JB Wrote:
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> The sum of all the development will prevent any
> automobile access to King Street (and largely to
> the ball palaces). Can you imagine anyone getting
> off Amtrak with their luggage and getting on a
> city bus? Does Seattle have the only actually
> insane city council?

What would be insane is to not seize the only chance to build a muiltimodal transit hub here. What would also be insane is to not restore the architectural gem that is the station itself.

Unless you're privy to some secret details about the development plans that the rest of the city is unaware of, automobile access will be increased over the present route via King St. Part of the restoration will be to reopen the Jackson St. entrance, which is really the main entrance as the station was designed. Part of what is great about King St. is how easy it is to drive to, being connected directly to the arterial on Jackson, or via 4th Ave. S. They're also not reducing any capacity on King St. itself.

As for people making the transfer between train and bus, you've got easy connections to Jackson St. (via the famous electric stairs), 4th Ave. S., and a very short 1 block walk to the bus tunnel. One escalator and a block or so walk is quite a bit less than what people endure at most airports.

I often take the city bus to Amtrak, which I can do via one route and it drops me off right on Jackson Street. I have to now walk around the block, but once the renovation is done, I'll just be able to pratically walk in the building straight from the bus. If I don't take the bus, I usually drive and park in the lot across the street from the current door. Sometimes it takes me a whole 60 to 90 seconds to get in the station when I have a lot of luggage.