Total Pedestrian Nightmare

RantWoman would SO like to be wrong. RantWoman would not be the least bit heartbroken if her predictions about the scope of potential pedestrian nightmare at the MountBaker Link station were wrong. RantWoman is also wracking her brain for any visions of ways the concrete mess with pedestrians and buses having to cross paths multiple places at the new Forest St. bus facility will ever be nearly as inviting as the wide sidewalks, wonderful trees and clear separation between bus and pedestrian traffic at the current bus stop on McClellan, but that is another whole problem.

On the other hand, there is a print/web publication locally which pays its writers (yeah!) and where use of certain language frequently eschewed by more staid publications is practically mandatory in its stylebook. What RantWoman actually thinks is closer to the practically mandatory terms you may imagine above. However, RantWoman demands money before flinging such terms willy-nilly around the internet.

RantWoman's inaugural ride on light rail took her to the Mount Baker station. RantWoman was carrying bags of groceries and for various reasons not feeling her usual energetic self. RantWoman found the elevator and descended to the street. RantWoman's goal was to get to the nearest bus stop without having to walk halfway home. RantWoman has been checking regularly and had serious doubts about pedestrian pathways lining up in time for opening day. Again, RantWoman would not have minded being wrong.

RantWoman trundled out toward Rainier and, and, and: still orange traffic barriers all over the sidewalk to the north, on the way to the stop RantWoman needed N of McClellan. No way to walk from the platform over Rainier, say by connecting to the overpass at MLK to the south. RantWoman found herself staring across Rainier at a blue mass she realized must be her bank, definitely not a destination of the day.

At this point, inspiration struck: RantWoman can much more easily connect to buses that go where she needs at....the Columbia City station! There RantWoman has to walk along the platform and cross 1 and a half streets. Then there is a stop with frequent enough service to satisfy RantWoman. The bus goes to a stop where RantWoman is used to the pedestrian etc. scene; come September there will even be a bus that goes right by RantWoman's place! Back up RantWoman went.

The second train also had a passel of kids on it, but these were quieter than the earlier train. RantWoman found her desired bus stop. RantWoman even had a sort of reassuring thought about needing to cross the tracks: RantWoman heard one demo of the train last summer that she thought might be hard to hear over traffic. On the other hand, if one can hear that the traffic is also travelling in the direction one needs to go to cross the tracks, that at least means the train has not used its ability to override signals.

Speaking of noise: while RantWoman waited for her bus a couple more trains went by each way. RantWoman personally is really glad the train uses its bell liberally; however, if RantWoman lived next to the tracks and had to listen to the bell 19 hours a day, she would definitely be looking into a white noise machine or a really good indoor sound system.

Welcome to the neighborhood Light Rail.