Quote:
Originally Posted by electricron
Why go all the way to Seattle to learn how to build light rail when a very successful, awarding winning DART in Dallas is nearby? Golly, a personal trip to the State Fair will teach the mayor much about rail transit.
DART manages to get its rail built on time and on budget once construction actually starts, the same can't be said for Seattle. The only thing to learn in Seattle is how to build the most expensive per mile light rail system in the last 40 years.
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Electricron, I already explained to you why it cost so much, but since facts are inconvenient to you, you switch to sly little lies. There's lots of tunnels, elevated portions, they redid an entire boulevard, etcetera. They wanted to do it right, unlike in Dallas.
And really, I think San Antonio should avoid Dallas at all costs:
http://thetransitpass.wordpress.com/...ty-for-growth/
Seattle is good for having a comprehensive transit system, considering the current options for transit are Ferry, Bus, Electric Trolleybus, Modern Streetcar, Commuter Rail, Light Rail, Express Bus and passenger rail. It's good in that it's an example on funding and planning expansions, approving a $17.9billion transit tax to expand the system rapidly-- that sounds like the citizens aren't bothered by the price tag. And like San Antonio, it had its initial plans dismantled and devoured by a rabid state government. Of course, Seattle was able to rise above that and they're currently digging a light metro line to the University considerably under-budget and working on further funded expansions.
Seattle also has neighborhood planning down. My neighborhood has gone from 23,000 to nearly 30,000 residents per square mile in the past 3 years, and with the opening of a new high rise and several apartment developments, that only stands to rise. Capitol Hill, where the light rail/metro line will be headed, has a local density around the station area of about 40,000 residents/sq. mi. with 20,000/sq. mi. in the overall area. The city as a whole is adding 150 people per square mile every year, and that pace is increasing.
There's also new streetcars being planned (one funded and ready to get started within months), one mayoral candidate wants to advance rail in one corridor to open 30 years before anticipated, and there's talks of a second transit tunnel downtown.
Currently setting at over half a million daily rides (excluding ferry ridership) in the regional transit system , it's one of a good handful of places to get an idea on how to do transit right.
With 217,000 rides per day, Dallas is... well, the point is obvious. And Phoenix? No late night service, infrequent service, and... well. And both these regions are twice the size of Seattle.
Seattle is a good place to visit, and so is Portland and Houston and the new Norfolk LRT system.
Phew, so yeah, Seattle is a good choice. Take this from someone from San Antonio who has lived in Seattle and Portland and Phoenix.