10 minutes of Seattle bus/train rush hour

Be sure to watch part 2! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehgLSmJryaw

Sound Transit has begun testing Link light rail in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel during peak periods. With tight intervals between buses and trains (headways), schedule adherence is very important to avoid delays in the entire system. Look at all the "runners" who missed their buses because the bus cannot wait for them. The fact that we have 120 meter long platforms doesn't help. This is Pioneer Square station.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Downtown
• Seattle
• transit
• tunnel
• bus
• train
• rail
• Link
• Sound Transit
• Metro
• station

[CandyLaStar]

that looks like a VERY confusing station to navagiate! ...was it designed to allow buses like that? or did they add buses at a later date?

[OranViri]

@CandyLaStar the buses came first in 1990. Trains started running in 2009. It was designed for both.

[Larsky1010]

How are buses powered in the tunnel now that there is only a single catenary in place of the double wire overhead they used to have?

[OranViri]

@Larsky1010 They are diesel-electric hybrids. At low speeds, they run off the battery and higher speeds (up to 30 mph) the engine runs on reduced power, reduced emissions mode.

[dumbass1984]

Will the speed of Link trains go up once U-Link comes online and buses no longer run in the tunnel?

[OranViri]

@dumbass1984 Short answer: Yes, slightly. Long answer: I don't think speed limits will go up because stations are so close together but the trains probably will run at full speed more often without buses in the way. Reliability will go up significantly.

[djdjerojr]

Those are trams..

[FASSY524]

@OranViri In the tunnels the buses run on whats called Hush-mode and thats because the buses engines turn off for a short time while people are getting on to reduce exhaust being spewed into the whole tunnels.

[OranViri]

@daniel83baez It's kind of ironic that they released footage of a youth being beaten up in the tunnel while the security guards stand by doing nothing.

@caltrain2 Yeah, us photographers often get mistaken for terrorists. With hundreds of photos and videos freely available online I fail to see the point. Station maps are available on Metro's website.

[caltrain2]

@daniel83baez they dont becouse of terrorists they think that if there was one they would see how it works and map the station then blow it up