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Two conventions: The words they used
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- The party in power sounded as if it weren't
- A redrawn race: new enthusiasm in the GOP
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Boeing and Machinist negotiators escape to talk things over — in Florida
Social Services »'The kindest man': A meticulous life in a shed in the woods by a freeway
Microsoft »Microsoft's first Jerry Seinfeld ad: Pretty unfunny, not that there's anything wrong with that
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About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla
The mayor's block party weekend
Is Sound Transit really one of 'the world's biggest boondoggles'?
An Alaska-sized gamble — and possibly a brilliant one
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About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla
(74 comments)
Is Sound Transit really one of 'the world's biggest boondoggles'?
(27 comments)
The mayor's block party weekend
(20 comments)
The high price of Sarah Palin's candidacy
(19 comments)
Sarah Palin: the liberal voter's worst nightmare
(18 comments)
The case for Sarah Palin
(17 comments)
A classic evisceration speech by the running mate
(11 comments)
Extreme Seattle
(10 comments)
Why Palin, why now
(9 comments)
An Alaska-sized gamble — and possibly a brilliant one
(8 comments)
Crosscut highlights
The recent former state secretary of transportation has been riding buses a lot lately and crunching numbers, and he's convinced light rail to the Eastside and more Sounder service has no place in a big new transit plan. He thinks an advanced bus rapid transit system is the best way to serve millions of people and smartly manage urban growth. Part 1 of 3
We've got buses going everywhere, and guess which routes are logging the biggest increases in ridership? Not the route that would become light rail to the Eastside suburbs. Part 2 of 3
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Our Convention Center has growing pains
Seattle's Convention Center is taking a close look at expanding, perhaps at a different location. It might complicate the coming legislative session if it puts its hand in the state trough of money for tourism-related taxes. Also crowding around the trough are the Huskies, King County arts, Seattle Center, KeyArena, low-income housing, Puget Sound cleanup, and more. And the Convention Center might topple some other interesting transportation dominoes.
A cure for congestion that's simple and cheap (and doomed)
Most cures for congestion come in billion-dollar packages, since it's easier for politicians to evade hard choices by instead throwing lots of money at the problem. An example of a simple, cheap (but politically radioactive) cure for congestion is to start replacing curbside parking with lanes for buses, bikes, and pedestrians. A pithy case for doing just that, as New York is trying to do, is "No Parking, Ever'" by Hope Cohen, deputy director of Manahattan Institute's Center for Rethinking Development. It's full of common sense.
Seattle has a streetcar named Desired
Minneapolis is the latest city to develop Portland-envy and, thanks to the Portland-imitating Seattle Streetcar, a little Seattle-envy as well. Minneapolis is now considering a starter-streetcar line, with maybe six more to follow. Minnpost.com writer Steve Berg recently visited the Northwest cities, rode and praised the streetcars, and was "reminded again how far behind downtown Minneapolis has fallen."
Seattle, you ignorant SLUT
Oregonian columnist Steve Duin has fun feeling superior to Seattle, calling the Big Bad City to the North "a mass transit basket case." But he does find something to praise, even if he drips with condescension, and that's the Seattle Streetcar, fondly known as the SLUT. Duin likes the idea, a steal from Portland, of course, not because it's a serious transit solution but because the name is so funny.
Sausage Links, 'you'll shoot your Eyman out' edition
Ballot king Tim Eyman had to be happy to see Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly say his traffic congestion measure, Initiative 985, "might be on to something" and deserved a "closer look." Unfortunately for Eyman, the Office of Fiscal Management released a report today stating the initiative would, among other things, cost the state $668.6 million already going to current congestion relief projects, cost the state $324.6 million to implement, cost the Washington State Arts Commission $500,000 over the next five years, and increase the state's budget deficit by an estimated $290 million. The Washington Policy Center Blog has the full breakdown. Meanwhile, David Goldstein at Horse's Ass points out that I-985 would be one more reason Eastern Washington voters would continue to hate Seattle. ...
The weight of 40 years of paralysis about transit planning played a role in the Sound Transit decision to try one more time to convince the voters of the need for more light rail.
Sausage Links, transit migraine edition
Ready to pay $6.85 round-trip to drive across the 520 bridge? Me neither. That's the proposed toll that would raise money to help pay for improvements to the floating fossil. But the idea of a toll begs another question, something I've been dying to get reader input about: Do you think having a toll on local bridges like 520 will sway voters to vote for the proposed light rail measure this November? Thoughts?
Sausage Links, fancy-pants luncheon edition
The Queen of fist-bumps, New Yorker cover girl Michelle Obama, is in Seattle today to headline a fundraiser for Gov. Chris Gregoire. The event is expected to bring in $400,000 for Gregoire's re-election campaign. Seattle Times chief political reporter David Postman will have live coverage of the event as it develops, while Eli Sanders at the Stranger already has pictures from the WaMu Theater. ...
The region has tried a largely bus solution for 40 years, and by now the capacity flaws are apparent. If we are really serious about building density, we need to lay more rails.
Bus envy
I was recently in Chicago and found something delightful about riding that city's buses — something I haven't found here in King County riding Metro Transit. Buses there clearly and consistently let you know where you're going. What a concept.
Sausage Links, gas cards for bad guys edition
Alright everybody. Let's head to Tacoma. If we hurry, we can help Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers catch sexual predators, gangsters, domestic violence abusers, and violent criminals. Why? Because they're giving away $250 gas cards and up to $1,000 in exchange for information that would lead to arrests. Here's the list of criminals. Start hunting. After all, what better incentive is there to dodge outrageous gas prices than to catch perverts? Don't answer that.
Sausage Links, blame-game edition
David Goldstein at Horse's Ass says everyone has missed the boat about the latest mess surrounding the "top-two" primary. The Seattle Times blamed the parties. The parties blamed the state. Others blamed the lawyers. Goldstein, however, says the person to blame for what could be the "most monumental legal fuck up in state history — one which puts the legitimacy of our entire 2008 election in jeopardy" — is state Attorney General Rob McKenna.
Sausage Links, top-two headache edition
David Postman had a busy morning. First, The Seattle Times chief political writer reported the proper way to describe the death with dignity "assisted suicide" initiative. Then he dropped a political firebomb, reporting the state's political parties haven't yet given up trying to ax the "top-two" primary, with both Republicans and Democrats claiming the entire '08 election won't count. I thought that headache was over. Turns out it's just getting started. ...
Berkeley shows the political problems of bus rapid transit
The Seattle region has been tied in knots over transit planning since the mid-1960s, when the first opponents of rail transit surfaced, mostly based at the University of Washington. It's easier to attack a proposal than to have to defend one, which is one reason opponents of rail have had an advantage. Factor in populist suspicion of large, arrogant agencies and the hilly landscape, and you've got Impasse Transit.
Skeptics such as former Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald normally propose a better way to spend all those rail dollars, namely on buses, vanpools, and bus rapid transit. They make a compelling case, at least on paper.
Sausage Links, hammer-time edition
Tri-City Herald reporter Chris Mulick digs deep into Washington state's bungled attempt to land a $2 billion uranium enrichment plant, along with its 400 high-paying jobs. According to Mulick, Gov. Chris Gregoire chose not to pursue bidding for the plant, deciding instead to play it cool politically. As a result, Idaho got the plant. Washington lost the money. And Dino Rossi just got more ammo for his campaign. Still, Gregoire's got a sizable lead in the polls, at the moment. ...
Helpful Civic Suggestion #1,987
Now that everyone, including the former head of the state Department of Transportation, is riding Metro, can some savvy Seattle ad agency please put some thought into campaigns that revitalize an under-used resource? I'm talking about those dreary, pathetic interior overhead advertising rack cards. Can it really be that the only paid advertiser in town is Jobdango?
Sausage Links, media-bashing edition
Lefty blogger David Goldstein at Horse's Ass has been battering the local media lately. Yesterday, he unleashed on Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Chris McGann for his coverage of Gov. Chris Gregoire's now infamous state gambling compact. Today he asks Crosscut's Ted Van Dyk to apologize to Gregoire for his own coverage of Casino-gate. ...
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Created by the Washington Legislature to develop a transportation package to be submitted to voters in fall 2007 in Snohomish, King, or Pierce counties. Coordinating work with Sound Transit.
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The state agency in charge of planning, construction, maintenance, and management of state roads, certain rail services, and ferries.
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An independent agency of seven citizen members appointed by the governor. Responsibilities include working with the governor, the Legislature, and the secretary of transportation to set policy.
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