By Matt the Engineer on September 29, 2008
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton. She had cities figured out when she wrote this back in 1942.
You’ll notice the correct progression of efficient transportation. Buses turn into streetcars, then turn into light rail. Finally subway systems are built as buildings get taller and taller.
Posted in climate change, King Street Station, sierraclub, trains
By Frank on September 28, 2008
The prolfieration of low-cost bus service between cities in the Northeast is either total genius, or a stunning indictment of our rail infrastructure (I think you know where I stand). The fact that rail service between DC, NY and Boston continues to be too slow, expensive and unreliable for regular use is very sad. And this is Amtrak’s best route!
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on September 27, 2008
Oy vey. And they accuse us rail fans of being obsessed?
I’ve had a couple long sessions with Chopp, hearing his passionate commitment to his idea. He recalls growing up in Bremerton, looking out his bedroom window at the Olympics, and wanting all citizens to have that inspiring view. He talks about an example in Paris, the Promenade Plantee, 4.5 kilometers of the “Green Stream” atop a defunct railway viaduct, or the Highline in New York City, a 22-block park projects on top of an abandoned rail deck. Chopp has hired an architect, Kevin Peterson, to refine his ideas. He’s hiring public relations counsel. He’s got some business leaders to make his case with leading politicians. He’s also famously stubborn and shows no signs of conceding.
I appreciate the outside-the-box thinking, but seriously, this thing is a disaster. This is the kind of massive, neighborhood ripping project that went out of style in the 60s. One thing we’ve learned since then is to be a little more humble with the changes we make in the urban fabric.
Posted in Eastside
By Frank on September 26, 2008
I appreciate the efforts — here, here, and here — to lay out, as plainly as possible, the true costs of Proposition 1.
However, as we learned last time, the truth is that the general public has absolutely no idea how much this thing costs. Exit polls last year showed that only 5% of the electorate knew that the cost was between $10 and $100 billion per year. [oops -- I guess I'm no better than rest of the electorate!]
Prop 1.’s apparent stealth strategy of flying below the radar seems to be working pretty well thusfar. I’d rather talk about how awful I-985 is, and how it’s totally going to screw up traffic planning in the state.
Posted in bicycles
By Frank on September 24, 2008
Matt and I were talking about that Amtrak bill I blogged about this Summer. Turns out it’s still winding it’s way through Congress. It’s passed the House and Senate with veto-proof margins, but it still needs to go to conference committee and get signed by the President.
Posted in tacoma
By Frank on September 24, 2008
It is possible of course, to take a train from Seattle to Vancouver. So don’t let that stop you.
By Frank on September 24, 2008
We’re Number 1! We’re Number 1!
Posted in Eastside
By Frank on September 23, 2008
Nice piece on the Prop. 1 campaign’s efforts to ride the Obama wave in the Times, with shout-outs to the boys at STB. Also some national recognition from Matt Yglesias.
Not to be a pain in the ass, but the Times’ accompanying graph has a small error in it. Husky Stadium is part of the blue, University Link extension, not the red, Prop. 1 extension. The map has Brooklyn Station labeled as “Husky Stadium.”
Best comment, from Yglesias’ post:
Sandra Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Re: prop1
Although I no longer live in Seattle I do remember a model very much like this at the Seattle World’s Fair 46 years ago.
The centerpiece was the monorail that was to be expanded to include all communities around Lake Washington.
When I go home to visit I always think of that grand plan while sitting in gridlocked traffice.
Hope they get to it this time around.
Me too, Sandra. Me too.
Posted in bicycles, orcacard
By serial catowner on September 22, 2008
For a half century this country has run on ‘trickle-down’ economics. Over the past eight years the federal debt has doubled, from approximately $5 trillion to approximately $10 trillion, and now the great margin call in the sky is demanding a trillion bucks or it’s game over. Trickle-down has failed- for thirty years wages have been stagnant, for eight years job creation has barely kept up with new entrants to the workforce, and mortgage defaults now are in the millions and rising.
What if we spent the trillion on ‘trickle-up’ instead?
For example, we could tell every city in the US that when they have a plan to build rail transit, we will underwrite the issuing of bonds. Face it, if that wouldn’t stabilize the bond industry, it can’t be saved.
We could tell every county in the US that when they have a plan to build affordable housing on a transit line, we’ll underwrite low interest mortgages for the residents. We already know this is a good investment- why shouldn’t we the people get a return on the money we spend? If that wouldn’t stabilize the mortgage industry, face it, the industry can’t be saved.
This won’t happen with the current bail-out, of course. But, believe it, there will be another. The question is, is we learning yet?
With trickle-up you provide benefits, in kind and equally to every citizen. Ensuring decent housing builds a strong construction industry. Ensuring decent education builds a strong school system and provides skilled workers. Ensuring transportation builds companies that can swallow American car companies at a gulp and spit out in a month more high-speed trainsets than the US can buy in a decade. Properly managed, it makes Germany, a nation of less than a hundred million, one of the leading exporters in the world.
It’s fine to just love trains and figure out better ways to ride buses. But some of us have to also think about the deeper themes or we won’t be riding transit, we’ll just be riding the same old merry-go-round- while the world passes us by.
By Frank on September 20, 2008
Air France is starting a high-speed train service to compete with the successful TGV:
To hear Air France tell it, they don’t really have a choice but to collaborate with the enemy. “Limiting our activity to aircraft operations and ignoring market trends constitutes a risk,” Air France CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta said at a shareholder meeting in July. “We have reached the logical conclusion that we need to seriously examine the possibility for Air France to operate trains under the Air France brand to several destinations in partnership with a rail service provider.”
They’ll compete with Eurostar and SNCF.
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