bus future

Seattle-tonians flock to mass transit because it doesn’t suck.

14 thoughts on “Seattle-tonians flock to mass transit because it doesn’t suck.

  1. When buses get priority, riders prioritize the bus

    On Third Avenue, where Adelita Ortiz’s routes usually begin, her only traffic obstacle is a stream of other buses traveling down the road. The street blocks off cars and becomes a transit-only corridor during the morning and afternoon rush hours (private vehicles are supposed to turn off after a block on the street). Third Avenue is one of a few transit malls in the United States that restrict private automobile use. Only the Portland Transit Mall or Boston’s Silver Line bus tunnels come close to dedicating as much space to public transit as Seattle’s arterial rush hour north-south escapeway.

    Ortiz says that not only helps buses to move faster, but it allows drivers to execute a technique called “the weave”—where the buses take turns picking up passengers on the side of the road. Since the buses pick people up at only some stations, they stagger when to yield the right of way, while other buses behind pull over to pick up more people. Without cars in the way, it’s easier for buses to trade off pick-ups.

  2. Or, as a story that appeared in The Stranger (Seattle's alt-weekly, pretty good pub) said once:

    "So, Mr SUV driver, you thought you could masturbate in your vehicle and it would be invisible? Not to those of us on the bus!"

    Yes, I am a thirteen year old at heart–why do you ask?

  3. I sometimes use the buses here in St. Louis, mainly if my car is in the shop, or sometimes to sportsball/sportspuck games. Most people would never consider it, some probably think that I'm the wrong color.

    1. One secret to getting popular support for mass transit is to build a line to the airport. I lived in STL when that happened and it was, to everyone's surprise as I recall, a great success.

  4. The chain of suburbia is the car. I can't tell you how expensive owning, maintaining and gassing cars are. And we do try to minimize our consumption, but it's hard.

  5. Preach. I have a 3/4 ton truck, my Shelby, and a Harley. I wish I didn't feel attached to, or a need for, any of them. Just registration and insurance is a few grand a year. Fuel taxes in CA just went up by 30 cents a gallon on diesel, and 20 cents on gas. I don't drive much more than necessary anymore.

  6. The solution is that we have to start laying out cities not for ourselves (the Olds who won't go anywhere there isn't free parking for our Buick Enclaves) but rather for the millenials and their successors. They'll bitterly resent the loss of freedom having cars gave us, but they'll just have to comb out their beards, tuck their acid-washed jeans into their engineer boots, and suck it up.

  7. Is it ever not rush hour anymore, though? Whenever I visit relatives in the East Bay, it seems pretty crazy any time of day. 405 in LA might be worse, but we're splitting hairs here.

  8. I was like that, too. After I don't know how many million miles driving 18 wheelers, I think I've jammed enough gears for one lifetime. Plus my left foot being about as flexible as a 2X4 now, I'm over it.

  9. Y'know I don't hang with any youngs, but from what I hear, they're OK with the idea of not driving or owning a car. Those driverless Übers probably have a bright future.

  10. San Diego County has to meet certain climate standards (as I think all CA counties do, maybe under AB 32?), and the way to get there of course is to stop widening I-5 and start encouraging mass transit and alternative energy sources. But the roadheads are arguing that electric cars will solve all the problems, so let's do more pavement!

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