The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a pretty thorough article on “alternative” (i.e. not just one-passenger cars) transportation in the Seattle area: “A drive toward fewer cars.”

I wouldn’t say that the article has anything terribly profound, but it was an interesting read, nonetheless, especially for someone like me who uses only non-car methods of transportation.

Highlights:

The Pike-Pine neighborhood also is interested in turning one of its side streets into what is known as a “living street,” similar to Pike Place, where there are no curbs, and cars and people mingle in the street. The city has resisted the idea, Levinger says.

… personally, I would love this. The Pike/Pine neighborhood (where I live) is very up-and-coming (I once heard someone refer to “Pike as the new Melrose” [or something ridiculous like that]).

Since then, the news has only gotten worse, says Victor Obeso, who is in charge of service planning for Metro [bus transit]. The recession kicked in and projections for added service hours are even lower. Instead of the 165,000 additional service hours projected for the six-year period, Metro now projects 99,000 hours — about a half a percent per year growth. And Seattle is entitled to only 20 percent of that increase.

… this is a drag. I love the busses and it’s unfortunate that they can’t get all the funding/growth needed. Damn that Tim Eyman! (“Metro’s budget was clobbered by Tim Eyman’s Initiative 695, a $30 car-tab initiative passed by voters in 1999.”)