Monday, December 22, 2008
City Dear Metro
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Mon, Dec 22, 2008 at 1:55 PM
We need more 194 buses. Holiday travelers huddled in the bus tunnel next to their luggage and carry-ons and presents for family and crying children don't need the 71 or the 43 or the 550 to Bellevue—those buses keep coming, brightly lit and empty, and the 194, which was supposed to come twenty minutes ago, keeps not coming. And then, by the time it does come, so many people (with all their luggage/presents/children) are standing there that after one stop, the bus is full, thus screwing over anyone who's waiting further south in the bus tunnel. People need to go to the airport. More people need to go to the airport by bus this year than usual. Please decrease the number of express buses to the University District and the Eastside and increase the number of 194s. Don't worry about the schedule. Just make some more 194s come. It's the right thing to do.
Sincerely,
Everyone
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2
Oh no, we can't get to Grandma's winter home in Tahoe, woe is us!
Screw the airport, those planes aren't in a hurry. Send buses to the fucking central district already.
Screw the airport, those planes aren't in a hurry. Send buses to the fucking central district already.
4
I waited 45 minutes for a 550 to Bellevue this morning, when they're supposed to come every 10-15 minutes. Hopefully, I won't have to wait longer outside to get one going home. And I did notice one or two buses heading towards the airport during that time (7:15 - 8 am).
At least the folks in the bus tunnel are relatively warm and dry, even if they are stuck waiting for a long time.
At least the folks in the bus tunnel are relatively warm and dry, even if they are stuck waiting for a long time.
9
Assuming light rail opens on schedule, this will be the last winter you have to worry about taking a bus to the airport.
10
those people need to get to the airport as fast as possible in order to stake out prime floor space for the next three days until the runways thaw out.
11
Reduce the express service to the U-District? Hell no! That bus was packed to the rafters this morning, and it will be again when I leave work this afternoon! You just caught it in its brief mid-day lull.
12
cap hill and the central district have had NOTHING since friday. i'm glad everyone who can afford a SUV with chains and studs that live in bellevue has speedy metro to get them to macy's to buy more shit.
13
I gave up trying to take the 194 to and from Seatac a long time ago. Not worth it. Seriously. Cab fare may be expensive but the cost of trying to ride the 194 is far higher in my opinion.
14
Thanks for this update. I was planning to take 194 to SeaTac today, but I just called a car service.
15
I've written Sound Transit and Metro about this and they only said, "look forward to light rail at the airport in a billion years, yay we're so backwards!"
16
What car service did you call, #14? My husband needs to get to the airport for a late night flight tonight (assuming it's not canceled, of course), and keeps insisting the buses will be fine. I disagree, so I'm wondering what service you called and how much it costs (we're in north Seattle).
17
Take the Grey Line bus. Seriously, fuck the 194. The Grey Line runs from all of the downtown hotels to Sea Tac. It's around $15 round trip, and it's a touring bus with no stops between downtown and the airport.
18
I called http://www.seattlecitycar.com/ . Sounded like they were busy, but they promised to pick me up in about a half hour from now. We'll see how that goes. I intentionally scheduled it far in advance just because a string of travel mishaps today have made me extra paranoid.
19
FYI, the buses to the East Side are always *packed.* But don't let that get it the way of a good argument.
20
I take the 194 to SeaTac all the time. I like it. It may take 45min instead of 30min, but the $2.50 fare beats the hell out of $15 Grey Line, or the $30 + tip airporter, or the $50 + tip taxi.
I can see that the current weather has thrown everything out of whack and another transport mode might be better right now, but normally the 194 kicks ass, if you aren't rich enough to shell out the dough for the greater convenience.
And hurrah for the coming light rail, that will be awesome.
I can see that the current weather has thrown everything out of whack and another transport mode might be better right now, but normally the 194 kicks ass, if you aren't rich enough to shell out the dough for the greater convenience.
And hurrah for the coming light rail, that will be awesome.
21
I could use an 8 or 11. We're on day four of zero bus service. Being snowbound was fun for four days, but I'm starting to run low on vodka now.
22
Did anyone else hear that Metro dumped 40 people out at Aurora at 45th and then cancelled or re-routed all further buses at that stop (around 10 am this morning)? People were pissed! Any other Metro horror stories?
23
There are horror stories for me every single day, and it's directly *because* there's not enough express service to the U District. Prioritizing an airport run over local daily commuters is insanity.
24
The 71, 43 and 550 are empty there because that's where the routes start and end. I guarantee you those buses are packed full by mid-route. Everyone has to wait. Twenty minutes is a considerably short wait, given the circumstances.
25
174. slower than the 194, but it gets you there. and you know, they are doing the best they can.
These are times when people should be stringing up Tim Eynman for taking away a chunk of Metro revenue with the car tab initiative.
These are times when people should be stringing up Tim Eynman for taking away a chunk of Metro revenue with the car tab initiative.
26
Might want to do an analysis of ridership stats before you start armchair quarterbacking metro. But hey, you're only the EDITOR of the Stranger. You don't need to cite evidence to make your arguments.
27
if they're not going to resume bus service to some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in seattle (like cap hill, the cd, and queen anne) they should at least PUT SOME GRAVEL ON THE FUCKING SIDEWALKS. i'm on day 5 of being stranded and trying to not fall flat on my ass.
28
Another vote here for more # 194's. Make them come every 15 minutes, please. Half hour intervals are too long. If a person misses one bus, a half hour wait until the next one can easily mean they will miss their flight.
Thank you.
Thank you.
29
A-fuckin'-men! I flew SFO --> SEA on Thursday, and trying to catch a 194 was in the middle of a string of events that powerfully reinforced my misanthropy.
30
I got from San Francisco to Seattle -- including the time it took me to leave a convention, walk to a BART station, walk from the appropriate BART to a shuttle, take the shuttle to the airport, and flight time -- faster than a 194 got me from the airport to my home very near downtown. It was about 9 at night, and it was raining, and one simply didn't come ...
31
@30 the 194 doesn't run late at night.
I'd also like to add that it sucks when the 194 northbound is already packed with people from Federal Way or wherever. Fuck that. Is it too much to ask for a special bus that only goes to the airport and has room for people with luggage?
I'd also like to add that it sucks when the 194 northbound is already packed with people from Federal Way or wherever. Fuck that. Is it too much to ask for a special bus that only goes to the airport and has room for people with luggage?
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