up around Pioneer Square for world cup surveillance. Yes, I understand the reference. It is tone deaf and a bad way to roll out an already unpopular decision.

Everywhere you go, I'll be watching you. Seattle surveillance sign.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 15/05/2026

Skyways and tunnels is something I've wished Seattle has more of, especially on the rainy days. This was my dream map. Yellow = removed Red = current tunnels Purple = current overground Blue = proposed new connections

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/05/2026

It's the final few weeks before the World Cup and there's lots of changes! New clock going up on occidental, Kingdome Deli has moved away from their long-time corner space, Louie's Deli (w/ Pinball) is now open in Court in the Square, and the first new Public Restrooms are under construction 😁

Kingdome Deli: Now next to the County Service Center, instead of on the Corner

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 04/05/2026

Oh it's been a while, hasn't it. Progress takes a while. Reworked basically every element of the codebase and databases since last time, but behavior is actually much more consistent now. Still 1 more probably restructure (another few weeks...) before I get around to releasing this.

MetroMark: Seattle View with Stops turned On

MetroMark: Full Country view with some cities loaded

MetroMark: Line selected and highlighted plus new line view panel. I can't get the stops to display in order.... anyone have tips? I've tried everything.

MetroMark: Mobile View with a line selected and zoomed to extents.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 29/04/2026

I like the bus schedules! content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAK...

ORCA Business Passport: Sea26, Bus Schedules

State ferry fare increases, metro bus survey

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 17/04/2026

Progress continuing to be made on MetroMark: a personal checklist for every transit station you visit! Nothing fancy quite yet, but it's a lot of work even to get this baseline functionality working... whew.

MetroMark: In-Route UI light mode with stops selected

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 12/04/2026

So, I might be working on a new project...

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 04/04/2026

I experienced the same, both directions. It's busy, and not because of events... because people want to ride the train! I talked to a Carnation, WA 60-yo couple who parked at Redmond and took the light rail (their first time ever!) to the market for lunch. They plan to ride more going forward!

A totally packed downtown bellevue station

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 01/04/2026

I like to have a little fun at the office too.

April fools: Voice Activated Printer note on the printer

April fools: Voice activated printer teams message

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 01/04/2026

Happy April Fools, folks. This year continues one of my favorite trends of having fun on my survival realm. Here's this year and the last 3 years. It's hard to play pranks when things are so far from normal 😅 We tread a fine line between laughter and cautious fear.

2025 April Fools: Oakridge Realism Update

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 01/04/2026

System Expansion Report has them on track to gradually enter service between February and September 2027. (Each bar in the CA line is a car in service). What I really want to see is the progress on Kinki retrofits and maintenance %s. How much of our CURRENT fleet is out of commission?

ST LRV Fleet Expansion Gantt chart as of January 2026

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 31/03/2026

New announcement from Katie Wilson at the HDC Luncheon: Phase 3 and 4 of the Comprehensive Plan are substantially changed and are being rewritten on a faster timeline, and notably higher density! (Phase 2 will remain largely as-is)

HDC Luncheon - Wilson and Zahilay speaking

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 29/03/2026

Shocked? No, not anymore. Amazed? Yeah, kind of. Totally damning numbers, but it means nothing because we get these reports every day.

Federal workers are increasingly afraid to report illegal activity - down from 72 percent confidence in reporting average government wide to 22 percent, year over year.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 29/03/2026

Even cooler when you start to look at the (estimated!!) stats from the superbowl parade last month. The % of our metro region riding transit is incredible and I'm so proud of it. (Plus we're putting a plane between two buildings, so if that counts for any bonus points... yeah :p)

Work-In-Progress transit ridership chart for superbowl parades by SounderBruce!

Photo by Hoa Duong Photography on March 19, 2026. May be an image of submarine, blimp, crane, space shuttle, propeller and text that says '# X TRONW WORKERS LOCAL PERAT TORE LOCAL 302- B12 12 IAM MSI SPEEA EEA'.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 29/03/2026

Happy to meet everyone I did, including a bunch of engineers, operators, and volunteers... plus a bunch of folks I haven't seen in a while, like @spottnik.bsky.social! Even saw @milesintransit.com and @jeremyzorek.bsky.social, though they had enough of a posse already. Tiring, long, and great day!

A model of the bridge expansion joint segment that I totally want to recreate in a model at my apartment.

Mercer Island Station as packed as it'll ever be!

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 29/03/2026

2 Line in Seattle opened today to great fanfare. There were tens of thousands of people celebrating, with lines at times lasting upwards of an hour to board the train. Incredible achievement for the region!! (As an aside... this graffiti tunnel will absolutely one day be a tourist attraction.)

Crowds at the Judkins Park Station Platform... and this is with crowd management restricting access!

2 Line Train curves to enter the tunnel toward Judkins Park as it leaves the floating bridge.

Graffiti Tunnel to the Portal Viewpoint at Judkins Park Station

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 15/03/2026

This is what I pulled together a few days ago using that document

Sound Transit extensions table, showing project costs and costs per rider based on current ridership estimates

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 15/03/2026

I pulled one together a few days ago using the data from that document.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 15/03/2026

And lots of birds.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 15/03/2026

It was a pretty day.

Seward Park in the distance, I think, plus snow mountains starting to come out

Cherry blossoms in different phases of bloom

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 15/03/2026

Nice day yesterday, got to enjoy the lakeside of South Seattle ☺️ (Trains!!)

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

Aside from the brief mention of O2 by an R5 tenant earlier, all of offices O1-O5 and new retail R7 and retail upgrades R6 have no status. Some have speculated a redesign for housing or zoning increases, but these are already fairly close to the new zoning. We'll see what happens. That's all, folks!

Overview zoomed in on the offices plus R6

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

Looks like now Crumbl has pulled out and are replaced with Supreme Dumplings, permit intake scheduled for June 26, they're aiming to open in August but expected to be late fall/early winter. Will have outdoor seating with heaters.

Now sitting empty, soon to be Supreme Dumplings.

Supreme Dumplings coming soon - official simon map

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

E5 Crumbl Cookies in former Ram Restaurant was hold since 2023 despite basically being approved and having gone through 3 BP cycles, because they didn't have a contractor.

Former Ram Restaurant. Tried to become a Crumbl and failed.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

E2 Trader Joes has no activity on owner's end since submitting for permit 7/31; got round 1 corrections back from city 10/14, likely waiting for shell work. Permits issued 10/16 for the former Bed Bath/DSW core and shell demo+setup. E2-5 not sure which, new cafe coming in 2027, no info yet.

E2/E3 plan with DSW/BedBath shown, future Trader Joes

General location of new cafe coming soon. Shows it's on the Existing Mall portion of the site, and NOT in the bank of america space.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

M3 under construction but got a grading season condition before winter. No big deal, looks like they're approaching topping out with framing in the next few weeks. M4 No major activity on since a few years, site currently used for staging for M1-3.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

M1 residential design review REC resumed late last year. Seems likely they're going to try to start construction as M3 wraps up, possibly concurrent. M2 opening in September with Mendocino Farms, Shake Shack, and Joe & The Juice!

m2 draft design, plus a little bit of m3

Official Simon map showing opening date and retail

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

...but permit filing says "this part of the current mall is scheduled to be torn down and added onto" so potential scope change for this parcel, but no changes filed nonres mup yet. R6 no changes, R7 no updates. Still curious to see how they handle the food court since it was chopped off in demo.

R6 from above, former food court dome and tile and circle on tile seen

Food court dome, tiles, and circle on ground shown

Plan for the "new" food court... skeptical.

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AvgZing @avgzing.com · 14/03/2026

R4 PWHL HQ in former Gene Juarez apparently has CoO as of last week. R5 Pure Hockey permit filed in former Hockey Wolf former Ulta - O2 Office space expected to start demo in "up to two years", per 2-yr retailer permit filed. Original plan keeps R4/R5 and adds O2 behind...

The former Northgate Ulta, now on its second iteration a Hockey Store, supposedly only to last ~2 years.

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