This will surprise no one who rides the bus regularly, but just to make it official: King County says that its 159 electric trolley buses are nearing the end of their useful lives and need to be replaced.

And so, a study! Which was just completed!

It looked at whether to replace the existing trolley buses with more trolley buses, or with diesel-electric hybrid buses. The hybrid buses are cheaper, but they're also noisier and worse for the environment, and so: More trolleys!

But check this out: "Any new trolley would come with the ability to go off the overhead wire for short distances to travel around traffic blockages."

Nice.

Meanwhile, some text from the above pamphlet, which was selling Seattle's first trolley buses as a replacement for streetcars circa 1943, and shows that years and years of conversation about transportation have been the Seattle way for a very long time:

"You can have this splendid modern system of transportation, right away—if you and your friends will vote 'yes' on March 9th. The whole project is ready—it merely awaits your approval. Let's have action instead of more years of conversation!"

Again, that was roughly 1943.