rendering courtesy of SMP

Seattle Center northwest route selected. (5/5/04)
Seattle, Washington. On Monday the Seattle City Council voted for the Green Line to cross through the Seattle Center. The "northwest route" was established as a result of input from neighbors in the area and the majority of museum, theatre and business groups at the Center. The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer also endorsed the northwest route. This short stretch of track has been one of the most hotly debated alignment issues since the Green Line was first proposed. The voter-approved 2002 monorail ballot initiative deferred the route decision to a later date because of the debate. Recently a monorail advisory panel had recommended a different route that circled the Center to the north, but it was felt that route would interfere with traffic and hurt business. The new route will run directly through the Experience Music Project building, as the current monorail does, then pass Memorial Stadium and the International Fountain before stopping at Key Arena. More difficult decisions are to be made by the Council before monorail bidders will submit their proposals in mid-June. Opponents to the monorail are attempting to slow the decision process and kill the project, but the Center route decision demonstrates that the Council is stepping up to make important decisions in a timely manner.

Selected route, diagram and map (292 K pdf). Seattle P-I, 04/05/04.
Sensible track for monorail route. Seattle P-I, 5/5/04.
City Council endorses monorail route through Seattle Center. Seattle P-I, 5/5/04.
Monorail route gets Seattle City Council's OK. Seattle Times, 5/5/04.
Monorail's best route is through the Center. Seattle Times, 5/4/04.

courtesy of Amerityre

Seattle monorail recall 1st signature drive fails. (4/23/04)
Seattle, Washington. Monorail Recall (MR), a group trying to stop the Seattle Monorail Project (SMP), failed in its effort to gather 50,000 signatures for a ballot initiative for yet another vote on the monorail. Seattle citizens have already voted for monorail three times. MR Co-Chairwoman Patricia Stambor told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer the group will attempt a less ambitious initiative to kill the project by persuading City Council members to not to allow it to be built on city streets and property. The new tactic only requires 18,000 valid city voter signatures within 180 days. According to Stambor, with those signatures the council could approve the proposal and effectively kill the monorail project by denying SMP the use of city right of way. Monorail Chairman Tom Weeks said "The voters have already spoken on that subject, I eagerly await the opening of bids because I believe we're going to be able to sign a (construction) contract and move into construction this fall." Bids are due from Cascadia Monorail Company and Team Monorail on June 15th.

Monorail labor agreement signed. Opponents of project now pin hopes on the City Council. Seattle P-I, 4/22/04
Seattle Monorail Project website

Houston paper blames drivers, not LRT. (4/20/04)
Houston, Texas. Those who follow transit news know that the new Houston light rail transit (LRT) system is the poster child example of why trains in the street is a bad idea. Accidents occur on a regular basis, bringing traffic and the rail system to a standstill. Sadly, people are injured and are sometimes killed also. The Houston Chronicle's editors stated yesterday that the paper "frequently receives letters from readers wondering why the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) chose light rail instead of a more distinctive, futuristic monorail system. The argument for elevated monorail swelled during a rash of collisions between Metro trains and private vehicles at grade." Evidently monorailists aren't the only ones coming to this logical conclusion. However, the Chronicle defends MTA's decision and says "Better enforcement of the traffic rules and more conscientious driving habits, not monorail, are the solution to our transit safety problem." Yeah, it's those rascal car drivers and pedestrians getting in the way of trollies again. How many vehicle vs. train accidents would have happened by now if Houston stuck with the original 1988 MTA decision for monorail? That plan was killed by Mayor Bob Lanier after promising to do so during his election campaign. Incidentally, we haven't seen one safety program have success in ending light rail/auto/pedestrian accidents yet, have you?

Why no monorail. Houston Chronicle, 4/19/04.

Seattle Team Monorail loses major companies. (4/20/04)
Seattle, Washington. Bombardier's Team Monorail, established to bid on the Seattle Monorail Project (SMP), lost two major construction companies from their team. Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc. and Granite Construction Company have told Bombardier that they're withdrawing as prime construction contractors for the 14-mile Green Line. Kiewit and Granite were two of 19 companies on the Bombardier team. The companies withdrew because of other commitments to major projects and a concern over the "risk of building monorail." Tom Stone, president of the company that formed the Bombardier team, told the Seattle P-I that he thinks there's a good chance both contractors eventually will perform some construction work if the team's bid is accepted. Bids from Bombardier's Team Monorail and Hitachi's team, Cascadia Monorail Company, are due June 15. The deadline can be extended by SMP if contractors ask for it. In other Seattle Monorail Project news, the City Council approved general guidelines for designing monorail facilities and changing rights of way to accommodate the new transit system. Other elements of the project are still being reviewed by the council, including the alignment.

Monorail team hit by firms' pullout. Seattle P-I, 4/20/04.
Major player quits 1 of 2 teams bidding to build Green Line. Seattle Times, 4/20/04.
Seattle monorail suffers setback. KOMO TV, 4/20/04.
Seattle council approves monorail guidelines. Puget Sound Business Journal, 4/20/04.

art courtesy of Aerobus

Aerobus announces Weihai bridge project. (4/6/04)
Weihai, China. Aerobus International has announced that the City of Weihai selected Aerobus for a spectacular suspension bridge project. A 4.2 km, three-station Aerobus system will be built entirely over water and will require only 9 spans for the entire distance. The system will connect Weihai with Liugong Island. Getting to the island now requires a 20 minute boat ride. The suspension bridge system will have seven towers of similar design to other suspension bridge supports. However, one tower will be called the Weihai Star and be 257 meters high. A station will be located at the tower, where tourists will be able to take elevators up to the 208 meter level for an amazing view of the bridge and region. Initially, the system will have three suspended Aerobus vehicles, each with three to four modules. The system is scheduled to open in 2006. Further information on Aerobus and the Weihai system can be found at the Aerobus website.

art courtesy of Aerobus

Seattle monorailists fight back. (4/3/04)
Seattle, Washington. As anti-monorail forces are stepping up their efforts to derail the Seattle Monorail Project (SMP), ardent supporters of the monorail are once again coming to the foreground to do battle. The Stranger, a local publication that has tirelessly gone to bat for the monorail, this week published a series of informative articles arguing in favor of completing the project. Joel Horn, head of the SMP, refers to the Stranger as "an irreverent (and sometimes obscene), hip, cynical, must read weekly newspaper." TMS President Kim Pedersen says "the current series of articles is a must-read for monorailists, especially in Seattle. It would be tragic for the project to get this far and let a few loud obstructionists stop what Seattle citizens have voted for three times."

Save the monorail! The Stranger, 4/1/04.

Special plea to TMS Members from President Kim Pedersen

Seattle monorail board approves route. (3/30/04)
Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Monorail Project (SMP) board has given final approval for the 14-mile Green Line. This comes after 15 months of intense work. Over 925 meetings have been held and over 5,000 people attended open houses, workshops, public hearings and community meetings. Hundreds of alternatives for stations locations along the route have been considered, along with numerous options for the actual location of the track. An enormous amount of decisions have been made, most of which draw praise and criticism at the same time. One would have to look hard to find any other transit project that moved as fast or as open to public input as the Seattle Monorail Project. The next major milestone will be the release of proposals from the two teams headed by Bombardier and Hitachi.

Major Milestone in Progress for Seattle Monorail Project Spurs Community Thank You Event. Business Wire, 3/30/04.
The next monorail stop: City council. Seattle P-I, 3/30/04.
Monorail board OKs route for Green Line. Seattle Times, 3/30/04.
Seattle Monorail Project website

New service for Seattle Alwegs? (3/29/04)
Bremerton, Washington. Yet another proposal is being made to keep the historic Seattle Center Monorail trains running, as opposed to being static displays in a museum. Bremerton City Councilman Mike Shepherd has proposed that the city look into acquiring the monorail and moving it to Bremerton. Shepherd believes the monorail would solve the pedestrian-vehicle problem during ferry arrivals better than the city's preferred alternative to build a $28 million tunnel for departing traffic. Others have questioned the need for a tunnel. Shepherd wants the monorail option to be included in an upcoming environmental assessment. He also would like the city to begin negotiations to acquire the two Alweg trains, guideways and related parts. But wait, there's more! Shepherd sees the monorail as the possible foundation of a 4-mile circular route that would eventually connect Manette Bridge, Harrison Hospital, Olympic College and downtown Bremerton. The current Alweg monorail system is scheduled to be retired in 2005 when construction is supposed to begin on a 14-mile, $1.75 billion Green Line monorail.

City councilman wants to elevate tunnel debate. The Bremerton Sun Link, 3/29/04.
Seattle Center Monorail website

Seattle project intensifies with EIS release. (3/21/04)
Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Monorail Project final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released March 10th. As businesses and citizens pour over the details of the plan for a 14-mile system, critics are coming out of the woodwork. Anti-monorail forces focus in on problems and negativity rules the day in press reports (as it usually does). For monorailists however, though some have disagreements with elements of the plan, a final EIS release is one more step towards a major non-resort urban monorail system in the United States. The final EIS looks at alternative alignments, stations, facility locations and other elements of the system. The EIS is available on the Seattle Monorail Project website, including numerous illustrations of how the system could look. Another positive for the project is that the Seattle Monorail Project committee approved a project labor agreement (PLA) for the 14-mile Green Line. The PLA was first agreed to by 36 local unions. With labor standing to gain 2,100 new jobs in the community for the monorail, the project gains a strong ally. No lockouts, work stoppages or delays will be allowed under the agreement, which will help ensure the project stays on schedule and on budget. Meanwhile, monorailists are fighting a rising tide of negativity over the project with comments of their own. Dick Falkenbury, the man who founded the grassroots effort for monorail in Seattle, recently commented on the TMS Discussion group: "I would argue that the monorail movement in Seattle--official and grassroots-- has made a huge mistake in agreeing that the monorail is a negative intrusion that we must either mitigate or apologize for. That is wrong. The monorail is a positive. Even the track, in my opinion, is a graceful, beautiful addition to the city landscape. It is especially a positive if placed up against the alternative: more traffic, more roads, more buses, more pollution and more covering the earth with concrete and asphalt."

Seattle Monorail Project website
Monorail's stark reality beginning to sink in. Seattle Times, 3/18/04 (written by future word eater).
Monorail moves towards PLA deal. Seattle DJC, 3/17/04.
Proposed monorail takes a new turn in Sodo. Seattle P-I, 3/17/04.

Las Vegas: April opening out, summer in. (3/21/04)
Las Vegas, Nevada. Unofficial opening dates for the Las Vegas Monorail have so far been January 1st, first quarter of 2004, and late April. The latest buzz coming from Sin City is that the monorail won't open until sometime this summer. For those of you not keeping track of seasons, Spring just started! According to a report from KLAS TV, "the company managing the project is still conducting tests on the computer software that runs the entire rail system." The familiar explanation is being expressed, "we want it to be safe." So was the original plan was for an unsafe monorail? Bottom line with the opening delays is cynicism from the public, which isn't good for those of us promoting monorail. However, once it's running and carrying the projected 19-million passengers per year, the success of the system will certainly help everyone forget misteps in opening date predictions. Whenever the opening is, the Monorail Society plans to be there. Stay tuned for details if you would like to join us!

Delays in opening of monorail could be costly. Las Vegas Sun, 3/22/04.
Las Vegas Monorail: testing delays opening. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/20/04.
Monorail's April launch pushed out. KLAS TV, 3/19/04.

LA-Ontario maglev study gains 1/2 million. (3/21/04)
Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved spending more than $500,000 to join a regional study of a maglev line from West Los Angeles to Ontario Airport. The council voted 14-0 in favor of the study. City councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the council's Transportation Committee, said "We have an opportunity to exert leadership in the region." Los Angeles is the last of three regional bodies to support the Southern California Association of Government's (SCAG) efforts to pursue a first $5.5 billion segment of a regional maglev system with the 55-mile line. SCAG sought $1 million from Los Angeles, Ontario and San Bernardino Associated Governments to match $2.5 million in federal funds to further study the line's feasibility. The maglev would be built through a public-private partnership with government loans to be paid off with ticket revenues. Lockheed Martin wants to design, build and operate the system.

Council oks maglev funds. LA Daily News, 3/16/04.
California Maglev Alliance website

Munich maglev preview center (3/9/04)
Munich, Germany. Visitors to Munich International Airport are getting a glimpse into the future in a dramatic fashion. A full-size Transrapid car is on display, complete with an elevated segment of track. Along with the vehicle, a maglev display room has pictures, multi-media stations with films and animations that show visitors many aspects of the project. There is even a Transrapid simulator for visitors to get an idea of what the ride will be like once built. Engineering is currently under way for the dual-track 37.4 km long system. The preview center is open daily from 10 AM to 8 PM, admission is free.

Munich Transrapid website

Press: Las Vegas opening delayed. (3/2/04)
Las Vegas, Nevada. Before the Las Vegas Monorail can open to the public, the system needs to be tested for 30 days continuously to prove its capabilities. That test hasn't begun, according to sources in Las Vegas, which means that it won't open during the targeted first quarter of 2004. The Clark County building division is still testing aspects of the system. If the tests are successful, an early April opening is possible. Terry Murphy, a Las Vegas Monorail Company board member, said "When it does open we're going to make sure that it is fully operational and safe. We have to make sure the testing is done properly."

Monorail debut postponed again. Las Vegas Sun, 3/02/04.

Switch to Hitachi in Jakarta? (3/2/04)
Jakarta, Indonesia. According to reports in the Indonesian press, Malaysia's MTrans has been dropped as the supplier for a proposed monorail in Jakarta. Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso says the project will proceed instead with Japanese firm Hitachi as its top investor. "Their (Hitachi) offer costs more but it will be worth it as the company has good quality monorail technology," he stated. Hitachi is offering to build the system for around $600 million, which is higher than MTrans $540 million offer. The governor recently completed a five-day visit to Japan and praised Hitachi for applying its monorail technology in Japan for around 40 years without any errors or fatal accidents. "The monorail in Malaysia is good but has not been proven in the long-run, unlike the Japanese," he said. If the Hitachi deal becomes a reality, it could be preceived as sweet revenge for Hitachi. Hitachi was dropped in the Kuala Lumpur Monorail project after the Asian financial crisis in favor of the new monorail builder MTrans.

Sutiyoso returns with projects. Jakarta Post, 3/1/04.