Seattle, WA, has long been considered a front-runner in United States efforts toward green living. Each week people travel from all over the Northwest to visit Pike Place, for one of the country’s best urban fish and vegetable markets. Local schools, like Evergreen State College, have drawn media attention for their emphasis on organic agriculture, and for the high-level of student involvement in green farming on campus.
Seattle Clean Energy Initiatives
Seattle’s Mayor Greg Nichols has established an office of sustainability and environment website to track the city’s green initiatives. The Mayor stated in his 2008 “State of the City” address that he plans to make Seattle America’s “Green Building Capital.”
Curiously absent has been an Emerald City focus on reliable public transportation for daily commuters. In recent decades, while many American cities have developed high-speed train routes (Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, New York), Seattle has lagged behind, offering commuters only the Metro and Sound bus systems, which are subject to frequent traffic delays and infrequent bus-to-bus connections. A resident living in downtown Seattle and working in the nearby (15 minutes by car) University District, for example, could easily have to take two or three buses to work, and because the buses are not scheduled to connect regularly, the geographically short trip may take an hour and a half. For most residents, the luxury of a life without cars has been out of reach.
Seattle Light Rail
Saturday, July 18th saw what might be the beginning of the end of Seattle’s insufficient public transit system. The first installment of the light rail (called the central link) opened to thousands of excited riders Saturday morning. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., crowds of uproarious Seattleites rode free from Westlake station to Tukwila—many riders photographed and videotaped the event, and almost everyone wore stickers reading, “I Rode Light Rail Day One.”
Saturday’s tremendous showing of local enthusiasm for the light rail project was important for building momentum, illustrating to public officials how closely residents are following the light rail’s ongoing construction. It will be up to state and local government leadership, and the public’s continued focus on the project, to see the light rail through to timely completion. By December of 2009, the light rail is scheduled to extend to the SeaTac International airport. Shortly after that, connections will be made to Capitol Hill, the U. District, Ballard, Northgate, Lynwood, Bellevue, Redmond, and Federal Way.
The Sound Transit light rail runs between Westlake and Tukwila International Blvd. twenty hours a day, seven days a week from 5 a.m. to almost 1 a.m. For schedule info, click here.
For more suite101 articles on Washington State travel, click here.
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