By Matt the Engineer on September 5, 2011
Just to highlight Seattle’s struggling bicycle infrastructure, I thought I’d describe my bicycle experience today. My wife and I took our 2yr old son on a ride from Gasworks Park to the Lake Forest Park Farmer’s Market. The ride started off great – the Burke Gilman Trail was packed with bikers, joggers, and rollerbladers. But [...]
Posted in bicycle safety, bicycles
By Frank on October 8, 2010
Fiets_Tom_800-50 by Bikejuju Josh Cohen at PubliCola looks at some numbers on city-by-city bike ridership and concludes: But if Anderson’s numbers are any indication, Seattle would do well to put as much effort into education and outreach as it does into infrastructure. Given that Bellingham has almost double the percentage of people who ride bikes, with [...]
Posted in bicycles
By Frank on November 5, 2008
Well, they’re still counting the final votes, but it looks like Prop. 1 is passing and I-985 is failing, both of which are promising developments. High Speed Rail in California also looks headed for a win.
This was probably our last shot at getting light rail passed. It looks like Seattlites, like millions of other Americans around the country, finally did the right thing last night, after, in Churchill’s words, exhausting every other alternative.
Fear not, there are plenty of arguments and discussions to be had in the days ahead (Bellevue tunnel, at grade or elevated? Viaduct? 520?), so I’ll still be here, though I acknowledge I’ve gotten slack in the past few months as other responsibilities have taken priority.
On that note, to all of you who knocked on doors and otherwise supported Prop. 1, I salute you. The city’s a better place for your work.
Posted in bicycles, orcacard
By Frank on October 27, 2008
The latest from the campaign:
SeattleAcross the region, business, labor and opinion leaders are urging greater investment in our transportation system by passing Proposition 1.
These leaders understand the nexus between economic development and transit expansion. Proposition 1 funds more buses, adds more commuter rail, and builds 36 miles of light rail. While our polls have been very positive, the numbers bump higher when people hear the price. For a 5/10 of one percent sales tax increase, we get a 100-year mass transit system, a boost in economic development, and good jobs that will plow investment back into our community.
Heres what people are saying:
As a region and state, we are entering a very troubled period when many companies here face serious challenges. At such times, the need to invest in our infrastructure, create jobs, and plan for our region’s economic recovery and long-term competitiveness is more important than ever.
-Tayloe Washburn, chair, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Construction represents 6 percent of the states workforce but 16 percent of the economy. The jobs created by Proposition 1 will grow the states middle class and put us back on the road to economic recovery.
-Daren Konopaski, business manager, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 302
Our ability to grow and thrive as an urban center is linked to accessibility. We approached this decision asking, What’s best for Downtown Bellevue? Connecting downtown with the region through safe and reliable mass transit is essential to our community’s future success.
-Jill Ostrem, chair, Bellevue Downtown Association
Proposition 1 is a key part of dealing with gridlock and traffic. It will be an economic stimulus providing good paying jobs, and boosting the economy.
-Mike Sells, Secretary-Treasurer of the Snohomish County Labor Council
The first priority in this economy must be the creation of good-paying jobs and voting yes on Proposition 1 will do just that. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said the project would create at least 66,000 direct and indirect jobs. But that figure could be conservative. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that 47,500 jobs are created for every billion dollars invested in transportation projects.
-Seattle Post Intelligencer editorial board, Oct. 17, 2008
And this is also a good time to engage in some serious infrastructure spending, which the country badly needs in any case. The usual argument against public works as economic stimulus is that they take too long: by the time you get around to repairing that bridge and upgrading that rail line, the slump is over and the stimulus isnt needed. Well, that argument has no force now, since the chances that this slump will be over anytime soon are virtually nil. So lets get those projects rolling.
-Paul Krugman, columnist, New York Times, Oct. 16, 2008
For more information:
International Union of Operating Engineers: 206-251-5399
Bellevue Downtown Association, Patrick Bannon, 425-453-3113
Snohomish County Labor Council: 425-259-7922
Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Christina Donegan: 206-389-7241
Posted in bicycles
By joshkelley on October 16, 2008
Apparently, I’m the first to post this article. Crosscut’s David Brewster has a good article on what the dangers of Prop 1 failing this year might be.
There’s a good chance the Proposition 1 ballot measure to expand light rail will fail, stalling for years comprehensive transportation planning in metro Puget Sound.
It’s a scary thought that this really may be our last chance!
I did have to laugh to myself about the first comment: the poster in opposition to the measure wants to sound like he knows completely what he’s talking about, but he references “Sound Move?!”
[via Crosscut]
Posted in bicycles, i5, lightrail, Port, ronsims, sr509
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 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 joshkelley on July 21, 2008
I think I posted this a while back, but I’ve updated my Google maps of Link and Sounder alignments based on the proposed 15-year plan from Sound Transit.
http://maps.google.com/maps/user?uid=103428233658015669918&hl=en&gl=us&ptab=2
Posted in bicycles, i5, kcmetro, lightrail, O&M, public investment, roads, sr509, Trail
By Frank on February 12, 2008
Putzing around on the internet in the wake of last night’s elections, I saw this, the statement that Al Wynn, a congressman from Maryland:
This domestic policy should include providing universal health coverage for everyone, creating domestic jobs and transit projects (i.e., Purple Line), as well as fighting global warming with a cap and trade program to limit emissions. [emph. added]
It’s interesting to see a congressman — federal, no less — be such a bold transit supporter like that. You don’t typically see that sort of thing here in Washington. Don’t get me wrong, Patty Murray’s been great for Sound Transit, but it’s certainly not the sort of thing you see pols bending over backwards to promise us come election time: “Vote for me and I’ll make sure light rail gets to Redmond!”
I do remember Greg Nickels running on a vague, “all transit all the time” platform where he simultaneously embraced the Monorail AND Sound Transit. But generally pols treat the transit agencies here like a hot potato. Sure, they serve on the ST board, and they formally supported last fall’s Prop. 1, but the typical face of the Prop. 1 campaign was the Washington Business Roundtable.
If this is indeed the case — and I’m not convinced, just putting it out here for discussion — I wonder how much it has to do with the initiative system. Because so much of our transit is approved by popular vote, it disconnects the pols from responsibility. And since their a** isn’t personally on the line, they’re less invested in the outcome. As a result, the debate drags on interminably and concrete never gets poured.
[The exception here might be the Seattle Streetcar, which pols were falling all over each other to take credit for. But that wasn't up for a vote: the exception that proves the rule?]
And yet, at the same time, the legislators who put Prop. 1 together assumed — incorrectly it turns out — that voters think like they do: they assumed we’re willing to horse-trade: that I would, say, wheel and deal with my counterpart in Pierce County, supporting the Cross Base Highway in exchange for his/her support of my light rail. But voters don’t think like politicians. We’re more likely to just reject the whole thing if it gets too complicated.
I’m not exactly sure what to make of all this, it just sort of popped into my head as I was reading the results of tonight’s elections. What do you think?
Posted in bicycles, Sagrada Familia
By Frank on January 23, 2008
Richard Morrill’s piece in Crosscut is pretty good, and he’s on the right track. But I think he fails — as many other anti-transit folks do — to address the need for rapid transit within the city of Seattle.
But while Morrill and others argue that not everyone wants to live in dense urban centers, the fact is that the residential population of the urban core is skyrocketing. We’re building thousands of new apartments and condos between Lake Union and SODO, and the existing street grid and bus networks simply won’t be able to move these people around.
This comes via Mike at CIS, and I basically agree with his analysis.
Posted in bicycles, Metro
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