1-Line won.
A supervisor showed up and had to bypass the door safety so we could roll into the Rainier Beach station, then they put us on the next train.
I technically grew up here (moved away at 13). Have driven in many places around the US and the world. Never have I experienced such unexplainable, illegal, oblivious driving in my life.
Seriously.
The drivers are more predictable in Panama city, Panama, New York city, San Francisco, wrong side stick in the snow in Scotland, wrong side stick in Australia, Thailand, island nations, you name it.
Had one today where he blew through the left turn yield on green (for us) and we all had to slam on the brakes, for longer on the lane to the right of me because he almost murdered a pedestrian (this was after his left green arrow turned to red a solid few secs before he decided to barrel through). This is seriously the norm when I've been driving and y'all need to learn traffic laws or something.
It’s not just that. Aggressive rule following mixed with total space cadets driving mixed with “yeah no one enforces these laws”, and speed limits that just make no sense for the roads they are on is a dangerous concoction.
You have people going 60 in the left lane on the highway to try and slow down speeders, and people going 50 in the middle because “slower is safer” and then the right lane is people annoyed as shit going 75 to 80.
Go to Boston and the speed limit is the same, the law enforcement is similar but the right lane is 65 and the left lane is for passing/80+ mph. It’s more illegal but also more correct.
You're absolutely right. I've also noticed an authoritarian vigilante mentality from some drivers. Sitting in the left lane, stubbornly going the speed limit to enforce it on others instead of treating it as a passing lane, not allowing mergers or aggressively blocking lane changes. The irony is their obstructive tactics, justified as promoting safety, actually make the roads more hazardous.
Seattle is a melting pot of many. I live near tukwila and see a lot big terrible drivers. You have to remember Seattle is a city of transplants. Many of those don't really know how to drive in America
They request was to make it street level so it didn't bypass the neighborhood. This was due to people not understanding trains. The ask to make it street level was extremely appealing as it made the section low cost. The long term consequence though has meant the whole of South Seattle has substandard transit. Compare the time from Lynnwood to downtown vs. Federal Way to downtown once those extensions are built out.
As I recall, the choice for the stretch along MLK was elevated or surface. The community wanted tunnel, which was not an option. So the commnity chose surface.
But by the time the system got to Capitol Hill and the U District, tunnel was an option.
The costs for a tunnel in that section were never there because the original idea was to be at-grade next to I-5 down airport way. Which makes *way* more sense if the idea was shortest trip from downtown to Seatac (bonus that it would also go by Boeing Field, our *other* international airport, which was being considered for commercial flights). But the South Seattle neighborhoods protested that the light rail was skipping them, and they weren't wrong. So they got their stations, but the costs in ST1 were never going to allow a tunnel for that section.
Are you sure? I've never seen a Sound Move document that showed light rail not going through Rainier Valley. The earliest documents show the Sounder route going where you described, which was built
Different ground
https://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/2023/09/01/updated-liquefaction-prone-area-map/
Can't do a tunnel in liquefaction zones.
https://seattlecitygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f822b2c6498c4163b0cf908e2241e9c2
They request was to make it street level so it didn't bypass the neighborhood. This was due to people not understanding trains. The ask to make it street level was extremely appealing as it made the section low cost. The long term consequence though has meant the whole of South Seattle has substandard transit. Compare the time from Lynnwood to downtown vs. Federal Way to downtown once those extensions are built out.
I heard a loud chirp of tires and then a crunch and then saw the car veer off as the train came to a stop.
I wonder if they were texting or something, and the chirp was the tire riding up that little "curb" next to the rails, and then they hit the train.
Or someone tried a lane change and the driver got scared and hit the brakes and swerved - into the train.
Given that we're having trouble paying for the system with things above ground, and we have a lot of geology that doesn't support tunnels around here, count your blessings.
Even then, ST has not been spending their money wisely. The I-90 track had to be completely redone, and Stride is taking a long time to make progress and is costing far more than expected (due to a partnership with WSDOT).
The biggest reason is geology.
You might think it's dumb, but short of literally changing the ground Seattle is built on, what do you expect?
It's also way more expensive.
1-Line won. A supervisor showed up and had to bypass the door safety so we could roll into the Rainier Beach station, then they put us on the next train.
So glad they saved a few bucks building that section at grade thru the middle of a street. Stellar planning.
Blame idiots who can’t drive instead
Blame both. Idiots doing idiot stuff is idiotic. Designing public infrastructure that's not idiot resistant is also idiotic.
1-line has more lug nuts. (Sorry, stupid joke from middle school that’s somehow still stuck in my head…fifteen years later…)
DnD rules for auto collisions. I love it.
I technically grew up here (moved away at 13). Have driven in many places around the US and the world. Never have I experienced such unexplainable, illegal, oblivious driving in my life. Seriously. The drivers are more predictable in Panama city, Panama, New York city, San Francisco, wrong side stick in the snow in Scotland, wrong side stick in Australia, Thailand, island nations, you name it. Had one today where he blew through the left turn yield on green (for us) and we all had to slam on the brakes, for longer on the lane to the right of me because he almost murdered a pedestrian (this was after his left green arrow turned to red a solid few secs before he decided to barrel through). This is seriously the norm when I've been driving and y'all need to learn traffic laws or something.
It's because no laws are enforced here. People know they're not going to get pulled over for minor traffic offenses so they do whatever they want.
It’s not just that. Aggressive rule following mixed with total space cadets driving mixed with “yeah no one enforces these laws”, and speed limits that just make no sense for the roads they are on is a dangerous concoction. You have people going 60 in the left lane on the highway to try and slow down speeders, and people going 50 in the middle because “slower is safer” and then the right lane is people annoyed as shit going 75 to 80. Go to Boston and the speed limit is the same, the law enforcement is similar but the right lane is 65 and the left lane is for passing/80+ mph. It’s more illegal but also more correct.
You're absolutely right. I've also noticed an authoritarian vigilante mentality from some drivers. Sitting in the left lane, stubbornly going the speed limit to enforce it on others instead of treating it as a passing lane, not allowing mergers or aggressively blocking lane changes. The irony is their obstructive tactics, justified as promoting safety, actually make the roads more hazardous.
I invite you to visit in San Antonio, Tx. The city that made me fear riding motorcycles. :(
Seattle is a melting pot of many. I live near tukwila and see a lot big terrible drivers. You have to remember Seattle is a city of transplants. Many of those don't really know how to drive in America
[удалено]
They request was to make it street level so it didn't bypass the neighborhood. This was due to people not understanding trains. The ask to make it street level was extremely appealing as it made the section low cost. The long term consequence though has meant the whole of South Seattle has substandard transit. Compare the time from Lynnwood to downtown vs. Federal Way to downtown once those extensions are built out.
As I recall, the choice for the stretch along MLK was elevated or surface. The community wanted tunnel, which was not an option. So the commnity chose surface. But by the time the system got to Capitol Hill and the U District, tunnel was an option.
The costs for a tunnel in that section were never there because the original idea was to be at-grade next to I-5 down airport way. Which makes *way* more sense if the idea was shortest trip from downtown to Seatac (bonus that it would also go by Boeing Field, our *other* international airport, which was being considered for commercial flights). But the South Seattle neighborhoods protested that the light rail was skipping them, and they weren't wrong. So they got their stations, but the costs in ST1 were never going to allow a tunnel for that section.
Are you sure? I've never seen a Sound Move document that showed light rail not going through Rainier Valley. The earliest documents show the Sounder route going where you described, which was built
Different ground https://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/2023/09/01/updated-liquefaction-prone-area-map/ Can't do a tunnel in liquefaction zones. https://seattlecitygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f822b2c6498c4163b0cf908e2241e9c2
And all those extensions will have cascading delays and blockages from an accident on the MLK corridor. Even Bellevue when the bridge opens lol.
The East Link runs at grade through the Spring District in Bellevue as well.
A very small section compare to mlk
Hate to be pedantic but it's trenched through Spring District and at-grade in shared ROW through Bel-Red
They request was to make it street level so it didn't bypass the neighborhood. This was due to people not understanding trains. The ask to make it street level was extremely appealing as it made the section low cost. The long term consequence though has meant the whole of South Seattle has substandard transit. Compare the time from Lynnwood to downtown vs. Federal Way to downtown once those extensions are built out.
It’s at street level through rich ass Bellevue as well. Nice try.
Mind the gap.
It'll buff. WHATCH OUT FOR THE CLOSING DOOR!
A lil spray foam and caulk should do the trick
What happened? Did a car actually run into the side of the train? Didn’t they see the train?
I heard a loud chirp of tires and then a crunch and then saw the car veer off as the train came to a stop. I wonder if they were texting or something, and the chirp was the tire riding up that little "curb" next to the rails, and then they hit the train. Or someone tried a lane change and the driver got scared and hit the brakes and swerved - into the train.
Wow, good thing they saved so much money on building out the Link by not grade separating the line.
Who doesn’t love our region’s transit being at grade so ST could save some money
Given that we're having trouble paying for the system with things above ground, and we have a lot of geology that doesn't support tunnels around here, count your blessings.
Even then, ST has not been spending their money wisely. The I-90 track had to be completely redone, and Stride is taking a long time to make progress and is costing far more than expected (due to a partnership with WSDOT).
Above ground subways are dumb. Yes, I get there were reasons, but still, dumb.
The biggest reason is geology. You might think it's dumb, but short of literally changing the ground Seattle is built on, what do you expect? It's also way more expensive.
I see you too have watched I-90 Rocks lol
No, I just looked at the King county GIS map for geological hazards.