27 Replies to “Sunday Open Thread: $3m in 12 Minutes”

  1. “[CORRECTION: I previously had said $3 million, which is what I had heard on the streets. I’ve since been contacted by a representative of the SFMTA who assures me that the cost was in fact $1 million.]”

  2. People here would be in an uproar if we had to close an entire intersection for three days.

  3. I never pay cash, but back when ST Express gave out transfers, what transfers were they? Same design/color/letter as the agency that operated the route? Or ST-specific?

    1. They had ST transfers which looked similar to KC Metro’s with boxes to punch 1, 2 or 3 zones. Before ORCA, all agencies (MT, CT, PT, ST, ET) coordinated and had the same color and letter on their transfers.

      2. I remember them when I used to live out in Pierce. When I was visiting, was very convenient being able to get a PT transfer from the 500, hop off at the McDonald’s in Federal Way, then show my transfer to get on the 194 (before the crowd got on at Fed Way Transit Center). That would NEVER be allowed on my area’s agency (then again, they’ve since switched to Day Passes for $3.50 which can be purchased at the farebox) – I would’ve had to walk up to the transit center proper from the McDonald’s.

        I’d say, with an RRFP, I’d be willing to pay for an All-Day Pass:

        * $5 for premium (all services, including Sounder)
        * $3 for bus usage (including ST Express Multi-County)

        If I didn’t have an RRFP, I’d pay $10 for premium and $5 for being able to use all buses and Central Link

  4. OK, one question–seeing as how the Metro Gilligs come in 30, 35 and 40 foot body lengths, do the Orion 7’s that will replace them also come in these differing lengths?

    1. Their website says they do. I don’t know if metro has purchased the same number or buses in each length, though.

      1. Will all of the Gillig diesels be replaced in this order or will the 30’s coaches be replaced by a future order.

      2. The 30 footers are a few years newer than the 40 footers. Some of the 35 footers have been retired since they’re not much different than 40 footers and Metro doesn’t use them much.

        So far Metro has only ordered 93 40 footers.

        There are also some New Flyer 60′ Diesel-Electric hybrid coaches that’ll be delivered sometime. About 15 of them.

      2. SDOT’s 2004 Seattle Streetcar Network and Feasibility Analysis says buses have the lowest capital cost (vis-a-vis streetcar, light rail, monorail) of “$2-$4 M per mile for overhead wire.”

        On the other hand, the Electric Trolley Bus Fact Sheet, also from SDOT, refers to ETB “system expansion which costs about $4-6M per mile”.

        As VBD points out, there are lots of variables. And neither doc specifies if they’re talking one-way or two-way.

    2. The figure that sticks in my head is $1 Million but that sounds suspiciously like a WAG. I suspect that the real answer is “it depends”:

      . Does a new substation need to be added
      . Are there switches and turns
      . Does Metro need to acquire ROW for poles
      . Are there other obstructions such as traffic signals or bridges

      1. Trolleybus lines must remain on 1st and 3rd. East/west lines can use a rearrangment. Maybe add straight-thru lines, one to Coleman. James? Over to SLU could work better. See? This is Y AYE Say streetcar waterfront a road that is titled Railroad Way. What? No railroad on Railroad Way? How stupid is that? No offense, just p’d a bit, 4 yer dismissing my WORD as a pretty near-good professional, not a tea-party goer/whoah. WE WILL BE ABLE – to deal with wrongful rightwingers who win office. The uncooperative ones will show up. deal?

  6. “The MUNI folks were nice enough to distribute earplugs to those of us in the immediate vicinity.”

    When Link is completed on 112th behind Surrey Downs, I vote we all pitch in to send earplugs to the B2/B3 opponents. It’s the least we could do even though they won’t need them.

    1. I’ve got a bag of individually wrapped earplugs. Just need to type up a half sheet of paper to attach to them and go distribute them!

  7. == Trolleybus lines remain on 1st & 3rd Aves ==

    East/west lines can use a rearrangment:
    Straight-thru lines?
    Line to Coleman Dock?
    Straight up to Broadway on? James?
    Over to SLU would work better?

    This is why I support Waterfront Streetcar, instead of 1st AVE.
    The existing road alongside Alaskan Way is called Railroad Way?
    Extend SLU to 1st or 2nd with loop rather than extension/terminus design.
    Or,…
    a terminus design with 3 tracks for reversing direction, maybe 4th sidetrack, last block closed to traffic, exclamation point.

    1. …a loop streetcar line could close ‘two’ blocks to traffic off 1st. Just getting the SLUStreetcar to 1st and back to Westlake is necessary, don’t take my word for it. ask mr smarterguy the smarter guy. good luck dealing with wrongful rightwingers who show up.

  8. Read part of an article in Sunset (appeared to maybe be a special Seattle edition) that talked about the lack of trees in Seattle. Since 1970 the tree canopy has dropped from 40% to 23%. Single family zoning has dropped from 30% to 15% and multifamily from 15% to only 3% cover. Talking green and carbon neutral sounds good until it comes to preserving the greatest asset we having in fixing CO2 from the atmosphere. Big changes are in the works for Seattle’s tree laws; a move to incentives or “green points”. But planting 3-4 saplings that die in a year or two doesn’t come close to mitigating the damage done when the “survivors” a continuing to be clear cut to the mantra of “increased density.”

    1. Increased density doesn’t have to mean cutting trees. (evan in the city)

      Also, that increased density means tons of acres of forests haven’t been cut down to build housing plantations like Issaquah Highlands.

      1. Agreed that there are much better ways to build density but the Seattle way hasn’t done anything to stop sprawl; in fact just the opposite. Cities need to be concerned about what’s inside their own limits and not try to use the easy out, “but we’re better than [pick your ‘burb]”. The ‘burb wouldn’t be there without the city and not nearly as many people would “opt out” of living closer in if the city was more inviting.

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