Demolish the Monrail!!! (Seattle, Central Park: townhomes, live, prices) - Washington (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - City-Data Forum

Destructoman! · 06-01-2008, 03:51 PM

Seriously, the thing might have looked high-tech in the 60's and 70's, but these days it seriously looks like crap! Not to mention it serves absolutely no transportation function at all (who the hell needs to commute from the Westlake center to the Seattle Center!?!?). The only function it serves now is being a tourist trap!

The main reason why the city of Seattle should demolish the monorail is the ideals that it stood for not alive and well in the city. The monorail and the space needle were both created for the 62 Worlds Fair, and part of what the Worlds Fairs were all about was showcasing new innovations in technology. The 62 Worlds Fair was a glimmer of hope about what the new century would bring, the monorail itself a small-scale model of an innovative elevated transit system that would continue to push what was started by the subway and elevated train system of cities like New York and Chicago.

Fast-forward 46 years later... The city of Seattle still doesn't have a working mass transit system, only a fleet of buses that don't run on time and do nothing to alleviate the growth in traffic that continues to swell worse and worse every day. Smaller cities with much less capitol like Portland, Oregon put Seattle to shame with it's far-superior public transit options. Gas prices rise, traffic worsens and finally in 2010 (or whenever) Seattle gets one small light rail system with only a few lines! Truly pathetic, especially for a city that prides itself so much on innovation.

The dream is dead Seattle, it's time to demolish the monorail!!!

alexjon · 06-01-2008, 08:30 PM

If you want to change things, vote-- get involved. There was a chance that we could have had 50 extra miles of light rail, but voters squashed that.

On the books is an extra 20-something miles of light rail, which is pretty good-- that needs a vote. We also have several really great streetcar lines in the planning stages, those won't need a vote.

Get involved. If you don't like the monorail, say something to people who can do something about it. What you do, however, is create a problem, so be prepared to answer the question "And then what?"

70Ford · 06-01-2008, 08:50 PM

Hrmm...I wonder what one final use for it could be....

Ira500 · 06-01-2008, 10:33 PM

The monorail may be just one more thing for Destructoman to destroy.
I never ride the thing, and yeah, it's kind of useless, but it harkens back to a nicer, more innocent time in Seattle before everything had to be "sustainable" and where many townhomes with no lots replaced beautiful old houses that had nice lots.
If you need to destroy something, Destructoman, go ahead and destroy a bunch of townhomes, and add the EMP and the new library while you're at it.

allforcats · 06-01-2008, 10:44 PM

OMG YOU HATE THE EMP AND THE NEW LIBRARY TOO?? I thought I was the only one!! Thank you!! :-)

Ira500 · 06-01-2008, 10:56 PM

No, Thank you! I just thought I was a clueless old unhip fuddydud who just didn't get it, and that may all be true, but the EMP? Looks like something that fell out of the sky and crash landed. And the library? I've been there. It's not very user friendly at all, at least not to this user, and those colors? Did they hire a colorblind architect?

seattlerain · 06-01-2008, 10:59 PM

Take the EMP, take the new library, take Safeco Field, take Quest Field...take them both, just leave the monorail alone!

allforcats · 06-01-2008, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seattlerain

Take the EMP, take the new library, take Safeco Field, take Quest Field...take them both, just leave the monorail alone!

HEAR! HEAR! Three cheers!!!

ysabella · 06-02-2008, 12:09 AM

There's a great song about it.

...And it's so antique
That it's neo-chic
Like a lightning streeeeeeak...
It's the Monorail! Train to Nowhere!

My trio sings it

pwright1 · 06-02-2008, 12:29 AM

I love the monorail. The problem I have with it is that it travels from Westlake to the horrible Seattle Center. The Funhouse, the old out of date rides, its all tacky. I think it would be nice to make SC one big park in the middle of the city. Not as large as Golden Gate Park or Central Park but I think it would be a great idea to have a beautiful green park in the heart of the city.