The Seattle Light Rail Has Arrived

Check out some of these pictures and videos from around Seattle
Video of the Light Rail by Linda Jeanne

by Mike Bjork

by LeeLeFever

Get Blog Updates By Email
Add Me On Facebook - Twitter - Myspace - Linkedin - Visit Emerson Salon

Seattle Has The Greenest Drivers & The Biggest Growth In Tech Jobs

It's been a big week for Seattle.

First according to American Electronics Association Seattle added the most Tech Jobs of any city in the nation.

The 7,800 jobs represented nearly a 7 percent increase over the year before and brought the total to 129,400. (king5)

Seattle was also ranked the greenest drivers in the nation according to the July issue of Men's Magazine.

The magazine said it ranked 100 U.S. cities by using data including gas consumption, miles driven annually, air quality (ozone and particle pollutants), vehicle efficiency (size, age, and frequency of tune-ups), mass transit quality and usage.(pugetsoundbusinessjournal)

--

Sponsor Me For The Seattle AIDS Walk
Subscribe To My Blog

Tolls For 520 Bridge Approved

Governor Gregoire has approved the 520 Toll which will go into affect next year. Tolls could be as much as $6 round trip and might even include I-90 which is currently still in debate. For those of you that live in Seattle and work on the Eastside and vice versa, it might be a good time to move.

Post-Proposition 1: The Future of Transportation in Seattle

Friends of Seattle Invitation

Thursday, March 20, 2008
5:30-7:30PM
Spitfire (2219 4th Avenue, between Bell and Blanchard)
$10 suggested donation includes a drink

Proposition 1, on the November 2007 ballot, posed a challenging and divisive question for progressive groups throughout the city, including Friends of Seattle. After the failure of Prop. 1, we're all asking: what's next?

Join our panel of speakers:
Members from both sides of the Prop. 1 debate, including...
*Seattle City Councilmember Jan Drago, Chair of the Transportation Committee
*Mike O'Brien from the Sierra Club
*Greg Walker, Sound Transit's Policy and Planning Officer
*Moderated by the Seattle Channel's C.R. Douglas

Our elected officials and nonprofit leaders have been working hard to answer that question, and they will join us on March 20 to share their victories from the 2008 legislative session, explain what they're working on and how you can help, answer your questions and address your concerns on transportation in our region.

Please join Friends of Seattle for our first event of 2008! In addition to getting up to speed with one of the hottest issues in the city, this is your chance to become a Friends of Seattle member and mingle with like-minded folks.

Visit www.friendsofseattle.org to learn more and then join us to celebrate the future of Seattle.

To RSVP, please email events@friendsofseattle.org.

Oil hits record high

The Seattle Times has an article about the recent record high of oil.

"Light, sweet crude for April delivery rose $1.93 to $103.77 on the New York Mercantile Exchange after earlier rising as high as $103.95. That's higher than the price of $103.76 that many analysts believe oil hit in 1980, when adjusted for inflation into 2008 dollars."

With the possibility of gas hitting 4 dollars this summer, this is the perfect opportunity to make plans to find alternative ways to get around the city. Here are some suggestions:

• Learn the bus routes transit.metrokc.gov
• Buy a bicycle, you can even get a recycled bicycle
• Walk to work
• Move closer to your work place
• Car pool, here are two sites (erideshare.com & carpoolworld.com)

Sound Transit would like to hear your opinion

Sound Transit would like to hear your opinion and thoughts on traffic & transportation.
From SoundTransit.org
"Welcome to the Sound Transit system expansion website, where you can help Sound Transit tackle challenging questions about the future of our region. Increasing traffic is only making it harder to travel from place to place. Studies show that by 2030, rush “hour” could last all day in many places.

In November 2007, voters turned down a large package of road and transit investments. Now, the Sound Transit Board of Directors is taking a renewed look at what transit service expansions would make the biggest and quickest improvements for commuters for the least cost.

Your feedback today will help shape the future of our regional transit system."

Take The Survey

Vancouver Commits To What Seattle Wouldn't

Vancouver BC essentially commits itself to the future and to clean energy, something that Seattle and King County residents have been unwilling to do when it comes to Mass Transit. Vancouver is already a friendlier city when it comes to carless transportation than Seattle is, and with their new transit announcement they move in hopes of competing with such cities as Boston, New York and London.

From The National on the 14 Billion Transit Announcement

"Warren Gill, a transportation-studies professor at Simon Fraser University who has focused on transportation policy for more than 30 years, called the program "infrastructure for the ages.""

""It means Vancouver will be a functional city long into the future. People who come to Vancouver will be able to get around in the city just as they would in some of the world's great cities - New York, London, Chicago," Prof. Gill said."

Vancouver already has "the longest automated transit system in the world" and this announcement will add an additional "30 kilometres of new SkyTrain," "1,500 new clean-technology buses," and "subway-style line running 12 kilometres across central Vancouver into the booming University of British Columbia."

I am extremely jealous..

How Proposition 1 Benefits you by Zip Code

Roads and Transit have a new feature that allows you to enter your zip code and it shows you how Proposition 1 would benefit you locally.

I entered my zip code 98101 and it brought up this map



Stating:

"First Hill Streetcar

Builds First Hill Streetcar in Seattle connecting Capitol Hill, First Hill and the International District"

Check it out and learn about Proposition 1 at http://yesonroadsandtransit.org/

Help Improve Transportation

New research group(letsimprovetransportation.org) from UW aims to help educate and allow people to collaborate/discuss transportation in the region.

From the website
"This October, residents of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties are invited to participate in the LIT Challenge, a 4-week long online experiment in which 300 or more individuals will participate via the Internet at their own convenience. The purpose of this experiment is to evaluate a new and potentially more meaningful way to involve citizens in the process of regional transportation decision making."

Learn, Brainstorm & Discuss Transportation at letsimprovetransportation.org

Ride like the British

Seattle has become only the 2nd city in the United States to use the Double Decker buses.
You can read all about the Double Decker buses at www.CommunityTransit.org

Seattle's Water Taxis to the Rescue

Matt talks about the possibilities of expanding the Seattle Water Taxis.
Read About It Here

Tour the Seattle Link Light Rail construction area

This Saturday take the Sound Transit Lunch Bus Tour.

-----Email I received-----
We still have space available for this weekend's Lunch Bus tour on Saturday May 19, 2007. This is the perfect opportunity to show your family and friends who were busy during the work week Link light rail's construction in our area. We will be giving a tour of SODO, Beacon Hill and Rainier Valley and stopping at Thai Recipe for lunch.
The cost of the lunch is $10.00 which includes a meal, drink and tax. The tour departs and returns at the southwest corner of 5th Ave S & S King Street in the International District. Tours depart at 11:30 a.m. sharp and return by 2 p.m. If you are interested please let me know at my cell number below. Thank you!

Best Regards

Wilbert Santos
Sound Transit
Link Light Rail
Community Outreach
Cell 206-510-1305
email: santosw@soundtransit.org

West Seattle to Downtown Water Taxi is Back!!

The Elliott Bay Water Taxi is back! West Seattle to Downtown Seattle for $3 one-way.
WaterTaxi Official Website

Ride the Bus for free this Sunday April 22nd

King County Metro Transit is offering free rides on all buses, all day on Sunday, April 22 to celebrate Earth Day.

The Monorail is up and running and free!!

From the Seattle PI
The Seattle Center Monorail, disabled for nearly 3 months after a summer stall, will begin carrying passengers again at 11 a.m. Wednesday between the Westlake Mall and the center, carrying fewer passengers and running shorter hours than before.

The service will be free to riders until Monday mornng, "as a way of thanking people for their patience" during the trains' hiatus, said center spokeswoman Kari Shaw.

Fast Transit from Everett to the King/Snohomish line

My friend Jedi Master Steve sent me a link to this press release about the rapid transit bus that will run on HWY 99 from the king/sno border through everett with limited stops.

(Here is the Press Release)
New Bus Rapid Transit Route Called "Swift"

Swift - Our Vision of Bus Rapid Transit
"Swift" line gets $5 million approval from PSRC

Snohomish County, Wash. – Community Transit today unveiled the name, logo and design for its proposed Bus Rapid Transit line on Highway 99 in Snohomish County. "Swift" describes the fast ride that passengers will experience down the busy corridor, and a depiction of a Swift bird lends a colorful and sleek appearance to the system’s buses.

"Like a Swift bird, our BRT bus will not dwell at stations for long; it will fly down Highway 99 and possibly future corridors," said Community Transit CEO Joyce Olson. "Our goal is to offer quality service that is sleek, modern and attractive; something that looks fast, even when it’s standing still."

Community Transit is developing a Bus Rapid Transit line that will run on Highway 99 between Everett Station and the Aurora Village Transit Center at the Snohomish–King County line. Swift buses will run every 10 minutes and make fewer stops than local bus service between those locations. Using Business–Access–Transit (BAT) lanes, transit signal priority technology and fewer stops, the Swift service will offer a quicker ride along the corridor.

Today, the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board approved two grants for the project totaling $5 million. That funding will go toward bus purchases and technology development. The agency envisions real–time bus arrival information at stations, which will utilize GPS technology.

In addition to the funding announced today, Community Transit has committed $12.5 million toward the Swift project, and is reserving service capacity this year and next so it will have operating funds available when the system goes on line in late 2008. The agency also learned last week that Senator Patty Murray secured a $1 million line item for the project in the 2007 Senate Appropriations Bill. That complements another $2.5 million earmarked for the project in the 2006 federal SAFETEA–LU legislation.

Community Transit is working with Snohomish County and the cities of Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Shoreline to plan where the train–like stations on the route will be located.

"When the project is fully operating in 2008, Everett and South Snohomish County will have a public transit service with customer amenities equal to or better than any transportation project in the region," said Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson.

Discussions are under way with Everett Transit and King County Metro Transit to possibly extend this Bus Rapid Transit line north in Everett and south to Seattle in the future.

Celebrating 30 years of service, Community Transit operates 32 local bus routes, 31 commuter routes and DART paratransit service throughout Snohomish County. It also offers carpool matching, one of the nation’s largest vanpool programs and travel training to disabled and senior citizens. Call Community Transit at (425) 353–RIDE or (800) 562–1375 for bus information, or (888) 814–1300 for carpool or vanpool information, or go to www.communitytransit.org.

Free Gas on Queen Anne & Bus Routes with Google

Free Gas on Queen Anne
Today from 4pm to 7pm
The Shell Gas Station at Denny Way and Queen Anne Avenue will be giving away 25 dollars of free gas.

Public-Transportation Trip-Planning with Google
http://www.google.com/transit

COSTLY TUNNEL NOT THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR ALL

'Working Families Deserve Better'

SEATTLE - Council President Nick Licata and Councilmember David J. Della issue the following statements in response to today's decision by a majority of councilmembers to recommend to the state that the tunnel is Seattle's preferred alternative for replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Councilmember Della, an advocate for rebuilding the Viaduct as an elevated structure with available funds and a supporter of an advisory vote on the issue, stated, "I don't think that we can comfortably say that the most expensive and unaffordable option is the preference of the people of Seattle. We had an opportunity to gauge the public's opinion by floating an advisory measure and should have done so. I think tunnel advocates were just too afraid to discover that a majority does not support pricing working families out of our city all in the name of better views. Working families deserve a choice and they deserve an alternative that is affordable."

Council President Licata, who sponsored legislation that would have put an advisory measure with cost estimates on this November's ballot, added, "Tunnel vision is taking our city deeper into a black hole of insufficient revenues and unknown costs. The tunnel is the most expensive option and will be the most expensive project in the history of our city. The fact that a tunnel will dry up so much of our revenue should have been the driver of our discussion-not aesthetics."

COUNCIL: THE TUNNEL IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE

The Council reaffirms that a cut-and-cover tunnel is the City's preferred alternative for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

SEATTLE- Seven members of the Council today reaffirmed their decision of January 2005 that the best alternative for replacement of the dangerously damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct is a cut-and-cover tunnel. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize a 21st Century waterfront. The tunnel is a means to that end," said Councilmember Jan Drago, Chair of the Transportation Committee. The City's recommendation will now directly go to Governor Christine Gregoire as she considers her decision on what to do about the crumbling elevated structure.

Councilmember Richard Conlin said, "We want to create a waterfront that works for all our people, that is ecologically sustainable, and that is consistent with the values that our city embodies of open access and environmental stewardship. A cut-and-cover tunnel along the waterfront is the best way forward at this time." Councilmember Jean Godden said, "The Viaduct is an unsafe, substandard, noxious polluting structure that has blighted the city for two generations-fifty years. Too often in the past, we have been foolishly cheap and shortsighted. We must restore the City's portal to Puget Sound with a cut-and-cover tunnel."

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen said, "The Viaduct was planned and built when freeways were seen as the solution to our transportation needs. Like many other cities, we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. This Council has its eyes fixed on the future."

Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck said, "The state gave Seattle only two options, an even larger elevated freeway or a tunnel, so I am supporting 'a tunnel option.' My heart is more with a sustainable future, such as a surface option as a back-up plan, with more funds for rapid transit."

Earlier this week, the Governor's Expert Review Panel affirmed that the tunnel's finances were sound and reasonable despite rising costs. Councilmember Richard McIver said, "I am pleased that a review panel made up of national experts on public finance and construction has expressed confidence in the identified funding for this project. I love the tunnel."

The Washington State Legislature asked the Council to express its preference for a Viaduct replacement either through Council action or an advisory ballot for Seattle's voters. Councilmember Drago said Council action was the only reasonable course. "The Council has been elected to make the difficult, complicated decisions as the representatives of Seattle's voters. Since the Viaduct planning is still in very early stages, it doesn't make sense to ask the public to vote on a project where construction figures are not secure," said Councilmember Drago. Added Councilmember Conlin, "There is a time to go to the voters: when you are asking them to raise money for a project that is solid. That time will come, but it hasn't yet."

Councilmember Sally Clark reminded everyone that today's decision is not the last one on the Viaduct replacement. "This is not the end. It is just one point along a very long journey. We are smarter today then we were 50 years ago. We can do better than an elevated freeway along the waterfront. I support the tunnel."

More Viaduct News

I saw this posted on the SeattlePI. I encourage anyone passionate about the Viaduct to attend these hearings and give your input.

A movie replicating the experience of driving through the proposed cut-and-cover tunnel and elevated structure replacements for the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be shown starting Thursday.

Several hearings on the project's environmental impact statement this month will feature the film.

Hearings are:

4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday and Sept. 14, both at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1217 6th Ave.

5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sept. 12 at Madison Middle School, 3429 45th Ave. SW

and

5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 13 at Ballard Community Center, 6020 28th Avenue NW.

The comment period will be open until Sept. 22.

The draft statement, called the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available online. Hard copies can be reviewed at Seattle Neighborhood Service Centers, and at the Ballard, Capitol Hill, Central, Delridge, and North East Seattle library branches.