Remember the monorail?

Somehow missed this till a reader tip … Sound Transit will study the possibility of a light-rail extension between West Seattle and Ballard. Maybe even Burien.

eric April 2, 2007 (7:23 pm)

bravo… mass transit to west seattle that is actually part of a regional system, paid for by everyone in the region!!

Lou April 2, 2007 (7:24 pm)

This would be awesome! I’m probably more optimistic than most since I wasn’t around for the monorail debacle.

eric April 2, 2007 (7:54 pm)

I think mass transit to WS would be great. I didn’t like the monorail at all – but I could have lived with it on one condition. That same condition exists for light rail:

Take it to the Bank of America parking lot just east of Jefferson Square. End it there for now. There is a large density of people there (and it will increase). Build a good size garage there for those that must drive (and put some condos on top of it). Then improve all of the bus service in WS with an emphasis on very frequent circulator routes.

I just can’t see rail (elevated or not) running down the middle of California Avenue. I also can’t see transit on Fauntleroy or 35th bypassing the Junction.

Keith April 2, 2007 (10:54 pm)

If only they’d kept some of that land that was purchased for the monorail stations…

dw April 3, 2007 (9:35 am)

Hurrah! While we’re at it, let’s get some type of rabid transit for those of us who live West and work on the Eastside. Not all roads lead downtown, you know!

chas redmond April 3, 2007 (10:32 am)

Somehow I have this irksome feeling that this is just Constantine and Phillips way of preserving their votes. I’m not a big fan of either and neither has done much to improve KCM transit, being as they are our representatives on the KCM board (which is the same as the county council).

Where, for instance, is the mitigation for bus riders using the 21, 22 or other First Avenue lines? Now that Mariners season is back, we can expect another summer-long set of bus delays and missed schedules.

westwood April 3, 2007 (11:57 am)

The Mariners impact West Seattle service, no doubt. On game days I often take the Water Taxi out of downtown, catch a shuttle to 35th and Avalon, and then catch my bus.

Personally, I think Metro does the best job possible. Their ridership has been growing much more in the last five years–about 5% annually. Meanwhile, their revenues have been relatively flat due to the Bush recession. So they have to cut service somewhere to drive service to you.

MW April 3, 2007 (2:15 pm)

Keith – I am so with you on the “wish they would have kept some of the monorail property” comment! I can finally look to Sound Transit to bring West Seattle into the whole scheme of things.
MW