Looking for rail? Try Portland/Vancouver
It really really hurts to have lost the Seattle Monorail plan. Guys are probably thinking, “What’s up with that? Get over it, man!” It’s difficult but I’m trying. Maybe looking at other cities in the Pacific Northwest that are doing it right (albeit not with monorail) will cheer me up.
Let’s have a look at our sisters to the north (Vancouver British Columbia) and south (Portland Oregon). These two cities have urban rail already in operation. Here are maps of each city’s system. I think that most of Portland’s system is at-grade (on the ground) while Vancouver’s is mostly grade-separate (elevated/tunnel). Overall, their setup is respectable. Hopefully one day the city of Seattle will have as much.
Portland
Vancouver
More on urban rail systems at http://www.urbanrail.net
