Skip to content
Do you have adblock enabled?
 
If you can read this, either the style sheet didn't load or you have an older browser that doesn't support style sheets. Try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

(Some Guy)   Seattle is about to go all Bane on its transit system   (theurbanist.org) divider line
40
    More: Facepalm, Light rail, Train, Link Light Rail, Seattle, Sound Transit, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Project, Map  
•       •       •

2544 clicks; posted to Main » on 17 Mar 2023 at 7:12 PM (7 days ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



40 Comments     (+0 »)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
leviosaurus [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-03-17 5:34:06 PM  
Headline: "System is DOOOOOOMED"

Article: "People will have to transfer occasionally"
 
covfefe [TotalFark]
2023-03-17 6:28:09 PM  
Wearing a mask on the transit system?
 
The_Sponge [TotalFark]
2023-03-17 6:49:53 PM  

leviosaurus: Headline: "System is DOOOOOOMED"

Article: "People will have to transfer occasionally"



Bingo.

/Looking forward to when the Lynnwood station is operational.
 
Geotpf
2023-03-17 7:18:22 PM  
Every City NEEDS a Transit Hub!
Youtube AlKGIRm4S70

If you have the time to watch a 14 minute long video, this explains this particular mess.
 
fragMasterFlash [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-03-17 7:19:23 PM  
Yeah, the only routes that might impact me are "Transit Only", so same shiat, different tax assessment.

/mind you I don't mind paying for mass transit
//there are plenty of people who need and deserve it
///and those who never should have been licensed to drive
 
Obscene_CNN
2023-03-17 7:21:29 PM  
Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.
 
El_Dan
2023-03-17 7:22:14 PM  
So the writer lives north of the downtown area, and is pissed he has to transfer to get to the airport?
 
Gleaming the TimeCube
2023-03-17 7:23:11 PM  
At least Atlanta's joke of a MARTA was borne of naked racism.
 
Geotpf
2023-03-17 7:28:22 PM  

Obscene_CNN: Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.


And much, much slower than a well designed rail system.

/this is not a well designed rail system
 
Geotpf
2023-03-17 7:30:10 PM  

El_Dan: So the writer lives north of the downtown area, and is pissed he has to transfer to get to the airport?


The problem, as far as I can tell, is that there's no central transfer station.  Some people will need to take three or four trains to get to the final destination.  Some people will have to backtrack to get to their final destination.  It seems like a mess all around.
 
Oneiros [OhFark]
2023-03-17 7:35:20 PM  

covfefe: Wearing a mask on the transit system?


I assumed the operators would mumble with crappy speakers so you can't understand anything they're saying ... like the DC Metro

So close enough.
 
cyberspacedout
2023-03-17 7:42:43 PM  

Oneiros: covfefe: Wearing a mask on the transit system?

I assumed the operators would mumble with crappy speakers so you can't understand anything they're saying ... like the DC Metro

So close enough.


Transit Workers - Saturday Night Live
Youtube EMdxClgQVN0
 
AbuHashish
2023-03-17 7:44:31 PM  
Seattle lied about another property tax levy? No way
 
gameshowhost [OhFark]
2023-03-17 7:44:37 PM  

Obscene_CNN: Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.


so is your mom

:-)
 
maudibjr
2023-03-17 7:50:16 PM  

Obscene_CNN: Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.


The bus is the transport of the damned
 
Craw Fu
2023-03-17 7:50:20 PM  

Oneiros: covfefe: Wearing a mask on the transit system?

I assumed the operators would mumble with crappy speakers so you can't understand anything they're saying ... like the DC Metro

So close enough.


I took the train in Denmark, and the problem for me was that every station they announced sounded the same.
 
Craw Fu
2023-03-17 7:51:36 PM  
Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.
 
cyberspacedout
2023-03-17 7:55:41 PM  

Craw Fu: Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.


You mean, like the ones that happen everywhere else in this country?
 
Billy Liar
2023-03-17 7:57:19 PM  
Needs to be more improvisational
 
I hereby demand that I be given a Fark account [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-03-17 8:08:32 PM  
Someone didn't get their pet project approved, so they have to destroy everything.
 
Craw Fu
2023-03-17 8:13:55 PM  

cyberspacedout: Craw Fu: Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.

You mean, like the ones that happen everywhere else in this country?


That doesn't excuse poor project management.
 
gameshowhost [OhFark]
2023-03-17 8:22:15 PM  

Craw Fu: cyberspacedout: Craw Fu: Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.

You mean, like the ones that happen everywhere else in this country?

That doesn't excuse poor project management.


ok but is there evidence that it's a PM issue and not the same Covid-n-inflation that is haunting all the things
 
Oneiros [OhFark]
2023-03-17 8:24:58 PM  

Craw Fu: Oneiros: covfefe: Wearing a mask on the transit system?

I assumed the operators would mumble with crappy speakers so you can't understand anything they're saying ... like the DC Metro

So close enough.

I took the train in Denmark, and the problem for me was that every station they announced sounded the same.


I was in Kyiv in 2008.

Most (all?) of the trains there had TV screens and showed the next stop in both Cyrillic and Latin characters, so they didn't even need to make announcements.
 
Craw Fu
2023-03-17 8:27:40 PM  

The_Sponge: leviosaurus: Headline: "System is DOOOOOOMED"

Article: "People will have to transfer occasionally"


Bingo.

/Looking forward to when the Lynnwood station is operational.


I look forward to being able to go from Redmond to the stadiums and ferry terminal.  It is not easy or quick to do by bus.
 
Craw Fu
2023-03-17 8:35:36 PM  

Oneiros: Craw Fu: Oneiros: covfefe: Wearing a mask on the transit system?

I assumed the operators would mumble with crappy speakers so you can't understand anything they're saying ... like the DC Metro

So close enough.

I took the train in Denmark, and the problem for me was that every station they announced sounded the same.

I was in Kyiv in 2008.

Most (all?) of the trains there had TV screens and showed the next stop in both Cyrillic and Latin characters, so they didn't even need to make announcements.


They had signs listing the next stop, otherwise I'd either still be on that train or lost in Copenhagen.
 
chitownmike
2023-03-17 8:35:49 PM  

Craw Fu: cyberspacedout: Craw Fu: Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.

You mean, like the ones that happen everywhere else in this country?

That doesn't excuse poor project management.


No but it makes people who attribute it to a specific area, when it's a common problem, look dumb
 
chitownmike
2023-03-17 8:38:34 PM  

Oneiros: Craw Fu: Oneiros: covfefe: Wearing a mask on the transit system?

I assumed the operators would mumble with crappy speakers so you can't understand anything they're saying ... like the DC Metro

So close enough.

I took the train in Denmark, and the problem for me was that every station they announced sounded the same.

I was in Kyiv in 2008.

Most (all?) of the trains there had TV screens and showed the next stop in both Cyrillic and Latin characters, so they didn't even need to make announcements.


So "fark blind people" is what you're saying
 
Obscene_CNN
2023-03-17 8:40:21 PM  

Craw Fu: cyberspacedout: Craw Fu: Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.

You mean, like the ones that happen everywhere else in this country?

That doesn't excuse poor project management.


Its by design. Politics and cronie contracts.
 
Oneiros [OhFark]
2023-03-17 8:45:06 PM  

chitownmike: Oneiros: I was in Kyiv in 2008.

Most (all?) of the trains there had TV screens and showed the next stop in both Cyrillic and Latin characters, so they didn't even need to make announcements.

So "fark blind people" is what you're saying


I think they still made announcements.  I couldn't understand them, so I read the screens and didn't pay attention.

I still got lost, though.

I didn't realize that you needed to change to the other line when there were transfer stations before going above ground, or you ended up really far away.  And I didn't have a Cyrillic map, only a transliterated one, so couldn't figure out where I was and wandered around and went the wrong direction for an hour or so before I managed to find someone who could point out where I was on a map so I could get back to my hotel.

/and I forgot that I had some NASA stuff in my coat pocket that I could've given her as a thank you
 
Still Brightfires
2023-03-17 8:51:05 PM  

The_Sponge: leviosaurus: Headline: "System is DOOOOOOMED"

Article: "People will have to transfer occasionally"


Bingo.

/Looking forward to when the Lynnwood station is operational.


Same.
 
Dinjiin [BareFark]
2023-03-17 9:24:45 PM  

Obscene_CNN: Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.


You would need dedicated transit lanes and exits to ensure that said buses are not impacted by other traffic.  So either you need to add new lanes or you'll need to convert existing lanes.  I'm sure that either option will be well received by the drivers using said routes and the property owners adjacent to said routes.

You also need pedestrian improvements at intersections where bus lines cross, assuming you have bus stops at those points.  Otherwise, people making connections will fill crosswalks, making it difficult for turning drivers and increasing the risk of vehicle-pedestrian collisions.
 
Ant
2023-03-17 9:25:55 PM  

Obscene_CNN: Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.


But they get stuck in the same traffic that cars do, and that sucks. I don't mind taking the light rail, but I farking hate the bus.
 
Obscene_CNN
2023-03-17 9:31:28 PM  

Dinjiin: Obscene_CNN: Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.

You would need dedicated transit lanes and exits to ensure that said buses are not impacted by other traffic.  So either you need to add new lanes or you'll need to convert existing lanes.  I'm sure that either option will be well received by the drivers using said routes and the property owners adjacent to said routes.

You also need pedestrian improvements at intersections where bus lines cross, assuming you have bus stops at those points.  Otherwise, people making connections will fill crosswalks, making it difficult for turning drivers and increasing the risk of vehicle-pedestrian collisions.


Right... And light rail doesn't mean "buying" home owners land out from under them and making rail crossing with streets. SMH

It would be cheaper to build a dedicated road for express busses and do away with the redundant specialized labor of operating a rail network because you still are going to have a bus system.
 
Dinjiin [BareFark]
2023-03-17 9:39:07 PM  

Geotpf: El_Dan: So the writer lives north of the downtown area, and is pissed he has to transfer to get to the airport?

The problem, as far as I can tell, is that there's no central transfer station.  Some people will need to take three or four trains to get to the final destination.  Some people will have to backtrack to get to their final destination.  It seems like a mess all around.


This.  And as the video you posted mentions, it will set Westlake up for future capacity issues, which will likely be expensive to resolve.  In the long run, I wouldn't be surprised if taxpayers will end up with an inferior, more expensive system

The stupid bit is that the alignment they are proposing is only one street over, running underneath 6th Ave S.  It isn't as if they're running the new line down 15th Ave S.  The International District will still be heavily impacted.
 
austerity101
2023-03-17 9:40:30 PM  

Ant: Obscene_CNN: Big waste of money. Busses are more flexible and cheaper.

But they get stuck in the same traffic that cars do, and that sucks. I don't mind taking the light rail, but I farking hate the bus.


Some cities have dedicated bus lanes.
 
Raoul Eaton [TotalFark]
2023-03-17 9:41:20 PM  

leviosaurus: Headline: "System is DOOOOOOMED"

Article: "People will have to transfer occasionally"


It's the farking Urbanist.
 
Dinjiin [BareFark]
2023-03-17 9:48:33 PM  

Obscene_CNN: Right... And light rail doesn't mean "buying" home owners land out from under them and making rail crossing with streets. SMH


Except that Seattle's metro line isn't a traditional above surface light rail line.  It is "elevation fluid", being part surface light rail and part subway.

And a significant chunk of the cost is with land acquisition, which you'll have to do with either choice.  I bet when all of the other costs involving engineering, environmental review, lawsuits, and the like are factored in, you're probably not saving as much as you'd like.  All for a bus system that many people will look down upon since Americans have been conditioned for a century to believe as much.
 
cyberspacedout
2023-03-17 9:53:36 PM  

gameshowhost: Craw Fu: cyberspacedout: Craw Fu: Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.

You mean, like the ones that happen everywhere else in this country?

That doesn't excuse poor project management.

ok but is there evidence that it's a PM issue and not the same Covid-n-inflation that is haunting all the things


Too many transit agencies in the USA don't do much in-house, and prefer to just throw money at private consultants and contractors.

https://slate.com/business/2023/02/subway-costs-us-europe-public-transit-funds.html

If you've got some time to kill, here's a link to the full study on transit costs from NYU:

https://transitcosts.com/transit-costs-study-final-report/
 
gameshowhost [OhFark]
2023-03-17 10:22:12 PM  

cyberspacedout: gameshowhost: Craw Fu: cyberspacedout: Craw Fu: Not mentioned in the article are the massive delays and cost overruns that accompany every public project in Washington State.

You mean, like the ones that happen everywhere else in this country?

That doesn't excuse poor project management.

ok but is there evidence that it's a PM issue and not the same Covid-n-inflation that is haunting all the things

Too many transit agencies in the USA don't do much in-house, and prefer to just throw money at private consultants and contractors.

https://slate.com/business/2023/02/subway-costs-us-europe-public-transit-funds.html

If you've got some time to kill, here's a link to the full study on transit costs from NYU:

https://transitcosts.com/transit-costs-study-final-report/


but i've been repeatedly assured that private industry does everything better for a lower price and that outsourcing is necessarily brilliant and

/hehehe i can't
 
89 Stick-Up Kid
6 days ago  
You get what you vote for.  Quit electing lames if you want to see real progress in Seattle.

Remember when they tried to spend $1b on farking bike lanes?
 
Displayed 40 of 40 comments

View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest

Redisplay/refresh comments
This thread is closed to new comments.

Continue Farking

Want to see behind the curtain? Try

TotalFark

It's how we feed the squirrel

learn more | sign up
On Twitter

  1. Links are submitted by members of the Fark community.

  2. When community members submit a link, they also write a custom headline for the story.

  3. Other Farkers comment on the links. This is the number of comments. Click here to read them.

  4. Click here to submit a link.