Speak Your Mind on New Street Car Lines

See, if we didn't have to vote on it 5 times, we could be riding a sensible alternative already. The monorail made sense. It was above grade, It ran to underdeveloped areas. It would have been great. But the developers saw all the land that the monorail was buying up, and got greedy, and then flat out lied about the financing costs. Well, not lied, but put their own spin on what is the usual costs of long term financing. Don't believe me? Add up your mortgage payments over thirty years, and see what you're really paying for your house.

Personally, I'm tired of voting for something, or against something, and then having big business somehow run all over us. Especially Paul Allen. He had to have that damned stadium, and that ugly EMP, and that useless SLUT. When do the ordinary people of Seattle get their wishes? I'm starting a new campaign. No taxation without representation. Our representatives are representing big business, let them pay the taxes, and not have the regressive sales taxes that are killing people like me living in poverty.

The Waterfront one was on Alskan Way if Im not mistaken..

I like the idea but isnt 1st the most clogged street ever on the weekends? Im a huge rail advocate but thats probably not the best street to put it on.

Oh well...just do SOMETHING.

Oh. The Seattle Center to King Street Station line will run along 1st.

Which is.... the old Waterfront Streetcar route.

So much for fresh ideas.

the proposed "Central Line," which would run from Seattle Center to King Street Station

Uh, wait. That is precisely the same as monorail + tunnel with an elevator ride at Westlake.

In fact, I've done that exact trip.

That's the best idea they can come up with? I suppose if SLUT was their first brilliant idea I shouldn't be surprised.

How about Downtown to Cap Hill?

U District to Fremont?

Or think outside the box... a line that goes through an underdeveloped area needing revival. SODO to White Cen-- I mean, Highland Park?

Once upon a time people built transit to places where they wanted to encourage development. And whadooyaknow, it worked.

The Central Line isn't needed. The downtown core is already served by hundreds (thousands?) of buses a day, and most of it is in the free ride zone. Soon a large portion will also be served by light rail Why rip up the streets and pay hundreds of millions of dollars for a redundant service?

Street cars are a terrible idea. They're not fast like grade-separate rail, because they interact with traffic, and they're extremely expensive, especially compared to the bus system we already have. Again, why pay hundreds of millions of dollars for a redundant system that doesn't work any better than the buses we already have? Why not spend that money on dedicated bus lanes, increased bus service, bike lanes, carpool/vanpool assistance, telecommuting incentives which will actually make a difference?

That pretty well sums it up. Unfortunately, they made local businesses pay and that forced a lot of them out.

Which is also what Paul Allen wanted.

Not that I'm complaining. Sometimes the right thing is unpopular. I like most of Allen's plans and goals. He's a true Seattle Son.

They did the SLUT first because it had private funding and therfore was immune to typical Seattle NIMBYism to stop the progress. Then they could show how many people were using it as proof that we need more. Soooo yea!