Orin O’Neill photos
After years of waiting, Seattle will join the ranks of world-class cities like Sacramento and Buffalo, N.Y. on July 18, when Sound Transit’s Link light rail begins carrying paying passengers.
Actually, the first weekend rides are free. However, Martin Luther King Jr. Way has been looking like the main drag in Gresham, Ore. for quite a while.
While the line will only run as far as Burien initially, Link is expected run to Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) by the end of the year. The trains have been running in a kind of dress-rehearsal mode for several weeks, so if you’ve been out and about in SoDo and the Rainier Valley you’ve probably seen them. Yes, trains have made hard contact with cars and a pedestrian, but in each case the driver/walker was at fault. There are lots and lots of signs reminding people not to turn left or cross the street at various points on the line, but obviously not much can be done if people don’t pay attention.
All stations will have works of art; this is what you’ll see at the Columbia City station. A gigantic magnifying glass. Yes.
The trains are actually pretty cool-looking, but it remains to be seen if Link will inherit the security issues from Metro’s 7 and 174 bus lines, which Link will likely replace.
But for the vast majority of Seattleites that will be a moot point. Everyone seems to think people are going drive their own vehicles to the Link stations (all kinds of parking restrictions have been implemented on the line), but realistically, why would someone drive to a station and ride Link when they could either drive where they’re going, or take some other Metro bus route where they’re going?
Or take a scooter. That’s what I usually do…
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