July 19, 2005
Die, Monorail, Die
The rapidly shriveling Seattle Monorail Project is now proposing to build itself in stages, Sound Transit style. At some point, they'll have to whittle the project down to this.
Watchdog group OnTrack is unimpressed with either the Monorail's plans or its transparency.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at July 19, 2005
11:19 AM | Email This
1.
"A shorter line also would involve less maintenance cost, he said -- but also would bring in less revenue than the completed one."
If they shortened to zero miles it would make the maintenance cost zero! That way no revenue (even if it is less than expenses) would be needed. Problem solved.
2. This will be the "Dawn Of The Dead" of transit systems. Walking, never dying, and eating everything in it's path.
3. If they diverted from what they promised in the voter's initiative approving their funding in the first place, wouldn't it have to go back to the voters for approval?
4. Voter approval? HaaaHaaaaHaaHaaaaHaaaHaa!
Sorry Spaceboy - can you say Safeco Field, can you say Sound Transit Light Rail. That's the problem with these clowns, they don't give a rats a$$ what we think.
5. Stephan-
Regarding the photo you've attached to your post; it does look like their ridership estimates will be on target.
Also, regarding your McGavick post, (according to my companies copywriters) the period goes after the quotes as you've done. Not that you give a flying fig.
6. Perhaps they should follow Dory Monson's suggestion and whittle it down to a line from the Westlake mall to the Seattle Center.
7. SMP must build the Interbay segment first, because it has the maintenance facility. There is no reason to hold a single psuedo-public discussion about it. Whether this segment stops at Seattle Center or Westlake Mall or Pike Place Market or Seasqwauk Arena is another matter.
My objection has always been that this route through downtown and to Ballard won't serve even half as many people as other route options. So, why build it? Cuz we can? Cuzza the money?
8. What about building an elevated highway, say, above Alaskan Way, run busses on it and call it something like, oh, the Alaskan Way Viaduct? It could shuttle those same people that would ride SMP on roughly the same route. Just a thought.
9. I WISH EVERYONE IN SEATTLE WOULD STOP TALKING ABOUT THE MONORAIL.....IT KEEPS GIVING THE MONO- MORONS IN TACOMA GOVERNMENT IDEAS...LIKE MAYBE WE CAN BULID A MONRAIL OVER THE FREEWAY TO THE EMERALD QUEEN FROM DOWNTOWN...YOU CANT HAVE TOO MANY WAYS TO GET TO A NATIVE GAMING ESTABLISHMENT!!!!
I BEG YOU, PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT A MONRAIL .... MAYBE THE TACOMA MONO-CRATS WILL FORGET AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT "EMERGANCY"
10. Well, I don't know about that Shark. Those wooden posts look awfully expensive.
Maybe the monorail should just lay the track directly down on the street.
11. The Niles Monorail option looks affordable. :-)Can you see Mrs. Gregoire riding in that thing with her knees all bent like that??
12. Michele-
....and maybe a big sack of stolen toys and a little dog with a branch for an antler - oh sorry, I'm thinking of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
13. Even if it only went 50 feet, the top eleven executives will still make over $150K/year. Unless, of course, it red lines more than 6 times the estimated operating costs, in which case they will all get raises to $200K plus.
14. Hang the passenger seats from overhead cables (a la ski-lifts) to transport riders from station to station. That will eliminate the high cost of both tracks and cars. On Track can then rename itself
On Suspension.
ReVOTERguy
15. Is that a picture of Joel Horn, riding around in a project that he actually got off the ground?
16. I Liked the post above It Tickled my funny bone!