Link opening: a recap (or, Bus Chick rides the train)

I haven’t been posting moment-to-moment updates on the light rail opening–in part because STB has you more than covered in this area, and in part because my life has (yet again) been getting in the way of my blog. (More on that in a future post.) If I’m honest, I’ll also admit to some residual negative emotions related to the way the line was implemented in the Rainier Valley, which, though they have not prevented me from vocally advocating for light rail in Seattle–and for this particular line–have tempered my giddiness somewhat. I digress.

So far, I’ve ridden Link twice: once, on a Friday afternoon preview ride* from Westlake Station all the way to the end of the line in Tukwila, and once (actually, more than once) up and down the in-city part of the route on opening day. Folks, I was excited to ride the train–so excited that I sat through an hour and a half of self-congratulatory speeches just so I could participate in the preview ride Friday–but I could not possibly have anticipated how amazing it would feel to actually ride it. It was so ridiculously cool to zoom through my beloved city on a train (a train!) and imagine what it will be like when future lines are built. My daughter, who, at 20 months, has already decided that Seattle is not a train town (Bus Chick: “We’re going to ride the train today.” Chicklet: “In Vancouver!”), will have to be disabused of that notion.

The preview ride was nice. I was able to experience the line from beginning to end: the tunnels, the views, and all of the stations. (Pictures to come later this evening.) Riding on Saturday will go down as one of the highlights of my life. Zipping from one station to another–stopping to get a bite or play at a park or cool off at a library–without ever once checking a schedule was absolutely liberating. If it hadn’t been for Chicklet, Nerd and I would have ridden all day.

The trains were cool (which reminds me: it’s about time to chat about buses and AC), comfortable (even standing is better on Link), and clean (which doesn’t mean much when a system is brand, spanking new, but still). A very nice voice** and LCD sign kept me apprised of where I was, so I could concentrate on managing Chicklet, calming down Bus Nerd (as you can imagine, he gets a bit excited about trains), and keeping my eyes peeled for an open seat.

Now that I’m finished gushing (see? my giddiness hasn’t been tempered that much), I’ll move on to the stuff that’s less than ideal:

• I’ve heard all the reasons why the section that runs through the Rainier Valley is surface, and I still don’t like it. Four lanes of traffic plus a train makes MLK way too wide, and crossing that street is nothing short of an ordeal. If you’re lucky, you’ll make it across before the light changes. If not, you’ll be stuck waiting again (sans barrier), right next to the tracks. If the goal of all the street improvements that accompanied the track was to make Rainier Valley’s neighborhoods walkable, it hasn’t been achieved.
• The Columbia City stop is a really long walk from the main business district.
• There is no stop at Southcenter.*** This would make the line about a bazillion times more useful, for folks who need to get to jobs and for car-free types like me who need to get to a mall from time to time. I don’t know the details, but my understanding is that this was blocked by the City of Tukwila. I cannot imagine why.
• I’m still not sure about how the payment stuff works. I get that I can use an Orca e-purse or pass. What I don’t understand is how much I’ll pay if I transfer from Metro to Link or vice versa.

Final verdict: Except for the occasional airport run or sporting event, I won’t be using light rail much. It doesn’t come to my neighborhood, and when I go to Columbia City or Rainier Beach, it’s a lot easier for me to catch the 48 right in front of my house than it is for me to go downtown and get on a train. This is unfortunate, since my little two-day taste has me dreaming of daily rides.

What’s more important than my direct benefit, though, is Link’s long-term impact on our region, which I truly believe will be phenomenal. I am so grateful that we’re finally on our way.

***

*The preview ride was for VIPs. I was included as a member of the press. (Thankfully, ST defines the term quite loosely.)
**I was a little jarred, though, when I heard the exit instructions. The voice says, “Exit to my left/right.” Is the idea for us to believe that the train is talking to us?
***Yes, I am aware that this issue (and the one about surface rail in the Valley) has been covered ad nauseam, but hey. The way I see it, there’s a reason for this.

And for my Detroit transit types…

The Rosa Parks Transit Center opens Tuesday!

From The Detroit Free Press:

Inside, two levels open to the public offer restrooms, a cashier station for bus fares, and information and security booths. … Users will find seating inside as well as four areas the city said will house retail outlets, possibly restaurant, café or newsstand-type stores [.
Outside, under the whimsical, glass-coated fiber canopies, riders may sit on benches and check electronic signs announcing arrival times for buses based on real-time GPS coordinates.

[…]

“There aren’t a lot of facilities like this, particularly for buses,” Advani said during a media tour of the center this morning. … “The aim, he said, was an iconic facility that provides “a comfortable, respectful and safe environment” for transit users.

Leave aside for a moment my obsession with Mrs. Parks. The restrooms alone make this transit center worth visiting. (Hey, I’m getting tired of memorizing coffee-shop access codes.) Those of you who make it to the big party (my Gail–ahem!): I’m counting on you to report back.

Upcoming events for transit types

Link light rail opening day

What: Free train rides to celebrate the opening of light rail in Seattle (!!!)
When: July 18, 2009 (Rides start at 10 AM)
Where: All stations (Ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:20 at Mount Baker Station)
How much? Free!

Seattle Summer Streets (formerly known as Carfree Sundays) July events

What: Car-free, locally organized street festivals
“Walk. Bike. Shop. Play. Breathe. City streets are being opened for people to have fun, celebrate the spirit and personality of their community and support local businesses.”

Event: U-District Chamber’s Summer Streets Party
Date: Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: University Way Northeast between Northeast 50th and Northeast 45th streets.

Event: Pike Place Market’s Fresh Fruit Festival and Summer Streets Party
Date: Sunday, July 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Pike Street/First Avenue to Virginia

How much? Free!

Seattle Century bike ride*

What: A 100- (or, if you choose, 50-) mile scenic bike ride through our lovely Puget Sound region.
“The fully supported and catered routes offer beautiful views of the communities surrounding Seattle, tasty food along the way, rest stops every 15 miles and a finish line gourmet dinner with free beer and live music in the gardens at Magnuson Park.”
Yes, please.
Where: Check map for start locations.
How much? Registration costs vary ($60-$80 for adults), but proceeds benefit Seattle Bike Works.

*OK, so this isn’t technically for transit types, but since lots of bus riders are bike/bus types, I figured I’d include it. Plus, it’s the kind of ride that even a non-cycling, terrified-of-riding-in-traffic walk/bus type like yours truly could probably manage. (Of course, I’ll manage pretty much anything that involves delicious food, but hey.)

Bus art is cool

Kathleen McElwaine from the Texas Hill Country has taken her bus pastime to a whole ‘nother level. Every day, on the hour-long bus commute to her job at the University of Texas, she paints–real paintings, folks–from her seat near the window. Here’s a sample of her work:

A bus painting
“Just a Geranium,” by Kathleen McElwaine

The majority of Kathleen’s bus ride is on the highway, so she doesn’t have to deal with the jostling of a city bus. (I’d like to see someone try this on the 48.) She’s also managed to create a bus-friendly set-up (lap easel, paint pallet, et cetera) for her rides. Check out this Youtube video of Kathleen in action.

I paint going and draw with the marker coming home. I often paint as many as 5 paintings going in the morning, most often when the morning sky is a great inspiration. As I finish the watercolor stage I put the painting in a watercolor book to get it out of the way; our bus is crowded and I want to be a plus in everybodys life. I then paint another and another until I must stop. Then in the afternoon all I get out of my back-pack is the watercolor book and my prismacolor marker – it seems to work well this way because I’m tired at the end of the day.

A fabulous artist and a good bus citizen? Definitely my kind of bus chick.

Kathleen also sells her bus paintings–both originals and note cards–online. Talk about taking advantage of travel time!

NOT my kind of transit advertising (or, Buh-bye, WaMu)

Really, Chase?

A Chase ad on a 53

This ad is wrong on so many levels, I don’t know where to start. (Fellow Seattleites: You feel me?) If it weren’t for Brown Bear’s awful, self-congratulatory campaign*, this would win the award for worst bus ad ever.

*Of course, I can’t seem to find a picture of it now (will link to one soon), but you know the one: “Favorite car wash of local salmon.”

Car talk

There is no better place to hear involved discussions about America’s dominant mode of transportation (other than a NASCAR race or a singles’ bar, that is) than the bus. Bus riders love to talk cars. They talk about car problems: squeaky breaks and worn-out clutches and dragging mufflers; cars previously owned and then lost or sold; cars that will be purchased when there’s enough money; cars that idle next to the bus at lights–especially those that aren’t being properly driven or maintained.

Mostly, though, they talk about cars that are waiting–in parking lots and parents’ garages and mechanics’ shops and impound lots, just until the end of the week, or month, or year–to be driven again. (They would be driven now, except that the paycheck doesn’t come until Friday, or the ex-wife needs it until she starts her vacation, or the license is suspended until January.) These cars have butter seats and whitewall tires, V8 engines and big wheels. They are mint-condition, powder-blue 60-something Impalas (which, by the way, can turn the head of even the most committed bus chick–or at least, this committed bus chick) and black-on-black 500 Benzes. They are Corvettes and Caddies and Beamers and Lincolns.

They are never, ever Toyota Solaras.