South Seattle

Seattle has sort of stumbled into mass transit - delays and compromise have finally produced a trolley when what we really need is a subway. Heavy rail, not Lite. Not that it isn't a nice way to get around - it just seems like so little, so late.

Sound Transit's new Central Link, from downtown to the airport (well, almost), isn't likely to become part of my regular commute, but maybe in twenty years it will be part of the commute of many others. Right now, there are plenty of seats and everything is nice and new, including the ticket vending machine at Westlake that scanned my Visa, but locked up before giving me a ticket. A real person at the nearby booth gave me a round-trip pass.



Tukwila. The end of the line, until they finish the airport station at the end of the year.
































Rainier Beach. Next time, I'll bring my bike and ride over to Kubota Gardens or one of the parks on the lake.

































Othello. Another brief stop to wander around. Close to lots of new housing and a growing business core.



























Columbia City. A five minute walk from the center of the Columbia City business district and a pleasant lunch at the Columbia City Alehouse.





































Beacon Hill. Deep in the ground, too deep for escalators, so fast elevators instead.

























SoDo. That's SOuth of DOwntown.






































Pioneer Square. Last stop for me today.