For municipal leaders, there could also be no trigger extra virtuous than offering new public transit choices for residents. However what occurs when constructing a type of choices turns into extra akin to standing at a roulette desk, hour after hour, desperately making an attempt to regain all of the gobs of cash which have already been squandered?
Seattle’s streetcar mission might have became an enormous gamble that has been misplaced. Having a pleasant little streetcar working via city appeared like a virtuous thought twenty years in the past and two strains of observe have been put in place. The issue is, only a few folks select to take a trip.
The streetcar working up First Hill and over to Capitol Hill is getting some modest curiosity, most likely as a result of it really goes someplace, however the South Lake Union Streetcar, which meanders via Amazon’s assortment of workplace buildings, is nearly empty most of the time – most likely as a result of it goes nowhere anybody must go.
There’s a central hyperlink on the drafting board that will join the 2 languishing strains, which might make the entire thing extra helpful. The issue, although, is that the worth tag for that hyperlink has shot up from $135 million to $410 million, and that doesn’t embrace the hefty working prices that will be required to maintain the trains working.
Is the excessive price price it? Is there some higher method to spend half-a-billion bucks?
There are already fairly good choices for getting round downtown. Gentle rail runs underneath the streets with a number of stops alongside the best way. Buses have all of Third Avenue to themselves. And there may be strolling. Seattle’s downtown is relatively compact. It doesn’t take all that lengthy to walk from South Lake Union to Pioneer Sq. – perhaps much less time than driving a streetcar.
The toughest factor for municipal leaders to do is admit a grand plan has not labored out, however, within the case of the streetcar, few would blame the mayor or Metropolis Council for giving up on a nasty guess.
See extra of David Horsey’s cartoons at: st.news/davidhorsey
View different syndicated cartoonists at: st.news/cartoons
Editor’s word: Seattle Occasions Opinion now not appends remark threads on David Horsey’s cartoons. Too many feedback violated our community policies and reviewing the handfuls that have been flagged as inappropriate required an excessive amount of of our restricted employees time. You’ll be able to remark by way of a Letter to the Editor. Please e-mail us at letters@seattletimes.com and embrace your full title, tackle and phone quantity for verification solely. Letters are restricted to 200 phrases.