For those of us who did try to use alternatives, in my case taking an enjoyable bike ride from Kent East Hill to Renton, and then returning on the Interurban, we were not well served.

Coulon Beach Park was listed as a viewing area, and as nice as it is as a destination, there was no way to witness the Blue Angels from there.

This goes back to the heart of the matter for the region -- why does everything have to be in Seattle.

I mean, ok, for the main Blue Angels Show, position it, like it always it -- above the I-90. But then how about on Sunday doing it over South Lake Washington? And a day on North Lake Washington?

It seems like we force people to cram into the dense downtown areas, and then they end up throwing their hands in despair because of overcrowded roads and non-existent transit.

You never built it, so of course, they don't come.

What, Chuckles? Don't like democracy? See, you'll pry the steering wheels of my truck or convertible from my cold dead hands. Half the enjoyment of a road trip is the road with the top down and my family enjoying it with me. When I go to assess or deliver materials to or (regrettably rarely) work on a property my old truck, the one my dad drove and that I've driven for 10 years now, is like an old trusted business partner.

Because you hate America and how Americans think gives neither you nor the state license to change it, Chucky. You can, and should, move someplace you think gets it right, you know.

The #11 going to Madison Beach was packed! We enjoyed the Blue Angels while floating on our backs with a thermos of wine...

@2 is correct and so is Charles.

The kind of change which Charles suggests does NOT mean that @2 has to go by bus.

He was simply suggesting an obvious and good idea: dedicate ONE street for shuttles to the Lake from the Columbia City Station (which in fact is far far away from Columbia City) so that people have a choice.

Why so upset (and rude) @2?

Charles, "Metro" would gladly take a street dedicated to its use. It's your city council, which controls the streets, that is dropping the ball here.

@6

Where will these lanes come from? Most everyone I know rarely drives into Seattle as it is, since traffic and parking are already nightmares. Reduce lanes even further, make more dedicated bike lanes for the few thousand bike riders, and the town will grind to a halt.

"Who are you going to believe - me or your lying eyes?" If you want to see the town "grind to a halt" @7, all you have to do is look at the photos Charles provided.

@9

I'm chagrined that I hadn't looked at Chuckles amateur photography.

Because one weekend of bad traffic from a horde of people coming into town for Seafair is the baseline on which Seattle should set transportation policy foreve...

Wait a minute! How people commute, and are willing to commute, day in day out is the baseline, or ought to be.

I drove down from the N end at 1, parked at 1:30 off massachusets st., and was home by 3:15. easy peasy.

@4 because he's a bitter, pathetic excuse of a human being who blames his personal failings on everyone else. In other words, a Republican.

@12

Within spitting distance of the truth...

Should have read- Because he's annoyed with the bitter, pathetic excuses for human beings blaming their personal failings on others. That is, liberals and democrats.

No thanks necessary.

Charles dear, to be fair, light rail ends at Westlake. Are North enders supposed to go park downtown and then take the light rail to a station that is twenty blocks or so from the station?

@14 Probably gonna regret this.

Taking away or adding lanes does very little to traffic.

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-traffi…

Also, there was a great article a few weeks ago on how the Car companies forced cars onto the American city through strong arm tactics changing our perception of what travel should be. Couldn't find it again with a cursory lunch time search.

@15) where is north seattle?

Clasically, it's anything north of the Ship Canal, Charles. Although some people define it as anything north of Denny Way, for that's when addresses start to get northy.

As a Fremont resident (Solstice Parade), I don't begrudge Charles for this complaint. It is bothersome to see your neighborhood choked with vehicle traffic, knowing that a) many of the people sitting in cars could have opted for other modes of transportation, and b) many of them didn't have another reasonable option.

@20, It is damn near impossible to find a bus after 9am on the day of the Solstice parade that isn't completely full and not picking up passengers below 85th. Metro knows this and yet they do nothing about it. Add a few buses for 9-noon? Nope, let's keep it on a weekend/holiday schedule instead and leave the families waiting at the bus stops cursing Metro as the full buses roll by.
Dedicating a lane for a special event shuttle sounds nice, but considering that Metro can't even add a single bus for any special event I just can't see it happening.

@21 exactly. There's no other reasonable option for a whole lot of people. A major city should not have a problem like this.

@15
I think Charles main idea is simply to aggressively use the tools we already have. So It doesn't work for North End people -- this year. In a year or so it seems like a natural.

We have Link. We have buses. We have City streets and can control them. Charles offered a very good idea which considering that SeaFair happens every year, setting up a joint rail-bus connector seems to make sense.

Maybe his idea has flaws and wouldn't work after exhaustive investigation. But sheesh, folks, give it a rest and praise when due. God knows I knock Charles' muddled Marxist ideas but this one seems to me to be sound.

Look, I'm a big critic of Charles, but this is a rather reasonable complaint and solution.

Back in the day when I used to go to Husky football games with my grandparents, we would drive from the suburbs to a northern seattleish (think Shoreline?) park and ride, park there and ride in. There were always buses going back and forth before and after the game. It meant free parking for us, no worries about congestion and so on. It's actually a great transitional plan for dealing with the suburb/urban issue.

Dedicating a lane (or at least right of way) to buses would make this idea even better.

Charles.
I hope that you will formalize your idea in a letter -- sorry, a Slog post won't precipitate a response -- to relevant officials e.g. the Mayor, head of SeaFair etc. I suggest you cc them all and then publish it here.
Good luck.

There is nothing as asinine as a report on the inconveniience of crowds at a large public event. How about the real news, like how last years leader of the Blue Angels has been convicted of sexual improprieties aand kicked out of the blue angels. SSSure it is bringing up dirt, but at least you could call it news.

I'm not upset with the people who chose to drive. I'm upset with the people who chose to drive knowing that they would have no passengers in their vehicle.

And I'm not just disappointed in you selfish twats on weekends like this one. It's every single day. Commutes wouldn't suck so fucking much if you kids would just share.

@7 - "Most everyone I know rarely drives into Seattle"

Assuming out of the people you know, only a small fraction of them would like you enough to divulge their driving habits, that's like, what, a couple people? Your family maybe?

I don't image the people in your Italian villa drive into Seattle that often.

We had planned on taking light rail on Saturday as we did two years ago but Seafair's website said the shuttles only ran until 6 pm and we were staying for the evening shows. If the shuttles had run in the evening we wouldn't have had to drive.