I saw this ad on the Pierce Transit shuttle we rode yesterday:
I so want that job. I so want that jacket. There’s a CCS right by my house. Can folks from Seattle participate?
Did someone say, “expert bus rider”?
Category Archives: cool stuff
July Golden Transfer
This month’s Golden Transfer goes (for the second time) to the city I’m proud to call home, the S-E-A double-T L-E (don’t trip; you know you have that CD lurking somewhere in the depths of your music collection), Seattle, Washington, USA. On three consecutive Sundays this summer, Seattle will close some streets to cars.
• On Aug. 24, 14th Avenue East will be closed from East Republican Street to Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill from noon to 6 p.m. The park’s Western Loop will also be car-free.
• Rainier Avenue South will be closed between Orcas and Alaska streets on Aug. 31 from 3-6 p.m.
• Alki Avenue in West Seattle will be closed to motor vehicles from noon to 6 p.m on Sept. 7
Pinch me…I must be dreaming! The only way this could be better is if one of those streets was the one in front of my house. (OK, there are many ways it could be better–more streets, more hours, more Sundays–but I can definitely work with this.)
Some business owners are feeling salty (not to mention caught off guard) and are afraid they’ll lose business if their customers cannot drive to them.
“We might as well close for the day,” said Joe Fraser, general manager of Duke’s Chowder House on Alki. West Seattle is one of the neighborhoods affected.
“Closing the street for construction, I can understand. But closing the street just for the sake of closure, that does not seem well thought out,” he said.
Fraser said summer Sundays are among the restaurant’s best days, when customers come from throughout the region for dining on the deck or sidewalk.
(Source: Seattle PI)
I’m guessing they’ll be surprised by the number of people (people who actually live in the neighborhood, for example) who come out to enjoy our streets on foot, bikes, skateboards, and et cetera. I, for, one, will be hitting up all three of these events, and, as we learned earlier today, car-free types have plenty of cash to spare.
So thanks to my city, for stepping out there just a little bit, and for giving me hope that it will be a place little Chicklet will grow up to love as much as I do.
How you like us now, Portland? (Sorry–that just came out. It’s all love.)
Speaking of virtual participation…
You can watch a live webcast (9-5 today) of the Portland carfree conference at Crank My Chain. The site will also broadcast more of the goings-on (including key speeches) throughout the week.
A world away, yet close to home
Sorry for the lack of posts of late. Bus Nerd and I spent the early part of this week in Selma, Alabama, visiting some of his relatives. On the long journey to Selma, we stopped in Montgomery, a city made famous by one very historic bus ride. (Yes, I will take any opportunity to mention my shero.)
While I’m on the subject…
My new favorite bus stop:
“The way we live now will affect the state of the world in the future.” -Rosa Parks
“This world has taught me that we must do what is right.”
If you’re interested in checking it out for yourself, it’s the northbound 7/39/48 stop on the east side of Rainier, just north of Alaska.
…and my favorite bus poem:
Rosa Parks Dream
Young man one color,
elder woman yet anotherwhich is which no fuss
All one on the packed busHis seat offered, happily declined
-she sits all day…..but still….how kind!Unnoticed words about Rosa printed above
Off the bus I wept, in joy and loveThank you again Rosa
– Markus Wells
I would love this poem even if it wasn’t about Mrs. Parks. In just a few words, the author manages to capture what I love so much about the ride:
“Which is which no fuss/All one on the packed bus.”
May Golden Transfer (or, Speaking of reading lists…)
This month’s Golden Transfer goes to the Contra Costa County [California] Public Library, a library system that’s doing its part to encourage public transit use among readers–and reading among public transit users.
Earlier this week, as part of the new, rather unfortunately named, “Library-a-Go-Go” program, the CCCL installed a vending-style book-lending machine (the first of its kind in the nation) at the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART station.
[The machine] will hold some 400 books that can be checked out for free by anyone with a valid Contra Costa County library card. A patron will insert the card, get access to the available titles and check out up to three books. A robotic arm will retrieve the books.
[…]
The county public library plans to install three other machines at the transit village at the BART station in Pleasant Hill, a site in Byron/Discovery Bay and another location, not yet determined.
(Source: Mass Transit)
I’ve only been to the Pittsburg BART station once (to visit my sister back when she lived there), but I’d gladly go back just to get a crack at that machine. I love it, and not just because it will reduce car trips among East Bay readers. I love anything that makes the experience of riding transit more convenient and enjoyable, and I can’t think of anything more convenient or enjoyable than grabbing a (free) ride read anytime the spirit moves. (Well, one thing: settling in with the latest TC Boyle novel while someone else does the driving.)
So thank you, CCC Library, for strengthening the relationship between public libraries and public transportation (two inherently complementary forces), and for giving people one more reason to ride.
Now, when can we see one of these things in the bus tunnel?
A shoe breakthrough for bus chicks
I do OK with cute and comfortable footwear (though not as well as my girl Miranda) until it’s time to really dress. I’m not big on “wear a pair, carry a pair,” so on occasions that call for high heels, I usually just choose the pair that goes best with the outfit and resign myself to a few hours of suffering.* Fortunately for me, those occasions only occur a few times a month. For those of you who must wear dressy shoes on a regular basis, some hopeful news:
Over the weekend, my friend Char (not coincidentally, a newly minted bus chick) hipped me to these (and other) height-adjustable heels:
I ain’t one to hawk products, and believe me, I’m not trying to sell you these. (I’m not really feeling the styles or the Salon Shoes prices.) I do appreciate the concept, though. Check the video.
* I have also been known to call a cab.
Candy paint ain’t just for cars
My little brother, Joel, a third-year dental student at the University of Washington, recently returned from a trip to Port au Prince, Haiti, where he donated his time (mostly pulling teeth and filling cavities) to people who don’t have access to dental care.
On Thursday night, Joel came over to show us pictures of his trip. Because he was visiting me, these included lots of pictures of Haitian buses. They’re called “tap-taps” (pronounced “top-tops”) by the people there, and they are amazingly beautiful. Check it:
Here’s what I was able to find out about tap-taps online:
Camionettes” (which literally means small trucks) also known as “Tap-Taps”, play an important role in Haitian public transportation.
… the body is made of wood or metal. The body is usually the work of several professionals: carpenter, blacksmith, electrician, painter…
It is the artist who gives to the ‘camionette’ all of its beauty. The artists paint all types of images using a mixture of colors. This is what allows us to say that “Tap-Taps” are not just a means of transportation, but also symbolize the Haitian appreciation of cultural and artistic values.
[…]
On the fronts and backs of the ‘Tap Taps”, there is always a space for written messages. There, you will usually find words of thanks (‘Thank you God’, ‘Thank you Virgin Mary’, etc), or other religious phrases (‘Blessed be the Lord’, ‘Long Live Jesus’, ‘Holy Altagrace’, ‘Papa Legba‘…), or words of love, etc
.
(Source: HaitiXchange)
A Benz-themed tap tap
Tupac lives!
“Don’t giv-up”
I found this last message especially moving , particularly given the historical (and very recent) injustices perpetrated on Haitians.
I’ve always admired my brother for his choice to go into dentistry. He’s developing skills that he can use to make a living and to give back to the world. (Would that I had such skills!) I’ve never been prouder of him.
The future Dr. Saulter with some of his patients
Just in time for spring…
One of the most common reasons Seattle people give for not getting rid of their cars is that they need to drive to get out of the city*. It’s one thing to give up driving to and from work and for the odd errand, but it’s hard for Northwesterners to imagine a life without hiking, camping, skiing**, snowshoeing, or just getting closer to some of the beautiful scenery that surrounds us. Fellow transit types, I have good news. I have just been introduced to my new favorite Web site (OK, so it’s not my all-time favorite, but I’m prone to hyperbole), Hike Metro. As the name implies, it provides a comprehensive guide to hikes in Western Washington that you can reach by bus.
An excerpt from the introduction:
Despite the limitations of the current transit system, it’s quite possible to use public transit right now to get to the outdoors. This guide shows you how to make use of King County’s extensive bus system, as well as other transit options, to get out and enjoy many hikes without a car. And these hikes aren’t necessarily all just strolls in the park, although some walks through city parks in Bellevue and Seattle are included. Full day outings are emphasized in this guidebook, and quite a few of the hikes are strenuous. Some multi-day backpack trips are included as well. These trips are real wilderness adventures, and proper wilderness skills and equipment are needed to accomplish them enjoyably.
This is a great resource. It includes lots of day hikes (some right in the city), and even multi-day excursions for those brave enough to bring their gear. Our little bus family will definitely try one of the day hikes this summer. The longer ones will have to wait until Chicklet can carry her own pack.
* Though Bus Nerd and I have always rented a car for our annual pilgrimage to Tahoma, we have managed several car-free out-of-town excursions (Mount Vernon, Friday Harbor, and a fall foliage tour of the Cascades, to name a few).
** I posted a few resources for bus-based skiers back in December of 2006.
A mile (and more) in a bus chick’s shoes, part II
I have many, many pairs of shoes. This is not because I buy a lot of shoes. (In fact, I can’t remember the last time I shopped for footwear.) It is because my mother, the most stylish woman I have ever known, bought a lot of shoes, and when she tired of them, she handed them down to me. Many of these shoes I have given away, but some are too beautiful to part with. I wear them a couple of times a year, on special occasions, but most of the time, they sit in my closet, passed up in favor of my old standbys: heeled boots. The boots are professional, presentable, comfortable, and weather resistant. I have a black pair and a brown pair, and they work well with almost anything I decide to wear: jeans, slacks, even a skirt. What more could a bus chick ask for?
Every once in a while, though, on a regular, walking-intensive day, I have a hankerin’ to wear something a little more fun. You dig?
Enter Miranda.
My fellow TAC member, Miranda L., is young, professional, fashion-conscious, and a total bus chick. Last night, on the elevator ride to our monthly meeting, I noticed her shoes: cute, red, heeled Mary Janes–the kind of shoes I regret wearing after about 15 minutes of pavement time. According to Miranda, who’s certainly done her share of pavement time, these Mary Janes are actually comfortable.
Fellow bus chicks, behold:
Miranda, still smiling after a long day of walking
The Mary Janes, close up
I ain’t one to hawk products, but for those who want to know: They’re Aerosoles.
All she needs now is a pair of rubber taps…
And speaking of bus rapid transit…
Check out this Streetfilms video about Bogota’s TransMilenio BRT system (thanks, Clarence!), narrated by the editor of New York’s Streetsblog, Aaron Naparstek.
I realize that transit geeks and city planners have been singing TransMilenio’s praises for some time now, but I feel compelled to jump on. I love this system. Some highlights:
• Integration: The city operates free feeder buses to take riders from their neighborhoods to the bus stations. Or, riders that would prefer to bike to the stations can travel on the Bogota’s extensive system of bike paths and park their bikes at the station.
• Streamlined boarding: Riders buy tickets at the station instead of on the bus. Also, the bus floor is level with the station platform, which makes it easy for riders with wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, or shopping carts to board.
• Technology: TransMilenio manages the buses from a pretty advanced control room. It allows them to track individual buses, communicate with drivers, and know immediately when buses are crowded or “bunching” (48 style).
From TransMilenio’s Web site:
TransMilenio is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, designed and implemented according to the following principles:
• By guaranteeing the rendering of urban passenger-transportation services abiding by the highest international standards throughout the entire System, with pre-established timetables in a 365-day basis.
• By making it accessible to low-income users, while at the same time profitable for private operators and fundable by the state.
• By reducing accident rates and decreasing the presence of contamination particle in the city air.
• Respect for the user’s time: By shortening ordinary traveling times by 32%.
• Respect for human diversity: By allowing fair access to all citizens, regardless of their physical, social, economic, gender, and age conditions.
What’s not to love?