Morning Rush in Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel

In the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT), dual-mode diesel-electric hybrid articulated busses run alongside Sound Transit's Central Link light rail trains. Before a 2006-2008 retrofit for the light rail line, the tunnel was used by dual-mode diesel/electric trolleybusses. Here, at the tunnel's International District-Chinatown Station, routes 101, 150, 106 and 256 enter the main bore of the tunnel in quick succession, while a Link train enters the station southbound toward Tukwila. Busses on routes 72X and Sound Transit 550 wait for signal clearance while a northbound Link train enters the station toward Westlake.

[@worldkat1393]

Now here me out, what if we replaced those buses with Teslas? Genius!

[@Nachtwolf1]

Yes, it's a fairly good solution, and especially for a city like Seattle, where the transit system is almost exclusively buses and electric trolleybuses. Since the tunnel runs directly under 3rd Avenue, a major street and bus corridor, it acts effectively as an additional street through downtown with very high capacity, especially during rush hours, when headways between buses and trains can be only a few seconds.

[@bornbillsmith]

This a amazing.
It solves the problem that I have been thinking of since I went to collage.
I was taking a coarse in city planning and was trying to design a system that would
incorporate an existing rail system that went underground with a non-rail system that could use the streets as well.
This would work for most cities where the density decreases as you get further away from the ctr of town.
This would be perfect for cities like Los Angelis.

[@Nachtwolf1]

@Lukelr Yes, in 2016 when University LINK light rail opens from the north end of the tunnel, (at what is now the Pine Street Stub Tunnel, currently where northbound Central LINK trains cross over and reverse direction to start southbound runs) headways will decrease (more trains more often) and the signalling system will be train-only, not bus and train as it currently is. So yes, short answer: in 2016 the tunnel will become rail-only. It's anyone's guess what will happen to Convention Place

[@realquadmoo]

nobody could have guessed what happened to convention place :(

[@MEXANIKKA93]

I just want to trend this video to those Elon worshippers. And I want the viewers to do the same thing.

[@BigSleepyOx]

Next month, March 2019, the buses are being totally kicked out of the tunnel, and the tunnel will be light rail exclusive. So this footage is like a time capsule. :)

[@samuraiMOURS]

But the trolleybuses and trams there are still present...

[@samuraiMOURS]

Or in September 2023, the light rail will totally be kicked out of the tunnel, making the tunnel bus exclusive.

[@realquadmoo]

@@samuraiMOURS That will not be happening lol

[@Lukelr]

But, eventually the busses will be phased out of these tunnels, right?

[@LightBeamDan]

trains of Chicagoland and beyond when I went to seattle the train I went on was saying this is the train to seatac airport station yours says this is the train to takwila international blvd station