Let’s ride Seattle’s Light Rail

[ChrisCoulson]

It looks like a road because it used to be one! The downtown tunnel used to be a bus rapid transit tunnel. It was recently closed off to buses and converted to light rail only.

[MrBobDobolina]

Only 30+ years in the making. Another 25 years or so and we'll have, essentially, recreated the commuter rail system the city tore up in the 1920's.

[JulietS]

The network is currently being expanded. It is the fastest growing rapid transit system in the nation. A new line is scheduled to open next year. And Northlake Station opened last year. I also saw another person say this, but it was originally a bus only tunnel built in 1990, then light rail was added in 2009 and it traveled through the same tunnel, only closing to buses in 2018.
Edit: Those cars are brand new, they entered service last year

[sacyrus]

Average Seattle resident referring to stairs as “manual escalators”

[JCSchaefer]

You can tell it’s not the DC Metro based on the lack of it being on fire. :)

[myrnajucar]

What an adventure you have! You are doing a good job of informing us about things and places. Thank you.

[nolanbills]

We western washitonians are very lucky that people finally pulled their heads out and took a deep breath of fresh air and a few decades late for sure and did the right thing. Could have been even better if they would have done this back in the 70's!!!

[MaydupNem]

The seattle metro area is such an interesting concept as far as subways go, because it's about 5 miles wide and thirty miles long.

[travisallard]

Seattle, my home town. It's funny that you compared Seattle to the DC subway. I lived just outside DC for a short while and thought the same thing.

[Ae-neiy]

My former city. I love it there so much. Ah what would I recommend honestly? One of the nicest places in Seattle is the backdrop from up by this amazingly located restaurant called Northwest Tofu. Catching a sunrise there on this road bank that looks over from Central District onto Chinatown. The beauty just leaves you completely speechless. So does the view from Danny Woo garden but from up higher like I say at this restaurant location you can really imagine what Seattle’s history what they called first hill which is now the SODO district. From up there you can still imagine what it was all like before even everything like this as well. You can go as far back as your mind allows you.

[kendufresne]

Oh my things have changed. Last time I was in Seattle was in 2002. They didn't even have a light rail system. Took long bus rides to and from downtown/airport. Monorail to the Space Needle. There were RR crossings heading over to the baseball stadium, which I heard they're no longer there. Man I need to get myself back to Seattle in the near future. It's not easy for me since I live in MA..

[jamesmurray]

Wow, can't wait to ride that.Rode the Mono rail when I was there.

[enigma]

Tour the Seattle underground. I've lived here 30 years walking above and it took my girlfriend from outta state to inform Me we have an underground rail system

[Maunico]

Well originally this station was part of a bus-way.

[Алексатагин]

I don't know why this video was recommended to me, but i't great. Especially "we'll do it manually":)
I thought such a large city as Seattle already had city train system many decades before 2009.
Greetings from Russia!

[BenjaminWillis-]

I been to Seattle in June of this year and I like their light rails up there including Minneapolis light rails.

[Sustaita.handmade]

I love their light rail system so convenient. All the stops are bright and large so they feel pretty safe even at night.

[erichuxel]

I remember the bus tunnel and underground stations before light rail. All the stations are different and huge and beautiful.

[daveweiss]

The section of tunnel from International District to Westlake Station looks like road... because it is... it was originally a bus tunnel built in the 1990s, it was designed from the beginning for rail though, it always had tracks and overhead wires (used by trolley buses at first) and for a brief period it had both buses and trains at once. All the new tunnels amd stations look like normal subway tunnels though. Also, the entire system is notorious for always having broken escalators.

[PNWElevatorAviation]

Yes the platform tracks were actually roads bc back then, buses used to serve these stations before they stopped going into this tunnel