LR Opening Day Dispatch #6: Will & Zane’s Big Adventure (VIDEO)

Ok, so I went to the soccer game today and as much as i promised not to ride light rail, I found there was free parking at the Diamond parking lot at Mt. Baker. Nobody was on the train at 11am and it was awesome!!! However, it will be the first and the last time I ride the train. After the sounders game they said the return time was between one hour and two hours. Not worth it. I jumped a cab and came home in 10 minutes for $15.00 for 3 of us – close to the same price as light rail. On the way down it was clear the majority of the riders were soccer fans.

Until park and rides are available, this system is a failure. Thanks for nothin Mayor Nickels.

OH, DON’T FORGET TO VOTE FOR MALLAHAN.

Tom A.

Tom,

The wait after the game was about 15min…they were saying 1hr max just to be safe (and we left the stadium about 30min after the final whistle)…your attitude about never taking the rail again is ridiculous.

Bizarre.

I can’t believe we’re still having this discussion about surface versus tunnel.

If they had put the thing in a tunnel, everyone would be howling about security. As it is, I remember some nutcase woman at a community meeting up on Beacon Hill who wanted the ST rep to “personally guarantee her safety” when standing on the platform of the Beacon Hill Station at 2:00am (never mind that the system doesn’t run that late. Divas can’t be bothered with details)

If they’d elevated it, people would be screaming about their views, just like that couple on Beacon Hill that had the spaz when City Light replaced some existing power lines and “ruined” their view.

The idea that ST should invest in suburban style parking lots in some of the most expensive land on the west coast is absurd. A bus to train transfer is something most people in the urban centers are able to accomplish without histrionics – I suppose as downtown parking gets more expensive, and the generation of entitled drivers finally retires, it will happen here as well.

Finally, where in the valley would the route have been better? Would it be the preferred option to demolish half of Columbia City to run the light rail there? How would they accomplish the grade inclines necessary to make that work?

“Nobody was on the train at 11am and it was awesome!!! ………..On the way down it was clear the majority of the riders were soccer fans. ”

So what was it? An awesomely empty train, or a train full of people, who were only there for the soccer?

“Thanks for nothin Mayor Nickels.”

Sound Transit is not a city agency. Nor was Nickels mayor when the voters approved the system. Although, granted, you wouldn’t know that for all the glad-handing hizzoner is doing over this thing.

Tom:

Does it make sense to pay $30+ for a taxi ride to the airport when I can go via Link for “free” (via a transit pass) or a max of $2.50?

Does it make sense to take a taxi (or even a bus) and possibly get stuck in traffic and miss my flight (which has happened to me in the past) when I can dodge traffic by taking Link?

Good thing you weren’t heading to the airport.

@ Stinky/Ratzby – it does if the person is being reimbursed by a company for company travel and/or if the person puts a higher value on saving time in their life than they do on money and wasted time.

Tom A.

Yeah, its H1 N1 H2
H e’s
N ot
H ooched
again is he?

Sorry, Ratz. You know I luv ya but seriously, this game of ‘whack a rat’ is getting annoying. I mean, I’ve had my drunken bad blogger nights too. Anyone remember, ‘Ode to Jon Bon Jovi’? But this is like an every Friday night thing!?! I can set my DVR to it!