Midweek Roundup: 45-Car Crash

Alaskan Way (facing north-northwest) from Pike Street on September 8, 1961. Almost none of the visible structures exist today; even the seawall has been significantly rebuilt. This view is now repeatable from the new Overlook Walk. Cropped from item 201326, courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives.Transit & Streets:

• The Urbanist: Sound Transit Board Rubberstamps West Seattle Link Route, Amid Cost Issues
• Seattle Bike Blog: SDOT set to start Aurora-Licton Springs healthy streets upgrades on N 100th St, Fremont Ave N
• West Seattle Blog: Bus service modifications (feedback wanted!) and community updates at HPAC October meeting
• Kent Reporter: Drivers going too fast' led to 45-vehicle collision in Kent on I-5; also on KOMO.
• Seilbahnen (Cable Car) International Magazine: Study shows: cable car is more sustainable than the electric bus for point-to-point transit with no intermediate stops.
• Bloomberg CityLab: Robotaxis Are No Friend of Public Transportation
• The Seattle Times ($): Lynnwood light rail is super popular - but there's a problem; the times presents anecdotes from Lynnwood commuters who say they drive to downtown if there isn't enough parking at the station. Sound Transit and Community Transit suggest taking the bus.
• The Urbanist: Bellevue Reveals Initial Designs for Pedestrian Bridge over I-405
• Streetsblog USA: Why America Has So Much Road Safety Research, But So Little Actual Safety

Housing & Land Use:

• Real Change News: Seattle feels the crunch: Affordable housing and human services sees cuts while police funding grows in Mayor's budget
• Urban Land Magazine: Downtown Office-to-Residential Conversions; three case studies in Calgary showing how a city whose office core began declining in 2014 was able to become the world leader in office tower conversions.
• Planetizen: Book Review: Combining Sustainability and Smart Growth, a review of The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook by architects Nico Larco and Kaarin Knudson.

Commentary & Miscellaneous:

• The Urbanist: The Seattle Times' Credibility on Transportation Levies Has Run Out
• The Urbanist: Op-Ed: Vote No on Initiative 2117 to Ensure Mobility for Washingtonians; see our own electoral recommendations here (we agree).
• Ron Davis: Harrell's Halfhearted Housing Plan
• Seattle Now & Then: Alfred's Cafe (Tacoma), 1910
• Mass Transit Magazine: OP-ED: Happy 120th anniversary to NYC subway system
• Streetsblog USA: Opinion: Who Does Passenger Rail Serve? In short, passenger rail serves everyone - even the people who don't meet the profit margins of airlines and car manufacturers."
• The Seattle Times ($): The dash through the airport has become a marathon
• MinnPost: The uneven geography of Halloween sidewalks

This is an Open Thread.