The media blitz is settling down.
- Gillian Anderson on Slog reports that the anti-bike policy of the RFZ is being relaxed.
- There’s so much hedging it’s hard to be sure, but I think the TNT is telling Dome District neighborhood opponents to suck it up and allow Sound Transit to build the Lakewood Sounder extension.
- Sightline reacts to the Link opening by recapping some of the contradictory fights that got us here.
- From a while ago, West Seattle Blog covers Rapid Ride C developments. We offered our own spin a bit earlier. (H/T: Michael).
- Somehow, I missed Bus Chick’s report from Opening Day.
- It’s officially a suicide.
- The News Tribune laments the failure of Forward Thrust.
- Tacoma upzones.
- Additi0nal Link reaction: OregonLive, NW Asian Weekly, the Renton Reporter, Publicola (again), What Would Alix Do.
- Reihan Salam’s review at NRO of Christopher Steiner’s $20 a Gallon is very worthwhile, including all the links.
The RFZ bike policy was relaxed awhile ago. Her post was just letting people know of the current policy.
Over a year ago by my account, at least on the surface street issue (load only at first and last stop in the RFZ during peak hours). Many months ago in the tunnel.
My sympathies to anyone who must ride an bus today that doesn’t have a working A/C. (Had to take a Metro 36 around 11:30 – was no fun).
On RPIN, Metro has put out a warning about the extreme heat, even saying that with frequent door openings, even the buses with AC will still be hot. Not sure what Sound Transit is warning about LINK and the heat. TriMet is warning that due to extreme heat, MAX is restricted to 35MPH(According to the propagandists against TriMet, it don’t get that fast anyway), due to sagging power lines and possible expansion of the rails.
LINK is running just fine and on schedule. The AC is awesome.
I just got a good glimpse of that awesome AC this evening. Went to Office Depot to get some more paper for my printer. It’s a several block walk either way from the two SODO area stations to Office Depot. Felt like it still is in 90s outside. To get to LINK this evening, I walked by the Columbia City Branch of the Seattle Public Library. It is 2 wings, the the original library that was built in the early 1900s, and the new wing built under Libraries for All. Since the AC if there is any in the new wing don’t permeate into the older part, it got so unbearable, it said on the door, they closed due to extreme weather.
Plus, I wonder, did they get Sound Transit same Air Conditioner on LINK that KinkiSharyo installed on the LRVs they built for Phoenix. That one had to stand up to 120+ Degree heat.
My sympathies to us drivers who have to be in the durn bus right in front of the windows.
Could be worse, not have the window. The temp job I had over the weekend I was out in the sun, as a sign-waiver at a car dealership. I don’t know if the Rite Aid across the street has replenished their bottled water stock yet!(I ONLY BOUGHT ABOUT 2-4 1 LITER BOTTLES, seriously).
I like the OregonLive article – let the comparisons and debate begin!
I rode MAX the weekend before Link opened. I then rode Link on the preview day, but have not yet rode it in revenue service (was out of town).
I’d say the main MAX advantage is coverage. Getting a start on this way back when really has put them well ahead of Seattle.
I’d also say that the main Link advantage is design (speed in DSTT, capacity, real level-boarding, etc). There are advantages to going second (or 3rd, 4th, …nth in the case of Seattle).
I think we’ll leapfrog them in coverage if we wake the sleeping pro-transit giant in the public. We have a bigger tax base.
As long as our doors don’t close in the priority seating area.
Perhaps OT, and presumably STB doesn’t have an official style guide, but considering Metro’s official term/abbreviation is Ride Free Area/RFA, shouldn’t we be using RFA here instead of RFZ?
Either way, it’s unfortunate that the Slog is only now mentioning the rule changes—they’ve been relaxed for nearly six months now. Though as evidenced by Monday’s Bumper to Bumper (presumably where Ms Anderson heard about the “new” rules), apparently the word hadn’t really gotten out. Regardless, Metro is still calling the changes a “one year demonstration project”. Here’s hoping they make them permanent.
Metro might just have the coolest mailbox in Seattle.