West Seattle Blog...

WSB Forum » Open Discussion

1. clark5080
   Member Profile

   

   http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014360720_metrobus01m.html

   Guess Luna Park and the other business may not have their parking taken away after all.

   Jim

   Posted 1 year ago #         

2. redblack
   Member Profile

   

   The grants already have been approved by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). But House Republicans, fresh from gaining a majority in fall elections, have targeted the FTA's "Small Starts" aid program as part of their proposed cuts to President Obama's budget.

   i doubt it will get past the black hole that is the u.s. senate, let alone to the president's desk.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

3. dhg
   Member Profile

   

   This rapidride was not just a "nice to have", it was presented as the solution to getting downtown after they tear down 99. We're on a rapid ride to being "East Kitsap" after all.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

4. metrognome
   Member Profile

   dhg -- I don't recall that claim being made when Transit Now was presented to the voters for the November 2006 election. RapidRide was only one part of TN and there are 5 RR corridors, not just WS. As RR has to use whatever is put in place of the current viaduct, and will essentially replace Rt 54, I'm not sure how it would be 'the solution to getting downtown after they tear down 99.'

   http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/TransitNow.aspx

   Posted 1 year ago #         

5. dhg
   Member Profile

   

   I attended a Metro event at the Fauntleroy Community Center where rapidride was presented as a solution to highway 99 going down. It was not presented as an improvement to transit, it was tied to the upcoming construction project.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

6. metrognome
   Member Profile

   dhg -- if that was what was said at this presentation, that really is not how RR was presented to voters in 2006; that would be a creative interpretation of how it could be used now. The only real advantage of RR in the context of the viaduct replacement is that it is supposed to run every 10 minutes rather than every half hour.
   The other possibility is that the routing into downtown from the WS Bridge hasn't been set yet, so Metro may be working on a creative routing solution.
   If you can tell me about when this meeting was, I can look up WSB's coverage; I'm curious about the context of the presentation.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

7. dhg
   Member Profile

   

   I believe it was January, 2008. We had decided to attend the metro event instead of going to see Persepolis.

   You say the "only" advantage was that the buses would run every 10 minutes as if that is only a minor upgrade. In fact, having buses run every 10 minutes would transform their West Seattle service.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

8. Jiggers
   Member Profile

   

   The monorail would have been finished by now and would have been more efficient than any street buses. We're running around in circles again.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

9. redblack
   Member Profile

   

   jiggers: i'm starting to think i could probably get to downtown or ballard in a zodiac with a 25hp outboard faster than the buses or driving solo once 99 gets cut down to 2 lanes this spring.

   BURT will only get commuters to the gridlock faster. i'm all for transit funding, and i hope this project is all that its planners expect it to be. but at this point, grade-separated rail is the only answer to getting around seattle gridlock. it's past time to pin our hopes on light rail.

   and i hope it runs right past martin selig's office window every 10 minutes.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

10. Julie
    Member Profile

    

    "and i hope it runs right past martin selig's office window every 10 minutes."

    Oh, redblack, if only it could! And tootle its horn--perhaps blow a raspberry?--as it went by!

    But I'm not holding my breath.

    Posted 1 year ago #         

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.