By 2020, what will Seattle's transit network look like?

[CrazyDonkey]

DestroyCreate:

Given how compact and progressive Seattle is, it's astounding to me there wasn't a more cohesive transportation network years ago. How did such a major city get by with no other means than car?!

Is generally "progressive", but not necessarily was. The county has always been more conservative than the city and until the last decade or so held sway in county-wide elections.

How did we get by? Buses along with the extending of the I-5, SR-520, and I-90 freeways/bridges through/into Seattle from the 1960s through early 1990s. Voters rejected building a freeway along Lake Washington in Seattle (R.H. Thompson Expressway).

The Seattle-area does have one of the most extensive transit systems in the U.S. for a metropolitan area of its size. Metro Transit operates in King County and Sound Transit in a three-county region. As traffic congestion has continued to get worse, bus schedules have become more unreliable, especially in peak-time.

It is possible to live without a car in the closer-in neighborhoods, which are served by a network of electric trolleybuses.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

DestroyCreate: Search for "Forward Thrust". A 49-mile BART-type rapid-transit system failed at the polls in 1970, despite federal funds paying 3/4 of the cost, partly due to the beginnings of what would come to be the "Boeing Bust". Many of our traffic woes trace back to that penny-wise/pound-foolish decision.

It was on the ballot twice. First in 1968, then in 1970. Rejected twice. Voters can be incredibly dumb.

[Polymorphist]

They are a year early on the U District extension. Hopefully they can keep that pace up on the other extensions. There's talk of the U line opening next September and possibly as early as next April. We'll see if that works out.


I'm wondering if at some point light rail is going to completely encircle Lake Washington from Lynnwood/Bothell down to Renton. It really needs to hit Renton/Southcenter area, not having rail run from Sea-Tac to Southcenter was dumb in my opinion.

[drewba]

Originally Posted by Polymorphist

They are a year early on the U District extension. Hopefully they can keep that pace up on the other extensions. There's talk of the U line opening next September and possibly as early as next April. We'll see if that works out.

I'm not sure where you're seeing that they're a year early. Original opening date was September 2016. As of last December, the project was trending toward an opening 6-9 months early, but that still doesn't push the date into 2015, let alone April 2015.

Most recent official information that I can find: Project update

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Polymorphist

They are a year early on the U District extension. Hopefully they can keep that pace up on the other extensions. There's talk of the U line opening next September and possibly as early as next April. We'll see if that works out.


I'm wondering if at some point light rail is going to completely encircle Lake Washington from Lynnwood/Bothell down to Renton. It really needs to hit Renton/Southcenter area, not having rail run from Sea-Tac to Southcenter was dumb in my opinion.

A lot of where light rail goes has less to do with where it needs to go, and more to do with who holds political power. They studied doing a rail extension from Burien to Sea-Tac Airport to Southcenter to Renton, but decided to do the Rapid Ride F line bus instead. Take a look at that schedule sometime. It doesn't get anywhere quickly. I guess they couldn't call it the " Slow as Molasses" line.