bus delays

I read Greg Buck's opinion piece "Express bus trumps monorail" as I rode the bus into downtown this morning and I wondered if he is one of the many monorail opponents in Seattle who don't actually use our excellent bus system.

I am not going to try to debate Buck's travel times on buses vs. monorail. I will concede on those data for the sake of this argument.

What Buck fails to take into consideration is what happens to all of us bus riders when conditions are not ideal.

How long does he think it takes to get from Morgan Junction to first and Union on the 54 bus in the afternoon or evenings - when there is no express bus?

Apparently, Buck has not taken the 120 or 125 buses from Delridge when the viaduct is closed and they have to meander down First Ave, doubling their travel times or worse.

Clearly, he has forgotten what happens when there is an accident on the West Seattle Bridge or traffic backs up from I-5. It has taken me 40 minutes and more to get home from downtown.

Buck also seems to lack the foresight to remember that the 56 express bus, which runs 16 minutes in the morning in 2005, will run perhaps 20 minutes, 24 minutes, and more as each year brings more people and more traffic to the same roads leading in and out of West Seattle.

Yet, in every single one of these examples I have given you, the monorail will be able to assure you the same travel time every single day, 365 days a year.

"Rise above it all" is not just a clever slogan. We call for "Transit over Roads" because elevated transit by monorail makes sure you make your meetings on time and you don't miss appointments because of traffic and accidents and weather problems happening below your quick, smooth ride.

Vote monorail Yes on Nov. 8.

Michael Taylor-Judd

Delridge