Category Archives: seattle stuff

About those missing shelters…

Good news! From Dale at Metro:

We noticed…that you are interested in what became of the bus shelters in the photos…next to the Douglas Truth Library. The shelters were removed last week for refurbishing, and will be re-installed this week. All Metro bus shelters are pulled every 7 to 8 years, repainted and reinstalled w/new windows, walls, and translucent roofs. When a shelter is pulled it is usually replaced the same day or within a few days after the removal.

The terra cotta tile artwork that was in these shelters, will need additional restorative work before returning to the shelters, but should be re-installed in the shelters sometime this fall.

I am relieved to know that my shelters will soon return. Now if only we riders were provided with warnings before our shelters were removed. Something as simple as a paper rider-alert sign near the schedule would have eliminated a lot of confusion.

No shelter (or, “Dude, where’s my bus stop?”)

This morning, I walked out of my house to discover that the two bus shelters on my corner had been removed.

No more shelter for 27 riders
No more shelter for 4 and 48 riders

These were no ordinary shelters. They were spacious and attractive, with wood carvings that told the story of the community on their walls. And bus riders actually used them. A lot.

Here’s what one of them used to look like:

Picture
My friend Monique (aka Original Glamazon), waiting for the 27

So, the question is, why did Metro remove them? Are they being replaced? The last I heard, we were trying to get more shelters in King County. Why waste money replacing shelters that are perfectly functional, even pleasant? Are they being removed permanently? If so, why? At the very least, we should have seen a “rider alert” message at the stops and/or on Metro’s website.

As if the trash-can removal at our adopted stop wasn’t bad enough. What’s the deal, Metro?

MLKC Metro, part II

I saw this on a 43 while I waited at Montlake this evening:

My hero on the bus

It’s not the first time I’ve seen the new county logo on a bus, but it’s the first time I’ve been able to get a picture. I dropped my camera at the Bus to Work Day celebration back in March (good thing I won a bike to compensate), so I can only get pictures if Bus Nerd is with me and the lighting is good enough for him to use his phone. But I digress.

I can’t wait until I finally get to ride on a Dr. King bus. With the exception of my phone-camera-toting husband (well, and maybe Original Bus Chick), there’s no one I’d rather travel with.

OK, what if they were partially wrapped?

I’ve been meaning to tell you about this for over a week, but I was away on vacation, enjoying a laptop-free existence.

It seems that the folks at Metro have found a creative solution to the wrapped bus visibility issue. From a recent County Kingpin news release:

Last fall, the Metropolitan King County Council directed Metro to phase out its full-wrap bus advertising program due to concerns expressed by some passengers that their views were obscured and the bus interiors were dark. If the advertising program that was restricted to 25 buses – less than two percent of Metro’s fleet – is eliminated, the agency estimates it will lose $743,000 of revenue in 2008.

“We always strive to be innovative and entrepreneurial to find revenues that help keep bus fares low while increasing our service,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “That is why I asked Metro to develop a modified wrapped-bus advertising program that still brings in critically needed revenue while addressing the concerns of our customers.”

[…]

Under the proposal, only a portion of the bus side windows would be covered. This will provide potential advertisers with enough coverage to justify the premium rates for such advertising, while preserving unobstructed, clear window space along the entire length of the bus for improved passenger visibility and comfort.

I can’t front: I love this idea! At a recent Transit Advisory Committee meeting, I talked with two people who had actually sat on a test model; they both were able to see fine. And I don’t know about you, but I want more service, stops and shelters, so I’m all about pain-free sources of revenue.

Of course, partial bus wraps won’t generate as much revenue as full bus wraps, and not just because less of the bus will be covered. There is currently only one template for wrapped buses, and it’s used by all other agencies that participate in the program. Hopefully, Metro’s model will eventually become the standard (customers in other cities would probably like to see, too), but in the meantime, advertisers who want wraps on King County buses will have to pay for custom designs.

The County Council hasn’t voted on the new proposal yet. I bet they’d like to know what you think. Would you tolerate bus wraps if you could see out the window?

Sounder on Saturday

This Saturday, I’ll be participating in the Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure. Happily, so will Sound Transit. They’ll be running a (festive) Sounder train, so those of you coming from Pierce and South King counties can ride to the race in comfort–without fighting (and paying) for parking. The train heads out from Tacoma at 6:30 AM (arriving at the race at 7:30) and returns from King Street Station at 12:30 PM.

Ride for the Cure (photo courtesy of Sound Transit)

 

I won’t be on train, but I sure hope my race day transportation works out better than it did last year.

Service changes start tomorrow

Saturday, June 2nd, the new (green!) schedules come out. Transportation Today lists the changes.

Biggest news:

• Added service (courtesy of Transit Now) on three South County routes: 166, 180, and 181
• Reopened Fremont Bridge (affects routes 26, 28, 31, and 74)

A question: Why does Metro start putting out the new schedules before they take effect? (Well, I guess I sort of understand why, but I don’t particularly like it.)

Remember all the new bus service we voted for last fall?

Yesterday, the County Kingpin announced a contract to purchase up to 500 buses, enough to provide that new service*–and then some.

The first 22 articulated hybrids will arrive next spring, with another planned order for 100 buses in 2009 to provide new Rapid Ride service on five routes.

[…]

The contract, structured similar to those used in the aviation industry, will give Metro the flexibility to order different types of buses and components specifically designed for different uses whether it is hybrid-electric, regular diesel-powered or European-style coaches fashioned for future bus rapid transit routes. General Motors and Cummins will provide major operating components for the buses.

Metro expects subsequent orders will be used to replace aging buses in its fleet and for expanded service to offset the traffic impacts associated with reconstruction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and State Route 520.

Want to know more (about costs, vehicle specs, and the details of the contract)? Check out this article in Transportation Today.

*Note that some off-peak service improvements are already in place.

How to make a great place even greater

Looks like it’s time for some major renovations at the Market:

City politicians hope to ask voters in November 2008 to approve a tax increase for the Market and the Seattle Center. City officials don’t yet have an estimate for the project.

“It’s recognized nationally and internationally as the heart and soul of the city,” Mayor Greg Nickels said Monday. “So it’s time, I think, for another generation to renew that commitment, renovate the physical (infrastructure) that keeps it running and put a new coat of paint on it.”

[…]

The Market also is exploring ways to ease crowding, she said — for example, whether it’s possible to add a sidewalk along the eastern edge of the Market arcade.

Here’s an “option to ease crowding”:

Remove (or severely limit) automobile traffic! The sidewalks along Pike Place are extremely narrow and usually blocked by tourists (not that there’s anything wrong with that) or street performers. I’m sure there are arguments for allowing commercial vehicles on that street, but I can’t think of a single good reason to allow through traffic. Imagine: No of weaving between parked cars or dodging traffic to get to those delectable black Russians at Three Sisters–just a leisurely stroll on a cobblestone street reserved for pedestrians.

Photo credit: Myla Kent

 

Calling all bus poets!

Poetry on Buses is back. This year’s theme is “Dreams.”

Poetry on Buses

4Culture and King County Metro present Poetry on Buses 2007. We are seeking poetry written by residents of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. The theme for Poetry on Buses 2007 is Dreams. Selected poems will be displayed on interior bus placards, published in a book and featured at a poetry reading in November 2007. Selected poets will also receive an honorarium of $125 for use of the poems on the bus.

 

Here are the submission guidelines:

• Only one (1) poem per applicant.
• Poems must be 50 words or less not counting the title.
• Poems must be authored by the applicant and previously unpublished.
• All residents of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties in Washington State may submit except for the following: 4Culture staff, board members or advisory committee members, selection jurors, and the immediate family members and business partners of any of the above.
• Copyright for published poems remains with the authors.
• Poems must be submitted at www.4culture.org/publicart/poetry/index.htm on or before April 30, 2007 to be eligible.

I’m no poet (leave that to Bus Nerd), but I might be inspired to submit a little something this year. I love this program!