News Round-Up

Posted on by Andrew Smith

Alaskan Way Viaduct

  • Apparently its not just transit around that costs more around here than in other parts of the country. The third runway at Sea-Tac will have cost more than $1 billion when it opens for air traffic next week, and debt service will continue until 2035. The article mentions a future debate about where to put the next airport, since Sea-Tac will likely be overcrowded again by 2024. If debating airports is anything like debating bridges or rail lines, I guess we’ll see a new airport in, oh, about 2060.
  • Parking rates are going up around the city, mostly as way to raise new funds. Surprisingly (to me) the business community is for the changes, since it will mean more spaces for shoppers.
  • This P-I piece on the Viaduct replacement options has two really interesting facts: 1) at least 766 parking spaces will be eliminated, regardless of which option is choosen, and 2) if option B is chose, daily transit trips to the city center will increase 196,000 to as many as 305,000 by 2015.
  • A better bailout for Detroit, have the federal government order a fleet of “green” cars.

Capitol Hill Business Mitigation

Posted on by Andrew Smith

jack in the box
Details on the Capitol Hill station construction mitigation. Sound Transit spends a lot of money, in this case $610,000, on construction mitigation for businesses around projects, and the Capitol Hill station is smack in the center of a major business district. Sound Transit will even have a full-time staff working in the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce office.

The article details a lot of the potential problems that might surface, especially the part around hauling truck-fulls of dirt down Olive Way.

BRT in Eugene

Posted on by Andrew Smith

Here’s a video of the EMX BRT in Eugene, where they use the same sort of coaches that Rapid Ride will use. Here’s a news story on the system. The BRT system, entitled the “Emerald Express”, has 60% of its route in a dedicated lane, which is always the sign of a good transit system. Currently there is no fare for rides on the route.

I’ve seen this from a car, but I don’t know anything else about this system, have any of you been on it?

Link Maps

Posted on by Frank Chiachiere

This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.

Oran’s strip maps of the current and future light rail lines are great.

What I really want to hang on my wail is one of Campell Scott’s SUPERTRAIN posters from the movie “Singles.” If anyone knows where to find one, drop me a line.