Video by the amazing Oran. Are you excited yet?

Another video by Oran of Link sharing the tunnel with Metro buses below the fold.

34 Replies to “Link Leaving International District Station”

  1. hell yea … just wish that they would offer to let us be practice passengers so that we can all ride it before the rest of the masses

  2. This alleviates some of my concern for running busses and trains through the tunnel at the same time. I wonder if by the time East Link is finished and both lines are running at rush hour, (6 minute?) head-ways, if they’ll need to add another platform.

    1. By the time East Link and North Link open, they’ll be running at 3 minute or less headways, so they’ll have to put all the buses back up on the street.
      And this is hella awesome. But are they going to have it clang like that every time it comes to a stop or leaves?

      2. The way they clang is like the streetcar. When they operate in the tunnel with buses or on grade level sections like the busway or MLK they should have an audible warning.

        The second video was a 5-minute headway for Link, measured from the point the first train stops in the station to the second train stop. I estimate around 2 minutes of wiggle room for the buses. If Link goes below that then the buses will have to go. If you’re interested in playing with numbers, the minimum headway is a function of dwell time, deceleration and acceleration rates, length of the trains and their speed entering the station plus a safety factor based on the control system.

      3. 3-minute headway is theoretical at this point, but I beleive to be possible if the trains aren’t competing with buses. One bus loading a wheelchair at the platform will throw the train schedule right out the window.
        I do know that it will be approximately an 8-minute ride from UW Station to Downtown Seattle, with one stop in between at Capitol Hill Station.
        The bells used entering the station are to warn passengers on the platform, “hey dummy, a train’s coming, so stand back”! The trains are very quiet just running with no audible warning. Two-bells is the signal operators are required to use before any forward movement of the train.

        1. My perception in the DSTT was that the trains were every bit as noticeable without the bell as the buses in hush mode. Buses have been running for years without a bell entering the station and leaving the platform. The bell leaving the platform really seems silly. Are there really people that cross the ROW in the tunnel?

        2. You better believe it. I’ve seen it happen many times in the past month. People do it despite the huge markings on the pavement with a walking person in a slashed red circle and the constant announcements. The platform is not high enough to discourage jaywalking. All the other stations have little fences between the tracks.

          The difference is trains can’t stop as quickly as buses (even with emergency brakes?).

  3. Those jingle sounds are really loud and annoying…A bus doesn’t honk their horn before entering and exiting. headache headache..

    1. It’s really not that loud. The trains themeselves are nearly silent, so it seems loud compared to them driving, and the high-pitched sounds get more easily picked up by the hand-held camera than the low rumblings of buses. When those compressions brakes go off, that’s noticably louder than light rail train’s chime.

  4. Well I guess it works. So I guess I will be losing my bus route (194) soon. I can’t wait until I am forced to ride light rail against my will. Maybe I’ll just get a car.

    1. Of course it works – was there ever really any doubt that it would? Yes, I know, there were those anti-rail types that tried to make an issue out of joint-opps, but there arguments never had any merit. They were just trying to stir up some FUD.

      And nobody is forcing you to ride Link. If you would rather get a car and drive, then go right ahead – it just frees up another seat for those of us who want to use fast, reliable, and green mass transit.

    2. Why are you being forced against your will? Was the 194 forcing you to ride the bus against your will?

    3. No need to get a car. Between Federal Way and Seattle, Sound Transit routes 577 and 578 will replace that service to Seattle and there will be more service on the 574 to replace Federal Way-Airport service. If you meant Seattle-Airport, Link surely will outrun the 194 in terms of comfort, frequency, and reliability at the cost of a few minutes travel time (depending on traffic).

      Read today’s editorial, I think it’s a good thing Sound Transit is picking up some Metro routes, given the budget crisis Metro’s in.

    4. That’s an odd choice to make – I think you will find Link to be more comfortable and have more room for your luggage than the 194. The 194 has done stellar service down the years but it is crowded and there is no room for luggage, plus the stop at SeaTac Airport isn’t exactly the most inviting. The new Link Station will be more obvious and inspiring to travelers than the huddled masses would admit to outside the international terminal baggage claim area.

  5. Will it really be ready and open on 3 July? An article in the Seattle Times says that Link may not open on 3 July as schedule because they are out of the 180 day cushion they had built into the schedule, furthermore Beacon Hill Station is still being worked on and not yet completed.

    1. That article was speculative at best. Running out of cushion does not necessarily equate to being behind schedule, and theoretically at least they could open the system without opening the BH station.

      However, I have heard that the July 3rd “official” opening day is not really “official” and that the SPD is concerned about ST opening that weekend anyhow. They expect big crowds for the Link opening and the SPD is concerned that they don’t have enough staff to police both the Link opening and the various fireworks shows.

      So I guess it is still wait and see….

      1. I don’t understand why they would need a huge police presence as it opens. No one’s going to be harassing other passengers, vandalizing cars, or robbing people when the trains are picked with curious train riders. I’m pretty sure these activities on transit systems go on during times when ridership is sparse.

        Are the police concerned about preventing a riot or crush of people trying to be the first to ride Link?

  6. Those sounds take me back to riding the “T” in Pittsburgh when I was a kid. I’m thrilled to live in a Light Rail city again..:D

      1. They even have a controversial extension under construction, the North Shore Connector, first phase(barely funded, but under construction) will get it to the area around Heinz Field, the goal is the airport. (I have been following it on KDKA Radio(oldest commercial radio station in the US(Started 1920), and one of three East of the Mississippi with call letters beginning with a K)

  8. I ride the Route 194 from Kent/Des Moines to Seattle for work. I like being able to ride one bus to work and home again. Now I have to ride the bus to the airport then get on light-rail. I can ride other buses to Seattle but I will still need to make a transfer. I just do not see the point of getting rid of the 194 and the 174. I thought this was supposed to be about choices. But, it is really about Sound transit making light-rail usage look bigger.

    1. I know transfers suck, RennDawg, but as long as frequencies are matched up properly you should be guaranteed a faster and definitely more time certain commute to and from work.

  9. Link Light Rail is a longer commute to where I go. So I will have a longer commute so Sound Transit can creat the impression that more people chose light rail as there main soures of transportation.

  10. What time do you go to work in the morning? There are a lot more choices if you are in the morning/rush hour commute times. it is also expected that the 577 and 594 will be stopping at Kent – Des Moines Road as well.

    Have you looked at alternative buses? Used the trip planner? I know transfers suck, trust me, I hate them, but there are alts out there.

  11. I work at night. I know all buses to where I work. I know all alternatives. My bosses said if you did not come to work because of the snow we would be fired. I know all routes. The 194 is the best for me. Shortest commute.

    1. Buses were by no means reliable in the snow this past winter… I know because I used the bus to get to work so I could drive a bus! Bus drivers can’t use the excuse “my bus never came” as an excuse to be late, or miss work.

  12. Yes its very unfortunate that they are eliminating the 194 run. I take 194 4-10 times a month to and from Seatac and its works extremely well for me and my employees. It is true that luggage is a pain and its often crowded sometimes SRO even (this could be remedied with a different seating layout and overhead bins, but the frequency, comfort and speed are still good. 194 should still run–perhaps not as often–as it would still be THE fastest public transit option to your airport check-in. The walk from the seatac LINK terminal to your check-in or security combined with the additional transit time on LINK will realistically add an additional 15 minutes onto the journey vs. the direct 194 drop off in front.

    I am a huge supporter of LINK–I want it built all over the place, both bridges, all the way to Snoho, down past Tacoma, etc.,however eliminating the #194 (which I imagine has an extremely high farebox recovery rate) is a mistake. Once people learn that a ride into Seattle via LINK is above 30-45 minutes they start thinking shuttle or taxi service. I’d be very interested in learning more about the cost of retaining the full-time #194 service.

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