It stands unverified at this time, but we have heard that Monorail Red in Seattle has just crossed 1 Million
Miles on the odometer.
Congratulations!
UPDATE:
Monorail Red has indeed pass the 1 million mile mark! Not bad for a prototype purchased in 1965 for $600,000.
For the full press relase, please click here.
A critical moment in linguistic history may have just occurred. Not at all related to the construction of Seattle’s SMP, we found a recent article describing city projects. The author specifically uses the word “monorail” to refer to a city wide boondoggle.
Monorails are things which look like critical infrastructure, but which don’t provide something people need.
He goes on to explain that cities must build “Critical Infrastructure.” There is also a related discussion of a city’s ability to build projects which pay for themselves. It’s interesting to note that Alex Marshall argues against this logic, stating that infrastructure should never be expected to pay for itself.
I guess that’s where Seattle stands today. Paying for it’s Monorail.
p.s. The author of the smcmaster article is not the same Shannon.
If you’re interested in a few hours of municipal wifi discussion, follow this link.
http://smcmaster.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/how-this-blog-got-started/
The Seattle Green Festival is scheduled for this weekend. If you supported the Seattle Green Line because of an environmental mindset, you may enjoy a visit. If you ride the monorail you receive $5 off admission. Of course, to ride the monorail you would need to find parking at the mall, (which is probably easier to find at convention center). And then you’d need to pay $4 for the roundtrip monorail ticket, so you’ll be saving… let’s see, carry the 2 … carry the remainder … Why does monorail money seem so hard to add up? Oh wait, there’s a two for one coupon at the Monorail Website… Either way, go enjoy the classic Seattle icon, and learn something about solar power and our planet when you get there.
Seattle Times Information Article
Seattle Monorail Green Festival Coupon
And now for something completely silly. It seems that a monorail is determined to take the world by storm. The design world at least. The Ikea design world that is.
As part of an advertising stunt, Ikea has transformed the Kobe Portliner monorail in Japan into a one-track transportation show room. While the style may not be to everyone’s liking, it’s certainly fun to look at, and remember it won’t be making it’s appearance on the Seattle Green Line anytime soon. Although Poang commuting could be nice. Maybe we can get them to flat pack the monorail and send it over.
*RA = Requires Assembly.