Comments on: New Data: Two East Link Options Look Good http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/ Transit in the Greater Seattle Area Sat, 26 May 2012 05:09:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: VeloBusDriver http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-106478 VeloBusDriver Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:44:35 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-106478 I can't see that putting the train on the surface of either 110th, 108th, or both will be such an apocalyptic event. Both of those streets are my preferred cycling routes through downtown Bellevue precisely because they don't have a lot of traffic on them. While I'm not thrilled about the idea of dealing with tracks, those streets seem like a logical place to put a surface line. Just don't try to cross NE 8th though (Which I don't believe any of the lines do). I *hate* waiting for the lights at NE 8th and either 108th, 110th, or 112th.
I can’t see that putting the train on the surface of either 110th, 108th, or both will be such an apocalyptic event. Both of those streets are my preferred cycling routes through downtown Bellevue precisely because they don’t have a lot of traffic on them. While I’m not thrilled about the idea of dealing with tracks, those streets seem like a logical place to put a surface line. Just don’t try to cross NE 8th though (Which I don’t believe any of the lines do). I *hate* waiting for the lights at NE 8th and either 108th, 110th, or 112th.

]]> By: VeloBusDriver http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-106477 VeloBusDriver Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:36:57 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-106477 I don't buy that. Yes, we are lazy as a society. (Some people in Beaux Arts actually drive to our house, even though it's a 5 minute walk from everywhere in the Village !?) But as the pedestrian, cycling, and transit infrastructure improves more people *are* walking and cycling to use transit. One example: The bike racks at S Bellevue & Mercer Island P&R constantly have bikes at them now - only a couple of years ago I was the only cyclist using either - even on a sunny day. We have a long way to go, for sure, but people are beginning to understand what the lack of physical activity is doing to us.
I don’t buy that. Yes, we are lazy as a society. (Some people in Beaux Arts actually drive to our house, even though it’s a 5 minute walk from everywhere in the Village !?) But as the pedestrian, cycling, and transit infrastructure improves more people *are* walking and cycling to use transit. One example: The bike racks at S Bellevue & Mercer Island P&R constantly have bikes at them now – only a couple of years ago I was the only cyclist using either – even on a sunny day.

We have a long way to go, for sure, but people are beginning to understand what the lack of physical activity is doing to us.

]]> By: VeloBusDriver http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-106473 VeloBusDriver Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:11:45 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-106473 Bellevue already coordinates their signals so you pass by multiple cross streets with a single green light. NE 8th is a good example. Getting across NE 4th will be a bit more tricky since the lights are timed East/West, not North/South. That said, the trains aren't any more frequent than the light cycles now so it's just a matter of getting the trains to hit downtown at the right time. I'm driving in the tunnel right now and from listening to the 800Mhz radio, it sounds like LCC and the drivers are working on improving on this issue. (Lots of calls for trains to hold for 60 or 90 seconds and talk about the cascade) There is a lot of micromanaging going on with train timing so it seems like they are trying to get the timing down. (Anybody in the know here who can verify?)
Bellevue already coordinates their signals so you pass by multiple cross streets with a single green light. NE 8th is a good example. Getting across NE 4th will be a bit more tricky since the lights are timed East/West, not North/South. That said, the trains aren’t any more frequent than the light cycles now so it’s just a matter of getting the trains to hit downtown at the right time.

I’m driving in the tunnel right now and from listening to the 800Mhz radio, it sounds like LCC and the drivers are working on improving on this issue. (Lots of calls for trains to hold for 60 or 90 seconds and talk about the cascade) There is a lot of micromanaging going on with train timing so it seems like they are trying to get the timing down. (Anybody in the know here who can verify?)

]]> By: Reminder: ST Downtown Bellevue Open House Tonight - Seattle Transit Blog http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-106451 Reminder: ST Downtown Bellevue Open House Tonight - Seattle Transit Blog Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:14:21 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-106451 [...] For those of you who will be available this evening, this is a friendly reminder that Sound Transit is having their second Downtown Bellevue open house tonight from 4pm to 7pm (the presentation will begin at 5pm).  The open house is expected to be considerably similar to the one held last November, when the original DEIS alternatives were being discussed.  Today’s meeting will take public input on the four newer alternatives recently studied in a joint analysis (PDF) by ST and Bellevue, two of which look hot, the other two not so much. [...]
[...] For those of you who will be available this evening, this is a friendly reminder that Sound Transit is having their second Downtown Bellevue open house tonight from 4pm to 7pm (the presentation will begin at 5pm).  The open house is expected to be considerably similar to the one held last November, when the original DEIS alternatives were being discussed.  Today’s meeting will take public input on the four newer alternatives recently studied in a joint analysis (PDF) by ST and Bellevue, two of which look hot, the other two not so much. [...]

]]> By: Jojo http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-105088 Jojo Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:35:48 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-105088 Not necessarily trip time and traffic, but the frequency of ACCIDENTS that will clog up the system and its reliability. That was my entire point. I feel that our regional light rail system wasn't meant to run on downtown surface streets. BREAKING NEWS: Downtown Houston light rail hit by bus that was running red light. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7267671
Not necessarily trip time and traffic, but the frequency of ACCIDENTS that will clog up the system and its reliability. That was my entire point. I feel that our regional light rail system wasn’t meant to run on downtown surface streets.

BREAKING NEWS: Downtown Houston light rail hit by bus that was running red light. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7267671

]]> By: Andrew http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-105077 Andrew Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:39:18 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-105077 [deleted, ad-hominem]. Have you experienced a vast, convenient subway system overseas? Guess what... I have. And I know for a fact, that underground subways travel much, much faster than ST's light-rail on MLK Way. All over the world, they have been digging subway lines 'til this very day. In fact, Beijing is building the world's largest subway system in five years, and it is all underground. Sure, they could've built an at-grade light-rail system that travels half the speed of what an underground train could. Nope, they plan ahead... as should we. The Seattle-Bellevue-Tacome-Everett Metropolitan area is growing rapidly, and could exceed 6-7 million by 2050. Think of the future. Think of all the problems the MLK Way lightrail is having. Think internatonal.
[deleted, ad-hominem]. Have you experienced a vast, convenient subway system overseas? Guess what… I have. And I know for a fact, that underground subways travel much, much faster than ST’s light-rail on MLK Way. All over the world, they have been digging subway lines ’til this very day. In fact, Beijing is building the world’s largest subway system in five years, and it is all underground. Sure, they could’ve built an at-grade light-rail system that travels half the speed of what an underground train could. Nope, they plan ahead… as should we. The Seattle-Bellevue-Tacome-Everett Metropolitan area is growing rapidly, and could exceed 6-7 million by 2050.

Think of the future. Think of all the problems the MLK Way lightrail is having. Think internatonal.

]]> By: Bernie http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104844 Bernie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:49:34 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104844 $4B? I thought it was closer to $2B but when you put it like that I guess killing East Link really is the smart thing to do.
$4B? I thought it was closer to $2B but when you put it like that I guess killing East Link really is the smart thing to do.

]]> By: Bernie http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104842 Bernie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:47:17 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104842 Just in case anyone is wondering, kj was supposed to be kill job typed into a TOPS20 shell window. Damn GUI environments.
Just in case anyone is wondering, kj was supposed to be kill job typed into a TOPS20 shell window. Damn GUI environments.

]]> By: Bernie http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104822 Bernie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:36:10 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104822 Where's the tee shirt, NY, Seoul, Tokyo... Bellevue. What a fantasy world.
Where’s the tee shirt, NY, Seoul, Tokyo… Bellevue. What a fantasy world.

]]> By: Bernie http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104821 Bernie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:33:58 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104821 Where are the results of that study?
Where are the results of that study?

]]> By: Bernie http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104820 Bernie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:32:39 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104820 CH2M Hill is a public service organization? ST pays them hundreds of millions to produce the answers they want. Cracks me up, a couple of thousand in a hundred thousand dollar campaign and the Bellevue council is bought and paid for but a contractor who knows which side of the bread the butter is on; they're totally objective. CH2M Hill makes millions on this project and the more expensive the option the more they make.
CH2M Hill is a public service organization? ST pays them hundreds of millions to produce the answers they want. Cracks me up, a couple of thousand in a hundred thousand dollar campaign and the Bellevue council is bought and paid for but a contractor who knows which side of the bread the butter is on; they’re totally objective. CH2M Hill makes millions on this project and the more expensive the option the more they make.

]]> By: Andrew http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104807 Andrew Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:03:48 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104807 Afterall, the ENTIRE world has built their subways underground. What makes Seattle and Bellevue any diffferent? Boston, New York, Hamburg, Los Angleles, Tokyo, Nagoya, Seoul, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Pyonyang, New Delhi, Athens, paris, London, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Mexico City, Madrid, Munich, Philly, Stockholm, Chicago, Singapore, Atlanta, Barcelona, San Fran, Toronto, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Beijing, Boston, St. Petersburg, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Brussels, Yokohama, Kobe, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Sendai, Kyoto, Tashkent, Kiev, Tblisi, Montreal, Baku, Kharkov, Samara, Minsk, Kazan, Volgograd, Pusan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and the list goes on and on and on. If those cities can build an underground system, we can too.
Afterall, the ENTIRE world has built their subways underground. What makes Seattle and Bellevue any diffferent?

Boston, New York, Hamburg, Los Angleles, Tokyo, Nagoya, Seoul, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Pyonyang, New Delhi, Athens, paris, London, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Mexico City, Madrid, Munich, Philly, Stockholm, Chicago, Singapore, Atlanta, Barcelona, San Fran, Toronto, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Beijing, Boston, St. Petersburg, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Brussels, Yokohama, Kobe, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Sendai, Kyoto, Tashkent, Kiev, Tblisi, Montreal, Baku, Kharkov, Samara, Minsk, Kazan, Volgograd, Pusan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and the list goes on and on and on.

If those cities can build an underground system, we can too.

]]> By: Andrew http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104803 Andrew Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:53:53 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104803 It's either we suffer a few years with building the cut-and-cover tunnel, or we suffer a lifetime of an at-grade option. Mixing trains and cars (especially downtown) is a HUGE mistake. We're trying to build a vast subway/light-rail system here that will help bring us out of economic woes here, and move commuters faster than ever by getting them off our congested roads and highways. Building the light-rail down the middle of road in car-oriented, congested downtown Bellevue is the worst mistake ST can make. The London Tube is underground, The Paris Metropolitian is underground. The New York Metro as well. Boston, Berlin, Rome, Seoul, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Athens, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and so many other cities have built their subway/metro systems underground. Seattle and Bellevue should do the same
It’s either we suffer a few years with building the cut-and-cover tunnel, or we suffer a lifetime of an at-grade option. Mixing trains and cars (especially downtown) is a HUGE mistake.

We’re trying to build a vast subway/light-rail system here that will help bring us out of economic woes here, and move commuters faster than ever by getting them off our congested roads and highways. Building the light-rail down the middle of road in car-oriented, congested downtown Bellevue is the worst mistake ST can make.

The London Tube is underground, The Paris Metropolitian is underground. The New York Metro as well. Boston, Berlin, Rome, Seoul, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Athens, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and so many other cities have built their subway/metro systems underground. Seattle and Bellevue should do the same

]]> By: Bernie http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104798 Bernie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:37:46 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104798 <blockquote>Amortized over: 10 years: $62.50</blockquote> If you can find 0% interest loans Bellevue might come up with the money. $250,000 mortgage at 7% for 30 years = $598,772 Total amount paid (interest plus principle).

Amortized over: 10 years: $62.50

If you can find 0% interest loans Bellevue might come up with the money.

$250,000 mortgage at 7% for 30 years = $598,772 Total amount paid (interest plus principle).

]]> By: Bernie http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104790 Bernie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:23:39 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104790 Microsoft continues to expand it's main campus and Nintendo is building a large tower where there was single story industrial park. Tons of new space out on Union Hill Road as well. The mini storage and light industrial by Marymoor can't be far behind.
Microsoft continues to expand it’s main campus and Nintendo is building a large tower where there was single story industrial park. Tons of new space out on Union Hill Road as well. The mini storage and light industrial by Marymoor can’t be far behind.

]]> By: aw http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104757 aw Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:48:47 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104757 "Redmond hasn’t been building significant new office space since Redmond Town Center" Here's one: http://www.redmond.gov/community/02RiverPark.htm 292,000SF of office. There was another built on this site on SR202 east of downtown: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=ry9jx44trts4&scene=3701520&lvl=1&sty=b A lot of that residential building is mixed use, with some of the commercial space being used for small offices.
“Redmond hasn’t been building significant new office space since Redmond Town Center”

Here’s one: http://www.redmond.gov/community/02RiverPark.htm 292,000SF of office.
There was another built on this site on SR202 east of downtown: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=ry9jx44trts4&scene=3701520&lvl=1&sty=b

A lot of that residential building is mixed use, with some of the commercial space being used for small offices.

]]> By: Anc http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104713 Anc Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:32:47 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104713 CHOAM?!?!?!
CHOAM?!?!?!

]]> By: Anc http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104712 Anc Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:31:36 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104712 True, but C11A has more people closer than C9T.
True, but C11A has more people closer than C9T.

]]> By: Adam B. Parast http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104706 Adam B. Parast Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:13:10 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104706 It would have a dedicated ROW. I believe that all of MAX is "dedicated ROW" as well. It just isn't as well defined and protected as LINK's is.
It would have a dedicated ROW. I believe that all of MAX is “dedicated ROW” as well. It just isn’t as well defined and protected as LINK’s is.

]]> By: Gordon Werner http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/02/08/new-data-two-east-link-options-look-good/#comment-104669 Gordon Werner Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:52:52 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=12148#comment-104669 is the at-grade C11A route going to be like MLK way? or like MAX in Portland where the rails are in the street and not a dedicated ROW in the center of the road?
is the at-grade C11A route going to be like MLK way? or like MAX in Portland where the rails are in the street and not a dedicated ROW in the center of the road?

]]>