Seattle Sound Transit Light Rail Link

[BoulderGrad]

Never taken more than 40 minutes for me in the 10-15 times I've used it to the airport.

But as for the "the airport only accounts for just less than half of the rides" thing. Thats ONE station accounting for almost half the ridership out of 13 stations... Thats quite a big share...

[Matt the Engineer]

Originally Posted by BoulderGrad

Thats quite a big share...

Definately. I'm just pointing out that it's not just an airport connection.

[jessejb]

There was some major issue in the Beacon Hill tunnel. They even had northboud trains sharing the southbound track in the tunnel while southbound trains had to wait. Pretty weird. But they didn't tell us what was going on.

But I mean, more commonly, whats with the constant braking between stops? Why are we going a brisk 20 mph between SoDo and Beacon Hill? It should be hauling ass. The five minute waits in the tunnel before Westlake at all hours? "The train is stopped due to traffic ahead" at Chinatown station? Traffic? It's just fodder for anti-transit types to use to say "See?!"

I've been on a lot rapid transit in other cities and even when its light rail it just goes fast. I kinda attribute it all to the conductors being live metaphors of the Seattle Process


EDIT: It just occurred to me that I'm literally mad that my train ride from the airport after my Cabo trip took under an hour to get me directly to my apartment. First-World-Mufuggin-Problems.

[Ruffhauser]

I'm with you on our transit acolytes being unwilling to accept criticisms of Link. I do the rationalization thing as well, like "It's a start" or "wait until Cap Hill and the UW come online" and other bromides like that.

I'll be more of a power user come 2016 with the CapHill/Husky Stadium stations and then we'll really see whats up when the buses are out of the tunnels.

[jessejb]

Originally Posted by Ruffhauser

I'm with you on our transit acolytes being unwilling to accept criticisms of Link. I do the rationalization thing as well, like "It's a start" or "wait until Cap Hill and the UW come online" and other bromides like that.

I'll be more of a power user come 2016 with the CapHill/Husky Stadium stations and then we'll really see whats up when the buses are out of the tunnels.

I dream of that day. I can't wait. Just straight going down to any downtown station and a four-car train pulls up and hauls ass to the next station with no b.s. I think it'll be a boon to Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square/ID when all the UW kids go out.

[Seasun]

Originally Posted by jessejb

There was some major issue in the Beacon Hill tunnel. They even had northboud trains sharing the southbound track in the tunnel while southbound trains had to wait. Pretty weird. But they didn't tell us what was going on.

Jessejb - I'm curious how late it was when you were on the train. There is this track maintenance still going on I believe and I think the longer headway is related to sharing tracks and the time it takes to make sure tracks are clear (not saying this is a good reason, just maybe why Link is stupid slow/delayed sometimes.) I could be totally wrong.
From: http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/Alerts.xml

Link Light Rail Alerts
Central Link light rail Track maintenance - from July 12 until further notice
Starting Thursday, July 12, Link will run every 20 minutes between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. on most Tuesdays and Thursdays until further notice
Link will run regular service outside of scheduled track maintenance.

[bgwah]

Originally Posted by Ruffhauser

I'm with you on our transit acolytes being unwilling to accept criticisms of Link.

And who would that be?

[jessejb]

Originally Posted by bgwah

And who would that be?

Im waiting for this to be the reply to that:

Rogue Linguist
Registered User
OHH GURRRL

[Seasun]

Last night I was driving south on MLK and just south of Othello (I think) I almost witnessed a car get completely crushed by a southbound train going at a good clip. The car turned left right in front of the train when the train approaching symbols were flashing and left turns aren't even allowed at that intersection. Just two or three seconds would have made the difference. Took my breath away for a second. I suspect this happens quite a bit. I wonder if operators are supposed to report these incidents. Is there a forward facing video camera on the trains?

[mhays]

It's our own little Darwin machine.

[Matt the Engineer]

There are forward facing cameras. Somewhere on the Internet there's a massive compilation of accidents as recorded by these cameras, but it's too frustrating to recommend watching. People can get really blind while driving.

[BoulderGrad]

Most of those videos on youtube are from Houston

[RMacherat]

I predicted this exact thing would happen a lot way back when. It is simply not in the driver's mindset to expect to be hit when there is nothing in view and, being in the left lane, no reason to check the mirror.

[cameronrex]

Originally Posted by RMacherat

I predicted this exact thing would happen a lot way back when. It is simply not in the driver's mindset to expect to be hit when there is nothing in view and, being in the left lane, no reason to check the mirror.

When you have rail tracks on your left and signs that indicate 'No Left Turn' the minimum I would expect is that a driver checks his mirror.

[Capitol Hill]

Originally Posted by cameronrex

When you have rail tracks on your left and signs that indicate 'No Left Turn' the minimum I would expect is that a driver checks his mirror.

Do you know how hard that is to do while you're reading your text messages?

[RMacherat]

Originally Posted by cameronrex

When you have rail tracks on your left and signs that indicate 'No Left Turn' the minimum I would expect is that a driver checks his mirror.

999,999 out of 1,000,000 do.

Also, as one of those individuals about whom you gasp, Jeeezuz, dead-man-driving, when you see me stumble/climb/fall out of my giant SUV, I can tell you that with all the stuff flying this way and that, not to mention the honking horns and unfortunate shouts and gestures, it gets very confusing out there in traffic.

[AzChristopher]

Originally Posted by cameronrex

When you have rail tracks on your left and signs that indicate 'No Left Turn' the minimum I would expect is that a driver checks his mirror.

Agreed. At the bare mininum I expect drivers to follow traffic signs/lights. Chaotic or not, pay attention when crossing the path of larger transport.

[Matt the Engineer]

Originally Posted by RMacherat

999,999 out of 1,000,000 do.

Also, as one of those individuals about whom you gasp, Jeeezuz, dead-man-driving, when you see me stumble/climb/fall out of my giant SUV, I can tell you that with all the stuff flying this way and that, not to mention the honking horns and unfortunate shouts and gestures, it gets very confusing out there in traffic.

I have no idea if you're saying you drive drunk or you drive old. Either way, maybe you should be on the big fast moving dangerous thing that you don't have to drive.

[bgwah]

Originally Posted by jessejb

Im waiting for this to be the reply to that:

Rogue Linguist
Registered User
OHH GURRRL

Two weeks later...

[Seasun]

45 year old pinned between station railing and train with facial trauma (among other things). Columbia City. Listening to KOMO scanner feed. Multiple facial fractures.

No bulletin on soundtransit.org or ST twitter. Riders are probably just wondering what the hold up is. At one point firefighter (or someone at accident location says to dispatcher "Train just went through here - tell Metro to stop them!" Dispatcher says "I'll tell them again". (paraphrased) (I believe Metro is contracted to operate the trains for ST)

From 911 log:
12/15/2012 5:42:19 PM
SFD units: A14 A5 B5 B7 DEP1 E28 E30 L12 L7 M28 M44 R80 SAFT2 STAF10
4818 M L King Jr Way S Rescue Heavy