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Very fun! John Jensen clearly needs to get the same haircut the rest of you have. I need a haircut and a real job.
I want to have my hair like John’s.
It will be harder to troll now.
What, I’m not important enough to make it on that page? *j/k*
I’m glad to see all the women who are involved!
*gag*
We’ve accepted exactly zero of the zero applications that have come in from women.
Sometimes increasing diversity requires more of a proactive effort than just waiting for people to send you applications. Especially considering that the existence of an application process is mentioned nowhere on this blog in the first place.
That’s because there isn’t a formal process.
Everyone who’s joined this blog, starting with me, has done so by sending us an email, cold, and asking for it. At least since I’ve joined, there hasn’t been a case of a good-old-boy network sucking in their friends. The two times (I know of) we’ve invited someone, they’ve said no.
Aside from Carla and Erica C. Barnett, I don’t know of any local female transportation bloggers with a significant body of work. If there’s another one out there, say so and we’ll consider her.
TransitMama is another one to ask. She coined the name for OneBusAway and has a blog with a few nice posts that she might consider cross-posting here.
You need some contributors other than Greg who have gray hair! (bunch of freaking kids, now get off my lawn)
Kids!
Chris, I’m the oldest, and I’m almost 33! That’s, like, almost dead!
I wouldn’t be surprised if you get gray hair running the blog… :)
Heh, I’m 41 so to me y’all are a bunch of kids (what did I tell you about the lawn!).
I wonder if BusChick would be interested in cross-posting. There are also quite a few female posters (or at least with female-sounding names) who leave some good comments and could write something longer. Jessica?
Carla has a pretty good gig over at the P-I, but she’s someone we’d accept pretty much without hesitation.
I even invited her over when the P-I’s future looked shakey, but she’s got a good thing going there.
“He is particularly interested in heavy rail and the technical aspects of rail operations, and volunteers on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad in his spare time as a conductor or engineer.”
DUDE.
WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US?!
I feel… *sniff* … betrayed. Or unobservant. And a bit jealous. But I promise this won’t be a “oh my god, your job is sooooooo coooooooool” interrogation!
Ha! Aj, I thought I’ve mentioned that before. I never really bother to post anything in regards to Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad since this is a “Puget Sound” transportation blog =P
But alas, yes, I am a conductor and recent student diesel engineer for the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. Been doing it for almost 5 years now and will eventually probably use my knowledge to apply for a class 1 freight railroad or Amtrak.
To see what I do and our collection, feel free to check out this video a friend of mine took a few weeks ago;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8nTX7pAww0
Hey Ben S. just curious, when East Link opens, would you take light rail from Capitol Hill to Overlake or continue taking the bus?
I think it’ll depend on what congestion looks like on 520 – but if that 405 bottleneck is still there, I’ll probably take light rail.
Assuming I’m working out there in ten years! I’d rather be working downtown.
Let me say I’ll prefer light rail, at least. If it doesn’t offer TOO much more time, I’ll take it just because I enjoy it.
Bus morning – train afternoon?
That brings up an interesting question: what happens to the 545 after East Link opens to Overlake? I would imagine they would at least decrease the frequency.
Poof! If you want to go to the UW then transfer in Bellevue (or wait an extra 20 minutes and just stay on the train). From Capitol Hill you’re probably looking at a train ride either way; either around the south end or north to transfer at Husky Station then transfer back to the train at Bellevue. At that point probably just as fast (slow?) to just take the train south. Sort of ironic; Capital Hill to Microsoft riders will add 22 minutes to their trip each way.
To be fair the amount added to the trip each way largely depends on traffic. Link will always take the same amount of time between Capitol Hill and Overlake Transit Center. The 545 varies depending on traffic. On really bad days it can take 90 minutes to get from Overlake Transit Center to Evergreen Point.
Well, it hasn’t taken me that long but 45 minutes isn’t uncommon. When the new bridge opens (2016) and the center HOV lanes are complete I would expect those days to be far and few between. Then again, 405 has center HOV lanes and they’re a parking lot so I guess it depends on HOV lane restrictions. I can’t understand why it isn’t 3+ on 405 already.
Anyway, the dependability factor is nice but those seats look damn uncomfortable for a 40+ minute ride and standing room means no productive time while in transit.
ST2 has a “SR 520 BRT” element. No one seems to know what it means.
It means the same thing as ST 545 (give or take a higher frequency). But maybe when 520 gets tolled, 545 might be slightly faster (less car traffic?).
Plus some technological improvements – like ticket vending machines, next bus info, etc.
Doesn’t ST have to say it in the ballot measure if they want to do it. So while they may not know where it will go or what it will look like they have to say it in the ballot if they want to do it ST2.
Weiner Mobiles :-P
What I remember hearing is “the plan” (the one that doesn’t exist) is to transfer almost all bus service coming across 520 at Husky Station. It makes sense because even with the best of traffic it’s a wash time wise getting from Montlake to Downtown on the bus vs Link. Plus it’s a lot nicer to use the tunnel (especially waiting for the return trip) than 4th Ave. I sure hope they come up with the funds to build option K (tunnel) for the Montlake interchange and make it HOV access only.
I also think that the reduction in bus service across 520 planned after East Link opens likely means the only buses going across 520 will be from Kirkland north. Link from downtown -> BRT UW -> Bellevue Transit Center would be about a 1/2 hour with the transfer. Link -> Bellevue transit Center would be about a 1/2 hour with no transfer and a lot cheaper to operate.
If you want to go Bellevue to UW; well, your trip gets longer. Even though routes like the 271 are “winners” by eastside standards (20% peak hour fare recovery from BTC) I just can’t see how they’d be justified. Especially since most of the current ridership from south of BTC would be siphoned off anyway.
Try this link on SR-520 High Capacity Transit Plan:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/D329E6C5-BF91-4EAC-8B95-9D58A2B498F6/0/Final_HCTP.pdf
Thanks for the link. Great read.
Yes, thanks for the link. If all the lines are implemented and I don’t move to a place near Link first, then it’ll be a dream come true. I always imagined the 255 would become a BRT line in the future.
Keep in mind that these are goals – the money has to come from somewhere.