Comments on: News Roundup: $99,000,000,000

By: Erik G.

Erik G. — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:00:16 +0000

I’ve ridden the LA Metro Blue Line through Compton a number of times and have never had any incidents.

Now the KCM226/ST 550 at Mercer Island Park n Ride is another story!

By: Gary

Gary — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:19:55 +0000

Article in the Bellevue reporter on the East Link option.

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/news/46866827.html

And this week there was an interview with the city transportation guy, but it’s not on line yet.

By: CriticalWonk

CriticalWonk — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:48:33 +0000

The Purple Line !! Beg, borrow, steal to build it!! Folks in Maryland have wanted to get it done for decades. Sure beats seeing one or more accident EVERY morning and EVERY evening on the Beltway. Yeah, it’s exciting that someone has the nerve.

Sigler isn’t bad. Then there is Forch who is from SDOT. They just have had no buzz, no one knows them, needed to start in on their campaigns a year or more back. I do like what I hear when I’ve seen them speak.

By: justin

justin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:49:02 +0000

the driver probably just didn’t want to wander through the maze that it sounds like the orca interface is. It’s a shame they have a huge scroll interface rather then dedicated buttons.

the whole point of orca is to be fast, but since they are not doing swipe on and off it’s quite cumbersome.

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:39:37 +0000

I saw this same thing happen on Wednesday. A lot of drivers still don’t seem to know the system very well.

By: L. Smith

L. Smith — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:53:17 +0000

Today, I tried to use my Orca (with a PugetPass and some E-purse) to pay my youth fare and another’s. I asked the driver to set it for both of us, and he told me it wan’t possible. I explained that I could use the pass and my friend could take 75¢ from my E-purse. He told me, no, it’s only good for one person. I didn’t want to get into an argument, and he still wouldn’t have known how to do it, but it’s this type of operator ignorance that I’m afraid could ruin this system.

By: Martin H. Duke

Martin H. Duke — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:23:52 +0000

Sam,

You are descending into self-parody.

Be sure to wear a crash helmet if you drive into Seattle, too; you can never be sure when a drunk driver will come after you. Best to keep your speed down to 25 mph, also, especially on the freeway.

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:19:53 +0000

Actually you can get mugged in the suburbs too.

Saying people need to travel in groups of 3 or more and only during daylight makes about the same amount of sense for Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill as it does for Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, and Redmond.

You really need to experience Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, etc. after dark before you go around saying crap like that.

By: Sam

Sam — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:47:54 +0000

Here’s the story from the P.I’s 911 blog:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/171715.asp

I just want people to be careful. And yes, people from the suburbs who are going to find their way to the Link line in order to experience DO need to be more careful in this part of town than others. To say otherwise is putting good people’s lives in danger. I would advise people wanting to ride Link for the experience to travel in groups of at least 3 for safety. And only ride it in daylight. People will be coming from all over to ride it, and the should be much, much more cautious in the Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill than places like Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, and Redmond.

By: hans

hans — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:32:49 +0000

Oberstar’s bill is quite exciting. Streetsblog points out he will need support from Ways and Means, so let’s all make sure McDermott knows we consider this a priority.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:09:24 +0000

Have you ever set foot on North Beacon Hill?

Seriously, have you? Because if you had, you would perhaps realize how off-base this post was. North Beacon is not a particularly violent neighborhood, and the assault was a substantial distance from the station, besides.

Sure, it’s not Laurelhurst, but it is far from what you seem to think it is. As Chris said, this incident could have happened just about anywhere. We don’t live in fear here on Beacon Hill.

By: The Overhead Wire

The Overhead Wire — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:59:47 +0000

I think we need to be cognizant of the new rules that will be coming out for new starts. It’s not an issue of cost effectiveness alone anymore. The program will change. Take a look at some of the changes and they will certainly favor lines that carry a lot of people, but also promote livable communities and reduce GHG emissions.

By: Mickymse

Mickymse — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:44:54 +0000

I’ve talked to Norman about this a few times out on the campaign trail… He obviously followed the monorail project intently, and is very clear that waiting 30+ years to prepare something for the west side of the City is too long to wait.

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:33:48 +0000

Yes. For starters, Sound Transit has a study for 2015 to determine a best corridor and estimate ridership now that Link exists.

I’m also interested in pushing the city to fund such a study before that time, so we can try funding some of it, in, say, 2012.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:41:35 +0000

I just searched the Sound Transit website and could not find anything relating to a potential expansion of light rail to Ballard (my home) — does anyone know what exists on this save for the failed planning for the monorail along the 15th ave corridor?

By: AJ

AJ — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:37:35 +0000

I love how you’re so petty that you’d use an assault for your own personal gain.

This happened over half a mile from the station, and statistically there’s typically no reason to fear for this type of crime unless you’re actively participating in gang or drug activity. I’m guessing in your case it’s the latter more than the former.

By: Colin

Colin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:07:50 +0000

Let’s be honest. High crime neighborhoods in the northwest are a bit like cold cities in California. Yes, it gets kinda cold in Redding, but really they’ve got nothing to complain about.

That is really too bad about this crime, and people should definitely be careful when wandering anywhere in a shady neighborhood after dark, but let’s not pretend that Beacon Hill is Compton.

I hope that higher walking traffic in these areas, combined with a greater ability to get quickly to downtown, will help Beacon Hill and the Rainier Valley become safer, more desirable places to live.

By: Martin H. Duke

Martin H. Duke — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:46:44 +0000

Sam,

You’re a great hero with your courageous effort to save lives by warning people that the city is big and scary.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:52:32 +0000

They had some riots in Los Angeles – watch out if you ride Amtrak’s Coast Starlight!

By: lazarus

lazarus — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:29:47 +0000

This event has absolutely nothing to do with Link.

My only comment would be that maybe if Link had been in operation (with its attendant increase in security and pedestrian traffic) then maybe this event would not have happened.

Besides, I find these concerns over “crime” along the route to be little more than code words for something else. I’d recommend actually going there and experiencing it – there is a lot of good in those neighborhoods.