McGraw Square, a little "Transit Friendly" park at the Southern Terminus of the Streetcar Line. the SDOT Blog touts "The new plaza makes it easier to travel around downtown, and enhances connections from [SLUT] to other options like buses and Link Light Rail". What?? That is farthest from what it does. The "park" did not add bus stops, add an entrance to the tunnel, nor did it make it easier or friendlier to cross that intersection to connect with transit. This was a $900,00 waste of taxpayers dollars, that could have been used to improve transit downtown, like adding shelters in the form of the high raised glass canopies that protrude from a nearby building. I just do not see this as an improvement on any transit related transactions, except a better encouragement for jaywalking to/from all sides of the park.
3 comments:
Viewed on its own it may not make sense, but that's just one part of the overall Westlake Hub Strategy which will include many more transit access improvements.
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/WestlakeHubStrategyDraftRecommendations.pdf
Last thing we need are MORE bus stops in downtown. What we need is better access to an improved set of existing and/or consdolidated stops, which this project helps do. Note the improved bus stop (+/- 10' wider sidewalk with new awnings) across the street on Olive. It's all part of the larger plan.
Re: What Casey said. We really don't need more bus stops - got all of those we need. This is just one step in making downtown Seattle friendlier to pedestrians (again) instead of the rather car friendly land road oriented space it is. Seattle has a LOT of work to do in this space, but this is merely one of many steps that it is taking to remedy the problem.
:) Was it really only $900k? That seems low for a Government project that is basically flat concrete everywhere! The only thing I'd have added is some greenery on the park. Seattle is already a big paved concrete block, the city desperately needs more greenery... but I digress.
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