wakeflood
Hey Ellenater, you’re right, the vibes are different between the different modes. And they have different purposes too. Streetcar isn’t about speed, rail isn’t about short point-to-point convenience, and buses are something that tries to play in both realms – BRT being the “rapid” flavor. Not saying that buses are always the way to go, but they CAN be engineered to function across the breadth of transportation needs.
Yes, Seattle’s car addiction has been difficult to wean us off of and we’re behind our kid brother to the south but we’re getting there. SLOWLY. ;-)
Our topography doesn’t do us any favors, especially when trying to go east-west. Makes everything more expensive.
But we’re getting there. We’re going to be multi-modal any way you figure it, so the key is as you suggest – make the connections between modes convenient and well-executed. And be able to use a single payment system regardless of which one you step onto – ORCA card for all.
If we keep building and minimize the infrastructure ownership battles, we’ll eventually have a functional regional system. Just might have to be our kids or kids kids that get the full use of it. :-)