http://hugeasscity.com/2009/11/22/opposite-ends-of-i-90-vol-2-parking-garage-edition/

http://hugeasscity.com/?p=3099

Usually they’re contemptible scars on the urban fabric, like the eye-popping piece of work in the photo above at 2nd and Union in Seattle.  But they don’t have to be.  The garage shown below is in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, and isn’t it the most adorable thing?

Here’s another in Boston’s downtown office core:

Excited yet?  Yes, it’s lipstick on a pig, but unlike so many garages in downtown Seattle, at least it isn’t a total F.U. to the  city.

Boston, like every U.S. city, also has it’s share of heinous parking garages.  But in Seattle, downtown looks as if the City sponsored an ongoing heinous parking garage design competition back in the 1970s.  It’s remarkable that there wasn’t more uproar over how soul-crushing these structures are; or if objections were raised, how they were so easily ignored by those who stood to profit.

Blame it on “Wild West” mentality.  Compared to Seattle, Boston has far more deeply-rooted architectural and urbanist traditions that helped put a check on the  infatuation with “progress” and the city-gutting march of the cult of the automobile (though of course not all battles were won).  It’s the real kind of conservatism:  the past and its connection to the present is valued—an essential balancing force in the development of any healthy culture.

But the West has always been more dominated by the laissez-faire mindset.  Seattle’s historic midrise brick buildings were like swaths of old growth Douglas fir prime for exploitation, and the garages that were left in their place are about as beneficial to a true city as a wasteland of clearcut stumps is to a forest ecosystem.

Today we are still building hulking parking garages, but we usually try to do a better job with the lipstick—we put green roofs on them, for example, and even award them green building certification. And while these are positive steps, they don’t negate the fact that in terms of sustainable urbanism, parking garages are rotten at the core.  Sacrificing our precious urban land and economic resources to buildings with the sole purpose of part-time car storage degrades the pedestrian realm,  reinforces car-dependence,  and ultimately moves the city in the wrong direction.

The simple solution:  ban above-grade parking structures.  And then start incentivizing redevelopment of the mess of city-soul-sucking abominations that are already on the ground.

>>>

[ This post is part of a series on Boston and Seattle that will be continued as long as no commenters are really mean. ]

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/11/22/sunday-open-thread-a-tale-of-six-cities/

http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=9928

Via Great City.

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/20/your-weekend-movies-80s-sing-along-rules-of-the-game

More rain & wind is coming this weekend. How about a movie?

Tonight Central Cinema (a CDNews sponsor) is hosting an 80's movie sing-along, with all of your favorites from Footloose and more. Two showings at 7pm and 10pm.

On Saturday the french 30's classic The Rules of the Game opens for a 4-day run at 7pm.

And due to popular acclaim, the run of Big Trouble in Little China is extended for showings at 9:30pm through 11/25.

Looking for non-movie amateur performance fun? Check out the SCRATCH forum at Seattle U tonight at 6pm.

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1254

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "Something important" - originally published 11/20/2009

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/11/21/curb-the-congestion-club/

http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=9983

I’m sure that everyone that reads here takes transit (right?), but if you have a friend or family member that commutes by car in Snohomish County you might be able to enroll them in the Curb the Congestion Club, a Community Transit program that chips in $54 in a bus pass or vanpool voucher in December.

By referring a driver, you yourself can receive a $25 reward.  The eligibility is kind of complicated so click over to the website to check it out.

We are starting this years InsaneJournal holiday sale. From now until the end of the day Friday, November 27 we are going to be holding a sale on Self-Committed[paid] accounts and Extra Userpics.

The prices are be as follows

Self-Committed[paid]
1 Month -> $5
6 Month -> $15 $10
12 Month -> $25 $18

Extra Userpicx
6 Month -> $10 $5
12 Month -> $20 $15

Then on Friday November 27th from 8am until 4pm (Eastern US time) we will be running a very special sale on Permanently Insane accounts.

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/21/fire-overnight-in-vacant-medical-building

The 1940s era red brick medical building at Broadway & Columbia suffered a fire this morning just after 1am, triggering a large response from the fire department.

This morning there was no external damage visible on the building, with the exception of broken windows that were used by the fire department to ventilate the building. The fire appears to have been confined to the northern wing along Columbia.

The building has been vacant since it was sold for $8.5 million in 2007, and based on scanner traffic has become a problem property with drug activity and break-ins from transients. In fact, just yesterday there was an overdose fatality at that location. According to county records, it is now owned by "BROADWAY-COLUMBIA ACQUISITION I LP" and registered to an address in Dallas, Texas.

No word yet from the fire department as to the cause. We'll update this once we get more information on it.

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/11/21/pnw-amtrak-thanksgiving-trains-update/

http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=10074

Those of you traveling via Amtrak this Thanksgiving weekend, be glad you purchased your tickets early!

If you want to take the train to see your friends and family, Wednesday will be your best bet, however, Seattle – Portland trains are starting to sell out very fast.

Those traveling between Seattle and Portland, the 5 Cascades trains and extra Ambus are all sold out on Thanksgiving day with the Coast Starlight still available for coach passengers only.

There are 2 trains available currently for Portland to Seattle passengers. Amtrak Extra #514 and the Coast Starlight. Train #514 will most likely be the last resort train since it arrives into Seattle at 11:15pm.

Trains are available in all directions on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, there will be 6 scheduled Cascades trains and the Coast Starlight. Most of these trains are starting to sell out now. Make your reservations soon in order to ensure you have a spot. Sleeper service on the Coast Starlight and both sections of the Empire Builder are selling out rapidly.

For passengers going to Vancouver, BC from Seattle, WA, all trains and Ambus’ service is available throughout the entire weekend.

For passengers going to Seattle, WA from Vancouver, BC, all trains and Ambus service is available throughout the entire weekend. Business class is sold out on Train #513 at this time however.

For passengers going East to Spokane, WA, both Empire Builder’s (Seattle and Portland Sections) are available throughout the entire weekend.

For passengers going West to Seattle, WA, both Empire Builder’s (Seattle and Portland sections) are available. Lower level coach seating is sold out on Train # 7 and #27 at this time however.

For those that haven’t made reservations, go to http://www.amtrak.com and follow the easy steps. It takes no more than 5 to 10 minutes and you can pick your ticket up at the station or have it mailed to you. It would probably be best if you pick it up at the QuikTrak kiosk at the station.

Extra train equipment will be a mixture of Horizon and Amfleet coaches with a snack car available. The cars will be later used for the Alki Tours Leavenworth Snow Trains.

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/20/thanksgiving-greens

Hankering for some tasty fresh collard greens for your Thanksgiving table? Come out to the Clean Greens Farm Market Saturday, November 21st 10am - 3pm, where you can get a gallon bag of greens washed and chopped, ready for your pot. At just $5 a bag, you can skip the work and enjoy the benefits of local pesticide-free greens. The market is located at 116 21st Ave.

If you'd rather do it yourself, you can get bunches of collards or mustard greens for $1.50 each. We've got some turnips, too.

The market will be closed next Friday and Saturday for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We'll be back the following week, December 4-5, as long as the river keeps cooperating and the greens keep growing.

As the growing season winds down, think about signing up for a CSA for next year's season. The pilot CSA with St.Mark's was a great success, and we're hoping to expand on that next year.

Visit www.cleangreensfarm.com for more information.

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/20/cdnews-police-scanner-11-20

From the last Friday before Thanksgiving in Seattle's East Precinct:

11:35AM - 1100 26th Ave E - Hit & Run - A car hit a pedestrian and took off. Tan volvo, driven by a white male, 20s-30s, wearing a purple Garfield shirt
Update: The suspect also punched the victim. Partial plate of XCA on a "crummy old 80s-type sedan"

12:08PM - 1401 S. Lane - Shoplifting - Adult female in custody at Goodwill

12:47PM - 2200 E. Madison - Suspicious Circumstance - Kids are pushing every button on an apartment building, trying to get someone to let them in. Three black males, late teens

1:21PM - 1600 11th AVe Seattle - Property Damage - Transient used a key or knife to scratch the side of a car. White male, 55, short, heavy build, blue jacket w/ hood, backpack, jeans

1:29PM - 24th & Dearborn - DUI - Police out with a possible DUI driver

2:00PM - Broadway & E. Marion - Narcotics Activity - Medics and police on the scene of an overdose

2:24PM - 12th & Jefferson - Weapons Call - Two men walking southbound, and one has a rifle visible sticking out of his clothing

2:50PM - 23rd & E. Spring - Accident - 3-car injury accident, blocking

3:17PM - 1025 E. Fir - Disturbance - A known female is threatening to take the complaint's daughter to Mississippi. She even has a Greyhound ticket bought for the purpose.

3:20PM - 2500 Lake Washington Blvd. E - Property Damage - A known man intentionally rammed his black Jetta into the victim's car 3 times.
Update: Suspect found at 25th E. & E. Roanoke

4:12PM - 19th & E. Thomas - Accident - Between a metro bus and a vehicle. No injuries, but blocking

4:15PM - 700 Lake Washington Blvd S. - Narcotics Activity - Associated with a dark blue honda

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/11/20/mcginn-wants-your-ideas/

http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=10016

Earlier this week, the Mayor-elect asked us to reach out to you for your thoughts on how they can succeed in the coming few months. He asked three key questions:

1) How can they build the strongest team possible?

The incoming mayor has strong values and a set of policy objectives that became clear throughout the campaign. McGinn noted when meeting with us that someone had compiled all of his policy papers into a list of 93 particular campaign goals – their work is cut out for them. So who can best help make these goals happen? What can the transition team do to ensure that the people they choose are successful at being inclusive and ensuring that the way these goals are achieved is best for the city?

2) How can they build public trust in the new administration?

This is an incredibly difficult question to answer concisely – but I’ve seen lots of comments about transparency and process that would be great to mention here. The new mayor’s office already has the trust of many, but how can they ensure that grows, and how can they ensure that their actions and policies improve it?

3) What do we view as their greatest challenge – and what should they do right away?

This is where I’m starting to think in a transportation mindset. The other two are more about process, and more high level – but here’s our opportunity to say “Here’s a big thing we’d like to see done better” or “here’s where money should be going immediately”.

Your responses don’t have to be transit-related, of course. We’ve been asked to compile the responses into a sort of executive summary, so there won’t be room for everything. With that in mind, if you like an idea, definitely reply to it to say so! On Sunday I’ll be putting them together.

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/11/20/long-news-roundup-ii/

http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=9991

The constant rainstorms seem to have really slowed down the accumulation of great pictures in the Flickr Pool:

• Metro offices closed on Wednesday for another furlough day;  Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day and a “reduced” schedule on the day after.
• Tacoma is including streetcar tracks  in the reconstruction of Stadium Way in Tacoma.  That would seem to indicate future Tacoma Link routing. (H/T: Alex Jonlin)
• Bike restrictions at downtown bus stops.
• Sound Transit and RCI Herzog go to arbitration over Rainier Valley Segment overruns. Take note that even with arbitration, Central Link still comes in underbudget overall.
• Portland’s Fareless Square to become the “Free Rail Zone.”  I suppose our ride free area should become the “Free Bus Zone.”
• 25% off Amtrak to Vancouver.
• Toddlers on transit, locally and in San Francisco.
• Water Taxi has 21% ridership jump.
• Kitsap Transit may have bottomed out.
• A harrowing experience, but perhaps the advice in the title is a bit extreme.
• The Seattle Sketcher rides a Swift Bus.  I think Community Transit left someone off the media invite list. (UPDATE: this is not meant in the churlish tone in which it came off.)

http://hugeasscity.com/2009/11/20/rule-1-dont-site-a-light-rail-station-next-to-a-freeway/

http://hugeasscity.com/?p=3369

[ Rendering of the Wallace Vision Line by J. Craig Thorpe ]

Getting the highest return on transit investments hinges on the creation of high-performing transit-oriented communities (TOC) around the stations.   And the easiest way to make sure that doesn’t happen is to site stations next to large freeways. Yet this is exactly what newly elected Bellevue City Councilor Kevin Wallace has just proposed, in his “Vision Line” plan that would move the downtown Bellevue Station from the ideally located existing transit center, over to the edge of I-405, about a quarter mile to the east (more here and here).

Maximizing the social and environmental benefits associated with high-performing TOC (10 meg pdf) is relatively straightforward:  you put stations where there are lots of people, jobs, and services within easy walking distance, or where there is at least a likely future potential for those ingredients.  And the downtown Bellevue transit center fits that bill—there is already a high concentration of jobs, and the area is zoned to allow high housing density.  The convenient connectivity to extensive bus service is also ideal.

When you site a station next to a freeway, right away you’re throwing away half of your walkshed, because (1) the freeway itself obliterates a massive swath of land in the station area, and (2) few people will be willing to walk across the massive pedestrian barrier formed by a freeway like I-405.   Ridership depends on pedestrians and walkable destinations, and a freeway is anethema to both.

The Vision Line proposal would also add significant inconvenience to intermodal trips, as a rider transferring from bus to train would have to make an extra five minute walk.  The simplest way to kill transit ridership is to make it inconvenient.  The Vision Liners’ apparent belief that the covered walkway shown in the rendering would make up for the inconvenience of distance is wishful thinking.

The Vision Line was motivated by perceived problems with the two basic alternatives:  tunneling costs too much, and surface tracks are too disruptive.  Cry me a river.  New light rail service represents an unprecedented opportunity to help transform Bellevue into a city that makes sense for the 21st century, and most of the bill for it is being covered by taxpayers from across the region.   But that awesome opportunity will not just be handed to the City—it will cost money and the required changes won’t be totally painless for everyone.   On the other hand, compromises made now will be paid for a bazillion times over during the lifetime of the light rail line.

Bellevue, you’re a smart, wealthy city.  Step up and make sure this one gets done right.

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/20/spd-says-thank-you-for-community-support

Yesterday East Precinct Captain James Dermody sent out the following note to thank the East Precinct community for their support after the murder of Officer Tim Brenton:

On Halloween night and in the days that have followed, you have shown your support of the Seattle Police Department, in particular the men and women of the East Precinct, in countless ways.

You visited the vigil site on 29th Avenue, called and sent letters of sympathy and encouragement to the precinct, delivered food, coffee and flowers, offered space for gatherings, followed the media coverage of the investigation, phoned in numerous tips, watched or attended the Space Needle flag raising, procession and memorial service and breathed a collective sign of relief after the arrest in Tukwila.

As Chief Diaz mentioned several times following Halloween weekend, our Officers continued to provide quality public safety services during very difficult times. They were bolstered by all of your actions, thoughts, and kind words.

Something that is mentioned at nearly every community meeting, block-watch gathering and Precinct Advisory Council is the fact that we need your eyes and ears to help keep our community safe. What isn't mentioned as often is that we also ned your support during difficult times. The murder of Officer Tim Brenton was one of those times. You came forward with that support for which "thank you" seems inadequate.

We look forward to continuing our partnership in making the neighborhoods and business districts of the East Precinct safe.

Your next chance to meet Captain Dermody and talk about the persistent crime in your area is at  the December East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition meeting.

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/11/20/long-news-roundup-i/

http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=9977

Stories we didn’t have time to get to or didn’t have anything to say about are below.  There are so many that another installment is coming soon:

• SDOT is planning to “act quickly” on Ballard Light Rail plans, not sure 2 years is enough time; Larry Phillips says a Ballard Sounder station is “is not justified by the projected ridership at this point.” (H/T: Gary Manca).
• State Attorney General Rob McKenna is noncommittal as to whether Seattle will really have to pay deep-bore tunnel overruns.
• Yet another Bellevue alignment.  We’ve mentioned this in passing before. (H/T: Alex Jonlin)
• King County bridges “not fully functional”, buses late.
• Larry Phillips supports the 12th Ave/Broadway streetcar couplet.
• 5,000 American pedestrians a year killed by cars.
• How Dow Constantine made the Water Taxi year-round, starting next fall.
• Sound Transit plans for Green River flooding.
• Grays Harbor Transit raises fares.
• Footage of September’s Federal Way Transit Center shooting.
• Pierce Transit’s “Not on Our Bus” claiming its first victories, getting its first complaints.
• How the HSR stimulus money will be allocated.  (H/T: Lloyd Adalist)
• Ft. Lewis and McChord AFB to get Fuel Cell buses. (pdf, H/T: Mike Fisher)

http://thisisindexed.com/2009/11/oh-gawd/

http://thisisindexed.com/?p=12407

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/11/20/report-mcginn-to-place-obrien-on-st-board/

http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=9972

[UPDATE 9:36 am: McGinn staffer Aaron Pickus says McGinn would “like to see Mike O’Brien on the Sound Transit board because he knows transportation issues as much as anyone. Saying that, the mayor-elect thinks that the mayor of Seattle needs to serve on this board and plans to do so.”]

[UPDATE: For a more thorough breakdown of coming changes to the Sound Transit board, Andrew Villeneuve has the goods.]

Publicola reports that Seattle’s Mayor-elect Mike McGinn may skip taking a role on the Sound Transit board, instead giving his support to incoming city councilmember Mike O’Brien for the position. Richard Conlin, the city council president, plans to remain on the Sound Transit board. The Sound Transit board is the group of elected officials that makes most major and financial decisions for the agency.

O’Brien would be filling Mayor Nickels’ seat on the ST board. Nickels lost his bid for a third term in the August primary and is currently the chair of ST board.

O’Brien’s financial background (he has an MBA from UW) could be a strong asset on a board looking to scrounge every dollar from the projected revenue shortfalls affecting the Sound Transit 2 expansion plans approved during the worst recession in a generation.

O’Brien and McGinn have a close relationship after working together in a private law firm as well as the Sierra Club and it’s possible the Mayor-elect’s priorities could come through an O’Brien seat. (Publicola has a great article on their relationship.)

Seattle Transit Blog endorsed Mike O’Brien for office, in part for his honest and strong advocacy for transit. He’s a charismatic spokesman for the promise of mass transit and we’d be happy to see him serve on the board.

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/20/nickelsville-applies-for-permit-for-stay-in-the-cd

We've had numerous homeless camps set up tents here in the Central District. But the Nickelsville group's current stay produced something we've never seen before: a permit application. 

People had always said before that the maximum length of stay for any encampment was 90 days. But this permit included language for a stay "up to six months."

We got in touch with a source close to Nickelsville who explained that their group is forced to go through a more onerous process to stay on the New Hope Baptist Church property on 21st Ave. Previous encampments in the neighborhood have been organized by SHARE/WHEEL, which has a specific agreement with the city that allows them to set up without permits as long as they followed a basic notification process for neighbors around the property.

However, Nickelsville is a part of Veterans for Peace, a different organization, and they are forced to go through the full city process to keep their stay legal and in accordance with city codes. So far the permit is mainly just process and paperwork, as my source says the city waived the permit fee when they made their application last week.

And apparently the 6-months part is just the maximum time frame allowed by that kind of permit. Nickelsville's agreement with New Hope is that they'll only be there for 90 days before they pack up and move to a new destination.

So far the folks at Nickelsville say that they've received a warm welcome from their hosts and the neighbors that live around the camp. They also say that people from the neighborhood have been dropping by to leave donations and help out with some services for the camp.

If anyone else would like to pitch in, they're looking for:

• Blankets
• Batteries
• Tarps
• Tents
• Money for the porta-pottys and dumpters
• Help with some services like weekly laundry

The camp is located behind New Hope Baptist Church at 124 21st Ave.

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/11/19/cdnews-police-scanner-11-19

From a blustery, rainy day in Seattle's East Precinct:

11:57AM - Martin Luther King Jr. Way & E. Yesler - Accident - Car vs. pedestrian, with injuries
Update: Seattle Fire spokesperson Dana Vanderhouen says that the victim suffered leg injuries. She couldn't say for sure if the victim was taken to the hospital, but the wounds were not serious enough for the fire department to transport her there

2:08PM - 300 29th Ave - Burglary - Resident arrived home to find their front door wide open

2:34PM - 35th S & S King St - Suspicious CIrcumstance - Unknown man seen wandering around neighborhood after recent string of burglaries. Associated with a blue Toyota mini van

3:35PM - 15th & E. Columbia - Assault - A man is assaulting a woman inside a vehicle

5:43PM - 2800 S. Norman - Missing Child - 16 year old girl hasn't made it home from school

5:52PM - 720 25th Ave - Alarm - Intrustion alarm at the Muslim school

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1253

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "Flush" - originally published 11/18/2009