Rapid Rail Transit

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by LordBalfor

As far as I know there is no 502 in the Seattle area. That has to be a typo.

Ken

Good catch! I missed that. There's a 502 in Ontario; another in New Mexico. You're right -- looks like a typo.

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by allforcats

Your best plan is to NEVER plan on using 405, except early on Sat. and Sun. mornings. Live where 405 is not the apparent "best" way to work. No kidding. 405 will end your family life and play time.

Erm...it might be too late for that.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Erm...it might be too late for that.

In commute hours (and hours and hours and...) it can take 5 minutes just to change lanes because it is a parking lot. You will get a lot of daydreaming done during your life on 405. You must plan differently, if you want a personal life.

[bigtrees]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Which parts of 405 are bad during rush hour?

I used to take the 405 from the 167 / 405 interchange clear to the I-5. It was painful, but I'll try to help:

The part about the 405 that I didn't like was the bellevue area. Heading south in the afternoon this was the part that was the most difficult and painful. It slowed down somewhere around Kirkland and didn't lighten up until I reached the 167/I-5 interchange and left the freeway.

Mornings weren't bad. The bus used to go full speed ahead without slowing down (using the carpool lanes) for the most part. It was afternoon that was bad.

I now take the 405 from I-5 (Tukwila) to the SR-167 / 405 interchange. I take carpool lanes and it's not bad mornings or evenings. It's a real mess for those who don't use the carpool lanes both mornings and afternoons.

[blondandfun]

Originally Posted by motor80

Seattle does not have a subway system. It does however, have a fairly decent bus system. Light rail from the airport to downtown will be finished early 2009 (just around the corner) and the people voted to extend the streetcar line to various neighborhoods. The city council just decided yesterday to extend it to First Hill/Capitol Hill, extending the existing line to the U Disctrict, and a Fremont via Westlake line (to the zoo, I believe.)

I am not an engineer by any means, but I'm not sure a subway system could work in this region due to geologic reasons. (??)

I am a civil engineer, but don't have experience with mass transit. But I know a general rule with transportation is the more hills you have the more rider discomfort there will be and the more you will have to reduce your speed. The reduction in speed due to the above would result in a very slow underground transit system, so there would be no practical point.

The only way to get around this simple fact of physics would be to make the lines flat enough to achieve a certain speed and rider comfort, however this would require major vertical differences between train stations and lots of boring through rock.

If Seattle does do anything, I hope they do a North/South street-level light rail system which circles around queen anne hill up to Fremont. I never considered Seattleites to be as microterritorialistic as some other cities, so I don't think that anyone objects to it on a social level.

[tully]

Originally Posted by blondandfun

If Seattle does do anything, I hope they do a North/South street-level light rail system which circles around queen anne hill up to Fremont. I never considered Seattleites to be as microterritorialistic as some other cities, so I don't think that anyone objects to it on a social level.

I think your assessment of Seattleites is spot-on.

I've lived in five large cities (including 7 yrs in Seattle), and it is the LEAST NIMBY place I've encountered. Especially with regard mass transit. They continually vote to TAX THEMSELVES for it, and demand it in THEIR backyard not 12 blocks away. (Beacon, IIRC..) Who does that? :lol:

The Seattle populace's acceptance of some fairly wrenching upheaval... light rail (read: massive eminent domain), freeway tearup, demolition of historic structures, mishmash development, view destruction, etc.. is truly breathtaking.

Then again, it may just be a mindset of resignation. (ie, "that's life in a boomtown".. *back to coffee mug*.. )