Obvious Diversion

Update: Take action at 2045 Seattle to Save Your Seattle Monorail

The Seattle Monorail Authority has completed negotiations! What does this mean? It means a plan to build and run Seattle’s first rapid transit line is officially done and both the public authority and the private company have agreed on the details. The lawyers are having their pass at it now to make sure all the Ts are crossed and everyone will get their hands on the plan on June 20th for public review. I’m excited to give it a read, but here’s what we know right now.

• The opening is scheduled for December 1st, 2010
• Trains will arrive every eight minutes and as ridership increases will be as fast as every three minutes
• The trains will have regenerative braking to recycle the energy lost in slowing down a train
• 16 of the originally planned 19 stations will be built. The station at 2nd & Madison will be approached once the property becomes available
• Two stations, one in West Seattle and one in Queen Anne, are delayed. It’s unfortunate, but they are going to put the money that was to be used on those stations in reserve in case of cost overruns. I can’t say I mind the cautious approach.
• The whole thing will be built for a fixed price of just over 1.6 billion dollars

New York City just celebrated the one hundred year anniversary of the NYC subway system. There’s something exciting about being at a young and ambitious city’s year one.

A video of the completed negotiations press conference is available.

Update
The Seattle Monorail Project is in trouble. What You Can Do in the Next Few Days to Save Your Seattle Monorail