The SunBreak » streetcar

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Waterfront

Michael van Baker — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:18:41 +0000

In these illustrations, the stitch to fix the scar is about as wide as the waterfront itself, and wider at parts. Tourists will share those remarkably spacious lanes with freight traffic delivering goods to the city.

Is Rail the Answer for Seattle’s Waterfront Tourism & High-Capacity Transit?

Michael van Baker — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 19:09:33 +0000

Transit studies are thick in the Seattle air these days. Just this week, Waterfront Seattle released a transit report (pdf) on options for travel up and down the Field Operations-redesigned waterfront, and Sound Transit and Seattle's Department of Transportation produced eight alternatives for a Ballard-downtown high-capacity line.

City Council’s Transportation Chair Wants to Slow Down Rapid Transit

Michael van Baker — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:58:55 +0000

Rasmussen, who recently rode on a crowded bus, thinks there's nothing pressing about an Eastlake line, despite Amazon having just offered the city $5.5 million to pay, in part, for additional streetcar service in South Lake Union. The Seattle Streetcar carried 700,000 passengers in 2011--beating its forecasted ridership for that year by about 170,000.

Amazon Buys in to Same-Day Employee-Delivery System Called “Streetcar”

Michael van Baker — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:09:31 +0000

On the streetcar side, Amazon would buy a fourth streetcar and so reduce the wait between trains to just 10 minutes, instead of the current 15 (it does run more frequently during rush hour weekdays, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.). Though it travels just 1.3 miles, the South Lake Union streetcar now carries 2,900 passengers each weekday.

Op-Ed: Savor Our Waterfront Streetcars, Don’t Sell Them

Michael van Baker — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:25:10 +0000

Not so long ago, the George Benson Waterfront Streetcar was lauded--even extended in the early '90s. But the construction of the Olympic Sculpture Park "required" the removal of their maintenance barn, and the line was shut down in 2005. Not to worry, residents were told, it's just temporary, until a new barn can be built.

Letter to Jeff Bezos: Let’s Talk Gondolas

Michael van Baker — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:16:59 +0000

I'm not an engineer, Jeff. But I think I share your interest in disruptive technology. And when it comes to the constraints, or guiding forces, of this particular situation, I am betting that you, like me, will come to the conclusion that the solution here is gondolas.