Counting down to Light Rail

Link Light Rail Opens July 18! RantWoman regularly
runs into buddies from the Southeast Seattle Transit Connections Sounding Board on local transit and we all talk about it. There are trains on the tracks; several of RantWoman's friends report seeing them. There are trains in the downtown Seattle bus tunnel. RantWoman has not seen trains in the tunnel but she is putting her brain around the tunnel now being open the same hours the train will run: abstractly this seems cool; RantWoman is unsure why the lighted doorways seem unsettling in summer's late dusk.

(There have already been one train vs pedestrian accident and a train vs car one as well so RantWoman is thinking ardent thoughts about appropriate interactions all around.)

All this is very exciting. RantWoman foresees whole vast new vistas of shopping with RantMom now that she will shortly be able to go to The Mall on superfast light rail instead of a mere express bus in the other direction. RantWoman also sees herself having new options for income and adventure, but more on that another time. For now RantWoman is fretting about things that seem, um, underprepared.

Today while out doing a good bit of necessary pedestriating, RantWoman is a little taken aback about the absolute mess around the station nearest her, Mount Baker Station

This Picture Does not do the current mess justice

RantWoman is pleased to see the new Forest Street Bus facility is looking more like a place she can foresee willingly visiting than in previous recent passes by. There are still trucks and hoses and orange traffic adjusters of various sorts and random sheets of plastic and giant ditches next to the sidewalk. RantWoman is no great expert on construction schedules, but since RantWoman THINKS the new bus facility does not need to beoperational until the bus route change in September, it seems plausible that will be ready.

The entryway to the station is a different matter entirely. Today everything to do with the entryway and the street crossing was a loud beeping mess of big vehicles, orange traffic barriers, yellow tape and God knows but RantWoman assuredly did NOT investigate what all else. RantWoman has gone by a couple times in the evening when all is quiet on the construction front. Possibly it is good that there are many fewer construction trailers than the picture above shows. However, RantWoman is still not detecting recognizable paths to a station entryway. This seems, um, sort of basic. Stay tuned....