Comments on: Long News Roundup (II)

By: Mickymse

Mickymse — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:42:27 +0000

I think Jonah is a bit tongue-in-cheek. He is a Stranger writer after all.

However… Tips for Dealing with Harassment on the Bus:

1) Move closer to the driver.

2) Inform the driver that there is a problem, and ask him/her for help.

3) Call 911 yourself. Inform them which bus route you’re on, on what street, and in which direction. Provide the coach number usually printed in right above the entrance.

By: Sam

Sam — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:22:56 +0000

Toddlers on transit … Young boy on Max becomes separated from his father. The boy being left on the platform, the father being stuck on the train as the doors close. Some quotes from the father:

“So I frantically tried to push the open door button and they did not open.”

“Not knowing what to do, I pushed I pushed the emergency entercom button and there was no answer.”

By: Mike Orr

Mike Orr — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:39:22 +0000

ST calculated that to make Link free in the tunnel, it would have to raise everybody else’s train fares by 25c to compensate. ST asked the community a month before Link opened which they preferred. Most responded to keep the base fare low ($1.75 instead of $2.00), because who wants to pay more to commute every day just so that a few people downtown can ride a few blocks for free (when they already have plenty of free buses they can ride).

It’s just one of the contradictions of having both trains and buses in the tunnel. When the buses leave, they can simply say, “The tunnel is not part of the ride free area.”

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:41:21 +0000

The constant rainstorms seem to have really slowed down the accumulation of great pictures in the Flickr Pool

Rain, cold temperatures, homework, and lack of exciting stuff to go see is what’s keeping me from contributing much.

By: alexjonlin

alexjonlin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:14:04 +0000

Part of the thing is that in Portland, the buses and trains are run by the same agency which decided that it would be better to have people get around in downtown for free on the rail and leave the buses for commuters, while here the light rail (Link not LINK) is run by a different agency than that of the buses and they just have different policies on the ride free area.

By: alexjonlin

alexjonlin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:12:39 +0000

I was at Everett Station last Saturday and they appeared to be testing it at revenue service levels (every 10 minutes). It seems kinda ridiculous to me, to be testing all those buses that often for at least a few weeks before, as there’s not that many differences between them and regular buses.

By: alexjonlin

alexjonlin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:11:23 +0000

The others are coming next summer right?

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:43:04 +0000

That’s bus. Singular. Unless I’v emissed something and the others have started showing up.

But yeah CT does have pretty good service, and 99 percent of the drivers are extremely friendly.

By: Charles

Charles — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:57:20 +0000

Could someone here please explain to me why in downtown Portland trains are free but buses are not, while in downtown Seattle buses are free, but the LINK trains are not.

What is the rationale each city gives for those decisions?

By: Mike B

Mike B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:10:15 +0000

I meant that tongue-in-cheek.

And Snohomish County has a lot to offer besides lack-luster Sounder Service and salmon. We have double-decker buses!

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:49:59 +0000

I didn’t enter for a ticket but I’ll be there.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:53:47 +0000

I got my ticket in the mail today!

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:38:01 +0000

Swift bus graphic courtesy of yours truly!

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:37:11 +0000

I went up there a few times to cover the Everett terminal ground breaking and the Swift bus display at Lynnwood TC. Getting a preview ride is the best way to get media to be interested yet they left us out.

By: Martin H. Duke

Martin H. Duke — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:46 +0000

None of us live in Snohomish County so we don’t experience that agency as much. But checkout the countdown clock at right!

By: Mike B

Mike B — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:53:22 +0000

BTW they had the drawing for Swift inaugural tickets. Check your e-mail! If you get one, I’ll see you next Sunday!

By: Mike B

Mike B — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:45:29 +0000

Maybe CT’s bitter because of the lack of coverage on CT. RapidRide has gotten much more coverage here and Metro has only been talking about it for years whereas CT has put concrete and steel down.