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All the talk has ended. All the discourse is done. All the fears are so yesterday. Saddle up, it's time to ride!
Starting today, the Sound Transit Link Light Rail line from Westlake to Tukwila is officially open. This weekend, everyone rides for free. (As of noon, that's been about 13,000 people.) Paid service starts on Monday.
Transit officials said yesterday that the system is ready to go. Fourteen two-car trains are operating all weekend. On Monday, 14 trains will be operating during peak hours and 12 trains at all other times.
At the official launch party on Friday, Mayor Nickels said, "It's finally here. We are truly entering a new era for our city and the region." Everyone gushed like that. The launch party included a host of dignitaries, including Senator Patty Murray, who recalled the many struggles to reach this point.
She wasn't kidding. The press materials recounted a depressing long list of failed transit attempts reaching back to the 1968 Forward Thrust projects.
Councilmember Larry Phillips paused for a moment during the ceremony to remember that he was a 19-year-old UW student when a 1970 ballet measure that would have brought light rail to Seattle failed miserably.
"I was crushed" he said. "But we made it here today. It feels great."
Phillips pointed out that we were the last major city on the West Coast to launch a light rail line. San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver and even L.-motherfrakker!-A. beat us.
Peter Rogoff
But there wasn't time to linger on the past. Senator Murray pointed that she hadn't seen this many smiles in Seattle in, oh, forever. And she was right. There was a sense of relief and accomplishment in the air. Seattle has light rail.
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A new website called SeattleLightRail.net shows businesses, parks, church and libraries (to name a few) near the brand new Seattle Link. With the Grand Opening today, it is a great tool for visitors and riders to live, work & play by train.
Over 275 Locations are mapped near Seattle Light Rail.
Great story, but did you really have to include that video of our publicity-crazed mayor?
This is AMAZING! I went on it opening day and its exactly what our county needs. It's great to know Larry Phillips worked so hard on this project and successfully saved millions of dollars!