Open Thread 12

Link will have another split-spine repair period August 12-19 similar to the reduction in April. This time it's to repair a section of track that has settled at Royal Brougham Way. For the first two days the downtown tunnel will simply be closed, with a bus replacement between Capitol Hill and SODO. Then for six days all trains will terminate at Pioneer Square, and you'll have to transfer to the other platform to continue north or south. Pedestrian access from Stadium Station to the Greyhound terminal or the stadiums will be blocked. We'll have an article on this when it starts.

While you're transferring at Pioneer Square you can contemplate how a center platform would make transferring faster, how this is now a regular problem, and how future transfers to the second tunnel will be several times worse.

The Free Waterfront Shuttle bus is running again for the summer. It runs in two loops from Pier 56 (the Great Wheel). The south loop goes to Pioneer Square and King Street Station. The north loop goes to the Space Needle. Buses run every 15 minutes (subject to traffic) from 10am to 8pm until September 24. Ferry passengers should use the stop at Pier 56 because of construction at Pier 52.

The perfect transit system. (RMTransit video)

What I would build in Vancouver. (RMTransit video)

How feasible is a wholesale switch to electric cars? (Sabine Hossenfelder video)

Amtrak's endless ridership vs coverage problem. (Human Transit)

This is an open thread.