After Research, We Award the Times Consistency Points

Earlier today, we were smiling over the Seattle Times trying to use the first day of light rail ridership as a benchmark. "What was the Times headline on February 4, 1965?" we asked, thinking of the opening of I-5. Then we really wanted to know, so we looked it up.

Next to a picture captioned "Smooth Flow: Southbound Traffic Rolls on Freeway," there was the headline "Traffic accidents killed 47,800 in the U.S. last year."

On the editorial page, though, the Blethen brows were furrowed in anger, not sorrow:

It is indeed unfortunate that yesterday's opening of the Seattle-Everett freeway in its utilitarian magnificence had to be marred by incompleted off and on ramps and the lack of east-west arterials that must be provided before the freeway can fully serve its purpose... We are not impressed by the often-used excuse that 'money was short." Seattle voters authorized bonds to be issued several years ago to defray expenditures for most or all of the critical connection arterials, which still are slumbering in the planning state.