Railways of three Cascade major cities (best, better, Chicago, pros)
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I have been all of three cities of Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, and experienced all three cities' railways as well. Ordered by my preference:
1. Vancouver skytrain and Canada line
Pros
- Fastest and most punctual system among all three cities!
- Elevated railways provide passengers good views.
- Best coverage among all three cities
Cons
- I expected it to be also elevated in downtown area like Chicago L - I think it is cheaper to build, and have better views.
- Sometimes trashes are littered, but not so frequently.
2. Seattle Link light rail
Pros
- Fine speed(so so in normal time, but good choice in RH)
- Clean stations and trains
- Not hard to transfer to buses in downtown tunnel
- Capacity expansion is considered
Cons
- Too small coverage!
- Sometimes waiting for buses above in downtown tunnel
- No day or week pass, only a month pass
3. Portland MAX
Pros
- Not bad coverage
- Clean trains
Cons
- Slow in downtown! MAX is fine if it is outside of downtown, but as slow as 1930s' streetcars in downtown. Didn't they even try to make a flatter track?