Comments on: Our Feet Are Tired

By: SeattleHound » Seattle Light Rail is Open

SeattleHound » Seattle Light Rail is Open — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:27:17 +0000

[...] of their writers spent all day on the train, riding back and forth between downtown and Tukwila, checking out the people, the trains, and the stations. Their conclusion is that hopefully the train will bring [...]

By: eldan

eldan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:34:05 +0000

2) they did seem a bit set on rigidly applying the plans they had come up with in case of 3-4 hour waits. For instance at Tukwila they were directing everyone down the escalators just to turn around and come back up, even after being told that there was no longer anyone waiting at the bottom.

In fairness, though, a lot of the people directing the crowds were inexperienced volunteers–for instance I had a nice chat with a lady whose husband works for ST, and wanted to help out with his big day–and in that position doing everything strictly by one’s written instructions can feel like the only way to be safe from screwing something up with the best of intentions.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:31:24 +0000

Bingo. Yes, I have been frustrated at the anti-monorail opinions around here sometime, because I supported the monorail (every single time it was up for election) and the light rail as well. It’s not so much that I prefer the technology or anything (though I have certainly enjoyed the three monorail systems I’ve ridden so far) but that Seattle needs the grade-separated transit. West Seattle and Ballard really need it, honestly.

By: J

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:23:19 +0000

I did wear my old “Let’s Monorail” green button, just in commemoration of my original, lamented plan, which was to take the monorail from Morgan Junction to opening day of Link. But not in any spirit of dissing light rail! I’m pleased with Link, mostly. I’m just really sad at not having the monorail to complement it. And I heard exactly that sentiment from several other people, even without my button. (We took the Water Taxi, instead.) Most monorail supporters I know don’t think “light rail = bad”; they think it’s good! They just think we should have built the monorail, also.

By: Andrew Hitchcock

Andrew Hitchcock — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:36:23 +0000

1. I saw someone eating on the train on my second ride of the day (leaving Westlake around 10:20). Come on people, at least give it a month before you sully it.
2. Yeah, I got bitten by that. I wanted to leave Pioneer Square station using the north exit and they wouldn’t let me. I was going up hill to 6th, so I wanted any escalator advantage I could get.

By: joshuadf

joshuadf — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:55:56 +0000

Ouch. That’s what Portland did and Tri-Met caught hell last winter because of the frozen switches: http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=123067705280802600

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:41:43 +0000

I rode the Chief Sealth trail from RB station and that hill’s really steep.

If you take Renton Ave, it’s uphill from Henderson, drops a bit, and then another uphill from 51st Ave S. The street is pretty wide but beware of seams and potholes.

Or you could take the 106 from Othello which drops you off in front of Kubota and bike back.

It’s not too far for a walk, just a mile from RB station.

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:30:36 +0000

The trains have sand which should improve traction. If you look closely under the seats in the high floor section near the cab you’ll see the sand tanks. In icy conditions I’m concerned about frozen switches. On the lunch bus tour, they explained that they’ll consider installing them after they see how operations fare in the winter.

By: MarkS

MarkS — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:04:16 +0000

Got back less than an hour ago and my feet are sore. Walked from my house to the South Everett Freeway Station. Should’ve rode my bike.

Very impressed. Sound Transit and the volunteers did a go job of crowd control. A lot of people but everything went smooth.

The Link took the surface route through Rainer Valley way better than I expected. We’ll proably still see a few knuckleheads here and there who will try and race the train and lose.

Only real downside I saw was the inclined approach to the Tukwila Station. Looks like it could be trickey on a winter day if the tracks freeze over.

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:49:47 +0000

I am so tired from yesterday. I just woke up and completely missed the second day.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:02:27 +0000

It’s uphill, though, isn’t it? Riding a bike uphill in this weather is pretty darned hot, too. I haven’t been to Kubota, though, so maybe it’s not uphill where I think it is.

At any rate, I think I’ll go on a nice 70-degree day. :)

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:00:07 +0000

We were down there a few days ago and found the wait time to cross to be very, very long. There are going to be jaywalkers there — I guarantee it.

Now, yesterday, we were making a left turn onto MLK from Alaska (unfortunately we had an out of town event to attend so we didn’t get to ride the train — we drove along the tracks on the way out of town, though), Link was stopped at the CC station, and some moron in front of us was so busy ogling the train and the station slowly while making the left turn, that we were afraid we were going to get stuck on the tracks. Yikes. (The left-turn signal turned yellow after we entered the intersection, but the driver in front of us just slowed down and inched forward for some reason. No traffic blockage or anything — he/she was just rubbernecking, I think.)

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:55:03 +0000

Heh. I was thinking about wearing my “We Said Monorail” shirt too, but not for the same reasons as that guy… I am too happy about the train to have any sour grapes at the moment.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:52:44 +0000

The funny thing is all the fuss about no parking, no parking… but the RPZ restrictions aren’t in place on weekends, so people could have come out and parked around the stations on the street if they wanted to!

By: Frank

Frank — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:38:27 +0000

(i would bike to kubota from link, not walk. maybe walk in the fall or winter, its too hot)

By: Frank

Frank — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:36:26 +0000

for the croswalk she was on the se corner headed to link then back.

outbound it didn’t turn to walk when it was green for traffic. my partner jaywalked right in front of the cop.

then on her return, it only turned to walk after the left turns were done. (from alaska to mlk so they wouldn’t have crossed her lanes). that amount of time is annoying, assuming the signal had worked for the outbound trip it would have been the difference between making the link that just arrived or not.

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:26:16 +0000

You too! I’ve got one of those magnets on my fridge now, as well.

Thank you so much for reminding me about Kubota! I may try to go down there today as well.

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:25:31 +0000

1) Yeah, what’s up with that? Eric had ice cream on the platform at Othello and we didn’t have any trouble.

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:22:45 +0000

3) Yes, I think the city is going to be looking at that. Have you seen the red signs downtown, with arrows pointing to attractions? Hopefully we’ll get those at Link stations as well.

4) Really? I talked to about a dozen cyclists yesterday, and none had any issue. I think the Stranger was just whining. I may take my bike today.

5) Mount Rainier!

6) Graham Street and S. 133rd someday!

7) Yes, but I wonder if it’ll be better as the bamboo grows.

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:19:48 +0000

Any TVM will sell you an ORCA, as Joshua mentions. I put some money on the e-purse on mine just to see how it works – the TVMs are slow and I’ve seen a couple of them crash, but I think things will smooth out.

I actually tried some of the crosswalks – they’re not bad. There are times when waits get pretty high, but I’ve waited longer to cross Alaskan Way, and *certainly* longer to cross Aurora or Lake City Way.

By 7 things were definitely clearing out. People wanted to go both ways on the train, the buses weren’t really that compelling.