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"For better or worse, streetcars are back" seattle

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Started 4 years ago by ZHC
Latest reply from Brewmaster

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ZHC
101 East Main Street, Downtown
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Retro Metro wrote Tuesday, December 18, 2007
"For better or worse, streetcars are back" seattlepi.com
Larry Lange
seattlepi.com
December 13, 2007
Seattle has a streetcar again.
The 1.3-mile, $52.1 million South Lake Union line opened for business Wednesday amid speeches and pomp, ferrying hundreds back and forth between Westlake Center and the lake.
READ MORE
I guess the thing that strikes me as most noteworthy about this is the cost. Is our proposed line much longer than 1.3 miles? I thought our projected cost was nearly double what Seattle spent...
In any event at the rate these are popping nationwide Columbus better hurry up or we'll be last to the party with streetcars....
It will be interesting to see how this affects Seattle.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I think ours was going to be a little longer. The initial plan was from Buttles to Frankfort on High, right? That's 2.1 miles.
Really though, with the lines adjusted up to Campus and stopping around Mound, I dunno what we'll see come January 29th (hopefully we'll have some new data at the Citizen's Summit).
:D

Posted 4 years ago #
ZHC
101 East Main Street, Downtown
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well that and inflation probably explains the cost difference then. Just seemed weird to me when I read it that something similar would cost so much less in Seattle since our cost of living is so much lower than theirs. :)

Posted 4 years ago #
Brewmaster
Portland, OR
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Yeah...the highest scoring route (Buttles/Frankfort) was about 3 miles. Once you bring that up to campus, it starts approaching 4.
Also, what the hell is the title of the article about. "For better or worse"? The only "worse" part was from a crotchety old guy who called the whole thing a boondoggle, and said that he prefers busses. Sounds like the majority of people are rejoicing though.

Posted 4 years ago #
Daz
Tweeting about some totally unimportant event
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I fucking move and they bring in a street car... *sigh*
Though I've gotta say, the SLUT isn't really on a great route. I guess the busses there were a little skimpy during normal hours though.

Posted 4 years ago #
ZHC
101 East Main Street, Downtown
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Daz wrote
Though I've gotta say, the SLUT isn't really on a great route. I guess the busses there were a little skimpy during normal hours though.
I think the acronym as inappropriate as it may be, is probably the best thing about it. Talk about extremely effective memorable marketing. :D

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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ZHC wrote I think the acronym as inappropriate as it may be, is probably the best thing about it. Talk about extremely effective memorable marketing. :D
It's just a nickname. Officially it's the "South Lake Union Streetcar", but the locals prefer replacing "Streetcar" with "Trolley" so that it's S.L.U.T. ;)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/332081_slut18.html

Posted 4 years ago #
shroud
Polaris
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Brewmaster wrote Also, what the hell is the title of the article about. "For better or worse"? The only "worse" part was from a crotchety old guy who called the whole thing a boondoggle, and said that he prefers busses. Sounds like the majority of people are rejoicing though.
That wasn't the only negative quote in the article:
But Jesika McEvoy, sporting one of St. Georges' T-shirts, was unconvinced. "Why spend a lot of money on something that doesn't go very fast and stops at every stoplight? It seems like Paul Allen should have funded this exclusively ... the only ones benefiting are him and a couple of retailers."
and the upset cyclists:
Wednesday evening, Michael Snyder of Seattle Likes Bikes, which campaigns for better biking measures, helped organize a ride attended by about 40 bicyclists to protest the dangers of streetcars.
The gap created by the track can catch a bike tire and cause the bike to flip, Snyder said. "Multiple people have broken bones off this already."
Bicyclists have been trained to use the right side of the road, he said, adding that the city has not listened to the biking community, which has been concerned for years about where the tracks would go.
"We like transit, and it would be stupid to think they would rip up the tracks that they've already put down," Snyder said. "Our hope is that the future tracks are in the center of the road."
--which wasn't really a complaint/concern I remember hearing about streetcars before.
Otherwise the most interesting thing about the article for me was seeing basically the exact same streetcar issues (pros and cons) that we've seen go back and forth here -- especially given the general perception of Seattle being so much more progressive than Columbus.

Posted 4 years ago #
Brewmaster
Portland, OR
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shroud wrote Otherwise the most interesting thing about the article for me was seeing basically the exact same streetcar issues (pros and cons) that we've seen go back and forth here -- especially given the general perception of Seattle being so much more progressive than Columbus.
Well they did get one built, so I guess the general perception is still holding. :roll:

Posted 4 years ago #
ZHC
101 East Main Street, Downtown
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Brewmaster wrote
Well they did get one built, so I guess the general perception is still holding. :roll:
well it does help to have Paul Allen in your corner, people with his kind of pull tend to get things done the way they want. :)

Posted 4 years ago #
Brewmaster
Portland, OR
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ZHC wrote
Brewmaster wrote
Well they did get one built, so I guess the general perception is still holding. :roll:
well it does help to have Paul Allen in your corner, people with his kind of pull tend to get things done the way they want. :)
I suppose that's true. Our billionaire decided to build a megamall on the outerbelt and suck the life out of City Center. Stark contrast there too.

Posted 4 years ago #

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