I’m re-publishing my comment here, that I recently posted on this hyperbolic piece about “Seattle sacrifices two lanes for…” which I’m unsure if they’ll post. It “seems polite” to me but doesn’t tow the line of thinking that the KIRO Radio comments usually tow.

“First off, totally inaccurate way to actually frame the situation. Two lanes aren’t disappearing. It’s not like they’re going to put housing or plant trees in two lanes and lot allow movement there.

Instead they’re using those lanes for things like streetcars, buses, and related vehicles that can actually move a LOT of Seattleites vs. a very few Seattleites. The project, the 170 mil isn’t exactly for the “streetcar” either if one looks at the actual cost breakouts. Most of it is actually for redesigning the street so it is more effectively used to move actual people, vs. have people move a few cars.

First, getting the details on modal options load capacity: https://www.thoughtco.com/passenger-capacity-of-transit-2798765

The streetcar would operate in this corridor most comparably like BRT or light rail. Easily reaching a load throughput capacity of 2000+ per hour. Being it will be mostly grade separated it could easily be used to achieve a capacity far in excess of 2000+ per hour and more around 3000-4000 and still be at half of peak capacity.

Meanwhile the throughput of the current lanes, even if configured with zero lights, zero parking, and zero stops couldn’t exceed 1200 per lane. At their current configuration it is unlikely they exceed even 600-800 per hour per lane. To note, there will still be a full lane that will be dedicated to single occupant motor vehicles like cars, which will still allow for closer to the theoretical range of 1200 per hour. With the two lane configuration as is, it’s unlikely it even reaches 1200 per hour with both lanes in use and limited to single occupant motor vehicles.

The new configuration will easily allow for about 800-1200 vehicles per hour (and possibly the respective ~1200 or so persons that will come along with those cars), with one lane, and also allow for 2000-4000 per hour with the streetcar and 2nd lane usage, street safety improvements, and related changes.

In the end, Seattle wins. Seattle gets higher throughput for the most people (much of Pike Place Market shoppers – to use as an example – are from ships; ferries, cruise ships, transit, and walking from areas within the city anyway, and few and fewer arrive by car while the number of total shoppers increases). Seattle will get more shoppers at Pike Place. Seattleites can enjoy a connection from the South Lake Union technology hub to the southern technology hub of companies in Pioneer Square. International District will now be connected to the central business district with a seamless ride, and the housing (30k+ persons) will be connected in Pioneer Square & Waterfront to Capital Hill & First Hill (Another 30k+).

With the numbers currently, that means about ~1500 people *might be* inconvenienced slightly – many of whom may not even be Seattleites, while over 60k Seattleites have a more convenient method of traveling throughout the downtown core of the city.

Also, to add. Even if this were BRT or some bus variant, to increase actual throughput (because buses and streetcars used to ply this street before) the street would need to be reconfigured to how it operated before, plus changes related to appropriate diversion and safety, would still require a huge lump some of cash near the streetcar cost. But it would come without the added benefit of pulling people to it, and thus to explore additional areas of the city, like a streetcar will. Over time the operational costs are also minimalistically different than buses using and providing the same throughput, without providing the same advantages.

I now digress, learn about it or ignore it and keep playing the oblivious hand… it’ll get built. Take advantage of it or keep complaining. The complainers won’t get any advantage out of the situation. In other news, I’ll see ya’ll out and about if you’re actually in the city. Cheers!”

I recently read x-council member’s public letter to the Seattle City Council about defunding the Central City Connector. My response is as follows. I hope you too will write and tell the council to NOT defund this connector. With this project completed the streetcar finally becomes a fully viable connector between disparate and often hard to travel to points within the city of Seattle. More information besides my letter below can be found here.

My letter:

Dear Seattle City Council,

I’m writing after hearing about and reading the alarming news about the possibility of the central city connector (streetcar extension to connect the two disparate lines) being defunded. As someone who just invested in becoming a full time and permanent Seattleite I do NOT want this defunded. This can and will be a frequent transportation connection that I used between Pioneer Square, South Lake Union, and Central City. Something that I and many other I work with in the startup community would use daily to connect with businesses in each of these areas.

I currently live in Ballard, and will be here for many years. I bike into the city everyday (I don’t pose more cost to our overburdened road network, it’s 17th street bike boulevard and then 15th street trail through the rail yards and into the city). With this being built it provides an easy, car-free way to deal with traveling between Amazon, Pike Place Market, Russell Investments Building, Pioneer Square, and even in some cases up to Capitol Hill. These are all places I do extensive business, and yes, there is *some* bus service, but this provides effective service through the area that is more convenient, more business friendly, and will work for our constituents where as current bus service does NOT work. Matter of fact, out of town visitors generally won’t use the bus service for a number of reasons.

So I ask you to please consider funding the central city connector fully and building this high quality piece of infrastructure that the city – and residents, new and old, will be able to make use of throughout the city.

I’m planning a new transit trip, as I want to see what it’s like to take the Sounder from Seattle to Lakewood, and then back again. In the coming days, maybe as early as next week I’m going to ride this schedule and see how it works out.

1. King County Metro Bus 15X departing from Ballard @ 7:00am from NW 70th & 15th to Seattle King Street Station.  ($2.50)
2. Sound Transit Sounder Train #1505 departing from Seattle King Street Station @ 7:55am to Lakewood Station. ($6.00)
3. Sound Transit Sounder Train #1518 departing from Lakewood @ 10:16am to Seattle King Street Station. ($6.00)
4. Get to work, enjoy Seattle.

…in 2035 LOL if that’ll even be useful for me or we even stave off mass destruction but HEY… let’s talk about this.

Light rail is coming to Ballard in 2035, so says Sound Transit. I read about it here, which you should too if you have any vested interest in Seattle, Ballard, or for that matter West Seattle! The build out, at least this initial idea, looks great. Here’s a simple little map of the plan (from the post I linked). Overall I’m super stoked for it to be done!

Which brings up another point, get registered and GO VOTE THIS UPCOMING ELECTION SEATTLE! You candidates are Cary Moon and Jenny Durkan. I’m going for Cary Moon, as she seems to have the most legit interest in this and the city. She’s also the only one of the two that wants to put forth a bond to push the scheduled start date for construction up by a gazillion decades. This would be huge, and would help and benefit us currently alive and breathing souls in a huge way.

The major points I see right off, which would add thousands and thousands of new LINK riders per day, would be South Lake Union to Westlake and Midtown. That connection alone would likely add more than most of the other connections, which will be great for overall ridership number. Throw that in with the added mobility to Alaska Junction, Ballard, and the respective commuter contingent that would happily opt for LINK over the Red Line Faux BRT routes! Anyway, I’m looking forward to it.

The other aside, as I ponder being 60 years old or some other older age when these routes are finished, is the increased bike-ability of the metro area. Right now, if I want to go anywhere outside of my current commute (Ballard to downtown Seattle) then things get treacherous really quick. Getting U-District and locations off of the Burke Gilman Trail are pretty easy, and very nice trips, but elsewhere; SODO, Alaska Junction, West Seattle anywhere, White Center, and elsewhere are a serious pain. They’re often fraught with dangerous intersections and areas where motorists are very unlikely to be paying attention or behaving and operating safely. This connections resolve and huge number of those points.

But I digress, not a lot to really say about it all until design and related efforts begin. I will be getting involved in those efforts, and hope to see more of my fellow Seattleites there. In the meantime, happy transiting.