Route 7X is a different story, as it should be.

The people living on the routes were angry, and the people who would have new diesel bus routes running past them were angry. Seattle’s professional engineers did a study and found the ETBs were cheaper and quicker than the diesels, even on the steeper routes. The agency still refused to save the ETB routes.

So an initiative was taken to the people and passed, forcing the agency to rebuild the electric lines and maintain the service. You see, your very old Seattleites can remember when venal politics ruled Seattle, and good things only happened when citizens made them happen.

I don’t believe ‘venal politics’ play any role in the current threat to the ETBs. I’ll be posting shortly at Orphan Road about the organizational and social dynamics that do threaten the ETBs today.

Most people who ride the #7 supported removing some stops to make the trip quicker and more reliable.

And remember that they did initially plan to cut trips on the 7. And they ARE cutting the 7X.

From Metro’s website:

7 Local – No change to service. Revised stop spacing project in summer 2009, with first phase to be implemented in September 2009.

7 Express – Reduce weekday morning trips from nine to five trips; reduce afternoon trips from eight to five trips; schedule in coordination with Route 34 Express.

So they are both getting rid of a bunch of stops AND cutting express trips, almost in half.

I’m not sure why it’s difficult for people to believe that transit officials were saying these things. But they did. And they were wrong. It’s not that I am thrilled about being right; it’s more that service is being made more difficult in the community that most relies on it.

/soapbox

Still, there might be one excuse- that the residents of Seattle simply don’t place any value on clean air and keeping the noise down.

However, as near as I can see, the Rainier and MLK neighborhoods have had little enough from the city of Seattle during the past 50 years. I would be very skeptical of any claim that the residents of the Rainier valley actually wanted noisier and smellier buses.

This is a transit system that quite literally buys buses by the hundreds. They’ve said they expect the existing ETBs to wear out in the next five years but they’re not buying any replacements. How much handwriting do you need on this wall?

I think the term was “Section 8 scum”.

In any case he’s a Usenet legend and several time kook of the month award winner.

Here’s the FAQ that explains more than you ever wanted to know about “L00T!” rail and Big Don.

I was always under the impression he lived down Algona or Pacific way.

You mean women who play college sports? I hate it when they ride light rail to my neighborhood…

He was always going off on light rail making it easier for criminals, drug users and (his words) “Title 9 scum” to get around and invade (GASP!) YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!

I think he may have been Kemper Freeman posting under a pseudonymn.