This is new to me, but as Dan Savage likes to say, the internet is a race and you won.
As you might guess, this group is from South Seattle, although they’ve been picked up by a major record label. And apparently in a couple of weeks they’re playing at Neumo’s.
I love the Blue Scholars.
A fun game for transit-nerds / local hip-hop fans is trying to name as many references to local bus routes in songs as you can. The Blue Scholars talk about the 71 in The Ave and Cancer Rising mentions the 7 in Evryday Bidness. Anyone got anymore?
Love the Blue Scholars! They made a video and song about the Snowpocalypse that’s worth checking out. While they don’t mention it, they drive down MLK showing a glimpse of Link light rail.
In Joe Metro he mentions the 48 but the bus in the video is actually the 36. The (almost) construction of the monorail project is mentioned in “Southside Revival” and a mention of light rail construction is prefaced with “Dr Martin Luther King’s legacy looks like the street named after him” in “Back Home”.
The 7 is probably most frequently mentioned (for obvious reasons) but I don’t recall which songs.
Wait a minute. In the video, is that a trolley signed up route 48 to downtown? First, there are no electric trolley route 48’s. Second, the 48 doesn’t go downtown.
And that’s not all that’s up, when they show him waiting at the zone, he’s at a stop for the 32 and 34.
The trolley bus he boards is signed “Beacon Hill, Downtown”. It does look kind of like 48, but the 4 has the open top. You can see it again as the coach pulls away, 48, open topped 4 on coach 4183. The 8 also looks more like the B that is used with the coach is deadheading to base. The zone the bus pulls out of is different than the one he waited at, as it has 4 routes serving it instead of 2. Not sure what’s up with the wig wag lights either.
When they show an interior shot of the bus with the camera pressed up against the windows on the right side, it’s coach 4151. When the “old soul” boards it’s coach 2476.
Then at the end it shows a 194 to Seattle with a triple bike rack. I didn’t know Metro had any triples.
Metro had triple bike racks for a brief period, but there were some problems with them, so they pulled them from the buses that had been piloting them. Maybe 6 months – 1 year ago?
His transfer also changes from an “A to an “X”
He also used a fake transfer and Sabzi, the DJ was the driver, of the first bus!
Hip hop isn’t really my thing most of the time, but Blue Scholars are hands down my favorite hip hop artist. I’ve had the chance to meet them a couple of times over the last few years (never seen them live though sadly). I can’t ride the 48 without getting this song stuck in my head, and I can’t ride the 71 without getting The Ave stuck in my head.
Also check out the side project Common Market. It might actually be better than Blue Scholars (although no transit references that I can recall).
I posted this 13 months ago, after a meet-up where we decided this ws the official STB theme song:
https://seattletransitblog.wpcomstaging.com/2008/01/27/transit-meet-up-2-success/
Since this is an open thread, here’s just a sort of random thought I had today driving north on I-5 from Seattle to Lynnwood (and witnessing the massive backup going the opposite direction from about 130th all the way up to the county line), I would love to see a rail system next to, or on the freeway. Just take two lanes of the freeway, one in the northbound direction, and one in the southbound direction, and build a rail system on it. No zig-zagging, no meandering all over the place, no digging tunnels, just a straight line down the freeway, from Everett to Tacoma. Now that, to me, would be a smart rail line.
Sam,
If we could ever get everyone to agree to give up freeway capacity, that would be a really cost-effective way to get long-haul rail lines. On the other hand, it really reduces the extent to which it encourages TOD.
As far as I know the current plans for Link North of Northgate have the line running in the I-5 ROW. Not quite the same as taking a lane, but state law makes that difficult unless the lane is already an HOV lane.
One downside is due to the freeway it will be difficult to do any meaningful TOD at any of the stations.
As far as I know the current plans for Link North of Northgate have the line running in the I-5 ROW. Not quite the same as taking a lane, but state law makes that difficult unless the lane is already an HOV lane.
One downside is due to the freeway it will be difficult to do any meaningful TOD at any of the stations. A lot of people would like to see Link use 99 North of Northgate for that reason.
Something like I-66 Orange Line in Northern Virginia. Would be a great idea
Besides the TOD issues, the problem with having the line entirely on the freeway is that the stations all are in the middle of nowhere. You are committing to the stations being exclusively park-and-rides. Given that North Link is basically a commuter train (albeit with light rail), this isn’t so bad really, but it is disappointing because it could be more.
A 99 alignment for North Link (as seems to be the plan for most of South Link) would be so much better. It would actually go where you want, and the areas around the stations would be perfect for TOD. But, this alignment would also probably be much more expensive and certainly more controversial, so there is no chance it will happen. Plus, there would also be the problem of how you get to 99 from Northgate, or how you get to Alderwood from 99. Though it would make it much easier to get to Paine Field, which I think is very important, especially if it becomes the next passenger airport. But anyway, we are probably stuck with the freeway alignment, as disappointing as that is. Maybe in 50 years they’ll build a second line up 99.
Here’s a map of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and their Orange Line, that goes along I-66. I kind of like the idea of naming the various lines after a color. I hope Sound Transit does that someday.
Oops, here’s the link. http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm
Google Map with satellite soem of the stations. The sprawl is terrible. I remember when I66 went through a lot of empty area.
If rail in non-Seattle areas took highway ROW and even parts of the roads, more development would occur around interchanges near where it is now.
Makes me hope the 520 and the funnel get built with that possibility.
Out for a bike ride today I decided to spend some time puttering around Bel-Red just to get a last glimpse of that gritty truck traffic. I was also interested in seeing the NW School of Ballet which seems to get such prominent mention in the development plans. Finally I wanted to see why the Bellevue City Council’s preffered maintenance facility was MF1 with it’s 60′ retaining wall.
I think I’ve figured out MF1. It will give Bellevue a cheap place to dump all the dirt from the tunnel. The Ballet School is actual warehouse space shared with a driveline components company. Not exactly the Sydney Opera house. I guess that’s why I’ve missed it all these years.
The development plans claim NE 15th will be developed as a new east west arterial with access to downtown. If they put in MF1 that sort of cuts off any way into downtown and it would be a major undertaking anyway. To the east there’s no way it’s a connector. Even 16th dumps into Bell-Red road south of 20th so all the additional traffic from housing they want to add here has to use NE 20th and Bel-Red. I don’t understand why the Bel-Red Road wasn’t even considered in the DEIS since it’s the obvious alternative to a 520 alignment.
Bel-Red was considered as an alignment and dropped. It is mentioned in the DEIS somewhere.
I’d like to find out why. Granted I was on a bike, not walking but the thing that’s striking is how small this area really is. That’s especially true as you go farther east as it gets pinched down to zero by the time Bel-Red road hits NE 40th. If they use MF2, which is the only MF option; which would be the best of those in segment D then this TOD district is hardly worth the effort. Certainly not worthy of two stops.
Another thing I was thinking when riding around was how much less impact a single track would have over double. I’m thinking that something like the couplet idea, which isn’t great for downtown would be pretty effective through Bel-Red. Run one line up the north side (or a block north) of Bel-Red Road and the other on the south side of 20th NE.
Again all I know is what was in the DEIS. I think it was an issue of cost and the Bel-Red ROW being too narrow.
I question the need for two stations, though with Bellevue’s prefered alignment it is a little less silly than Ashwood/124th/130th.
the 124th Station is basically for the benefit of Wright-Runstad. If costs get to be a bit much in East Link I might suggest deferring it for later. Also Bellevue and Wright-Runstad should pick up some of the cost.
The only MF I’ve seen that makes much sense is MF5, but that requires building segment E. Of the remaining ones MF3 is perhaps the best. Though MF2 has the benefit of being near the two Metro bases in the area. I suspect Bellevue and Wright-Runstad aren’t too happy with the idea of MF2 since that puts the yard right in the middle of the TOD they want.
Why is the station at the airport called SeaTac/Airport? Not SeaTac Airport?
According to Sound Transit, the current name was chosen from the public meeting among the following:
SeaTac/Airport
Airport/SeaTac City Center
SeaTac City Center/Airport
Airport
SeaTac/Airport got the most votes and it is the preferred choice of the Port of Seattle. But still does not explain why SeaTac/Airport, not SeaTac Airport which was not an option. Or even Sea-Tac Airport which is the name the Port uses on its website.
They are suggesting that it is a stop both for the Airport and the City of SeaTac. “SeaTac Airport” would imply it is only a stop for the Airport.
Why is East Link going to: cut over to 112th AV, then go right on SE 8th ST, then left on 114th AV, then left on Main ST, then right on 106 th AV, then right on 6th ST? Why can’t from the South Bellevue P&R it just go straight up Bellevue way, then make a left on one of the streets, like 4th, 6th, or 8th? Why does it have to zig-zag all over the place throughout Bellevue? They are designing the line like it’s a milk route, not a light rail line.
Partially to pick-up Wilburton P&R and partially to appease opposition from Surrey Downs. Link is a milk run because it tries to be all things for all people. Given that mandate they’ve picked a pretty good route. It maximizes ridership by serving as many stops as possible and competes fairly well during peak commutes on longer routes.
Well, I disagree. I don’t think it’s a good route. It would make a good local bus route, or a good UPS route, or a good milk run, yes, but for a light rail line, I don’t like it. I don’t think it should be all things to all people, otherwise it simply becomes a local bus route on rails. And Sound Transit Light Rail wasn’t sold to us that way.
PS, I do like the routing up to where Bellevue Way and 112th split, I just don’t like the routing it takes after that.
again blame Surrey Downs. I’m sure the City of Bellevue would prefer alignment B1-C1 from the DEIS (straight up Bellevue Way then East on NE 6th to BNSF ROW), and Sound Transit would prefer something like B2-C7 (Bellevue Way, then 112th all the way to NE 12th, East on 12th to BNSF ROW)
Oops, I meant go straight up Bellevue Way then make a RIGHT on one of the streets like 4th, 6th, etc.
Note that alignment is simply the one the City of Bellevue prefers. It doesn’t mean Sound Transit will necessarily select it. Though I’m sure it will weigh heavily in choosing a preferred alternative. How much so depends on Bellevue identifying a funding mechanism for the downtown tunnel and two underground stations.
Are there any published estimated travel times yet for an East Link train to go from the DSTT to Overlake Transit Station? Any estimates from anyone here? Would 40 minutes be a reasonable guess?
The DEIS says 20 minutes from Downtown Bellevue to Seattle but that’s only to Rainer Station. Seg A = 11 min, B = 5 min. (longer with proposed alternate configuration). Through Downtown Bellevue seg. C = 4-7min. Downtown Belleuve to Overlake Transit Center, Seg D = 7 min. with the 520 alignment, 10 min with the City of Bellevue Preferred route. So Overlake to Rainer Station is right around 30-35 minutes with the proposed COB alingments. So yes, 40 minutes to downtown is about right. Not horrid during peak commute but the other 12 hours a day this is supposed to run it’s not really a winner.