Ground Transporation - So Many Choices Coming Up

Christmas Day, 2007: 

I took a ride on Christmas Day on the South Lake Union Trolley.  After some fun was made in the local newspapers about the acronym, the name has been changed to the South Lake Union Streetcar.  It was really cool.  One car was red, the other was purple.  Being new, they were nice and clean without graffeti and garbage.  No damage has yet been done to them.  It was a pleasant ride between the downtown Seattle shopping areas and the South Lake Union business and entertainment areas. There were not very many people willing to brave the cold wet weather just to ride from one closed area to another. Being as how it was Christmas Day, no stores or restaurants were open. But it made for a pleasant ride with the ability to take a few quick pictures with my little point’n’shoot camera.

For those who live in South Lake Union and work in town, or for those who live (as I do) in Belltown, but enjoy the restaurants in South Lake Union, it is a very pleasant method of transportation. It will be priced like the metro bus system at $1.50 or one can use their bus pass, their transfer or even a credit card (at some locations) to purchase a ticket to ride. And so far, the people who regularly ride the metro buses in the free ride zone have not indicated a willingness to pay for the same comfort on the Streetcar.  A pleasant ride, all in all.

And I just read where the Amtrak’s Empire Builder will get a new stop. This is particularly exciting as it will be stopping in Leavenworth, WA. Leavenworth is about 20 miles west of Wenatchee on Highway 2. The Empire Builder runs between Seattle and Chicago. It already stops in Wenatchee, WA. This is supposed to all happen sometime in late 2008. Right now, other than the tour buses which go to Leavenworth for Christmas lighting events and other touristy kind of opportunities, there is access only by car. For me, it is a major hassle to drive up there, find parking, etc. etc. Being able to reserve a room for a night or two, shop and dine, and generally enjoy the quaint atmosphere without the hassle of the car is going to be very enjoyable. And then there is simply the train ride. Since moving to the Northwest, I have grown almost addicted to the soothing ride on a train. In other areas I have lived I would never have considered being without a car for a moment. But here, with the public transportation being so convenient and affordable, I save huge amounts of money every month by not having a car.And train rides are such fun! More choices in ground transportation are becoming available, pleasant and affordable. How much more can one ask of getting around as we leave 2007 and start into 2008?