How Seattle has invested heavily in alternatives to driving alone to work
, Seattle residents had few ways to get around: cars, buses, a few electric trolleys, and ferries across the Puget Sound. Amtrak and the 1962 World’s Fair monorail — a 1-mile ride between downtown and the Space Needle — were the only trains in town.
In 12 minutes, cyclists can ride all the way through the city’s downtown without fear. Riders whiz past glassy new buildings, construction cranes, classic theaters and the Seattle Art Museum along Second Avenue’s two-way protected bike lane. Rows of parked cars and plastic posts separate bikes from car traffic. Bike stoplights at rider's-eye level show green for go as red left-turn lights keep cars at bay.
“It’s a huge transition from how the region operated—get in a car—to an entire region where transit is a viable choice,” says Dow Constantine, executive of King County, which includes Seattle, and former chair of the Sound Transit board. “In less than a decade, people’s whole perspective has changed.”featured a transportation-planner protagonist whose dream transit system, the Supertrain, is nixed by the mayor. At that point, Seattleites had been proposing and rejecting rail systems since 1968.
Sound Transit has already bored a tunnel for the next extension and is building tracks and three stations in North Seattle that are set to open in 2021. Top: King County Executive Dow Constantine stands next to a SoundTransit train at Seattle’s Union Station. Bottom: Jon Scholes, head of the Downtown Seattle Association, in front of a colorful mural at his office. | Mark Peterson/Redux Pictures for Politico Magazine
Despite their superambitious light-rail plans, Seattle residents don’t see their city as a train-and-bike utopia. They say they’re still decades behind other cities, scrambling to catch up their transportation network to the city’s job growth. “Employees don’t want to be stuck in their cars for hours on end each day,” says Scholes. “They want some certainty of getting to work on time. And they value the ease of having that ORCA pass in their wallet.”
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
ECB has given Carige 'about a month' to find a market solution: sourceThe European Central Bank has given troubled Italian lender Carige 'about a...
Weiterlesen »
Distracted Driving Will Grow Exponentially On The Path To Self-Driving CarsDistracted driving is a terrible scourge and unfortunately likely to get even worse with the emergence of Level 3 semi-autonomous cars while on the path to the Level 5 truly self-driving driverless autonomous car.
Weiterlesen »
Distracted Driving Will Grow Exponentially On The Path To Self-Driving CarsDistracted driving is a terrible scourge and unfortunately likely to get even worse with the emergence of Level 3 semi-autonomous cars while on the path to the Level 5 truly self-driving driverless autonomous car.
Weiterlesen »
Housing crisis has Seattle weighing end of single-family zoningCan the city solve its housing crisis by doing away with single-family zoning?
Weiterlesen »
Operating rooms test positive for mold at Seattle Children's HospitalSeveral operating rooms have been shut down in a Washington children's hospital because of mold.
Weiterlesen »
'Hippie' island off Seattle sees shift in low vaccine rateVASHON ISLAND, Wash. (AP) — Sarah Day is a school nurse with "street cred" when it comes to the polarizing issue of vaccines on an idyllic island in Washington state known for its rural beauty, counterculture lifestyle and low immunization rates.
Weiterlesen »
Maria Sharapova came to the US with $700—here's what she learned from having to work 'for every single dollar'.MariaSharapova makes millions now, but she came to the US with only $700. Here's what working for every single dollar has taught her about business and money. via CNBCMakeIt
Weiterlesen »
Opinion | Why Justin Amash stands aloneOpinion: Why Justin Amash stands alone
Weiterlesen »
The Upskilling Imperative: Why Accomplishments Alone Won't Earn You A PromotionGetting promotion-ready doesn’t just mean checking off boxes of past accomplishments. You want to be successful in that next role, too. Be purposeful and committed to developing your skill set, especially your human skills, so this promotion is the first of more to come.
Weiterlesen »
Jeff Bezos says dad emigrated from Cuba alone at 16: 'His grit, determination, optimism are inspiring'Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' dad, Mike Bezos, was honored Wednesday night at the new Statue of Liberty Museum at Ellis Island in New York City, at a gala that drew stars from Oprah Winfrey to Hillary Clinton.
Weiterlesen »