Seattle Center Monorail

Infobox rail line
name = Seattle Center Monorail


image_width = 120px
caption =
type = Monorail
system =
status = Operational
locale = Downtown Seattle, Washington
start = Seattle Center (west)
end = Westlake Center (east)
stations = 2
routes =
ridership = 7,000
open = March 24, 1962
close =
owner =
operator = Seattle Monorail Services
character = Elevated
stock =
linelength = 1.2 mi (1.9 km)
tracklength =
notrack =
gauge =
el = Third rail
speed = convert|50|mph|km/h|lk=on|abbr=on|sigfig=1
elevation =

infobox rdt|Seattle Center MonorailThe Seattle Center Monorail is an elevated monorail line in Seattle, Washington, that runs a little over one mile along Fifth Avenue from Westlake Center in Downtown to Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne. It claims to be the "only fully self-sufficient public transit system" in the United States, and with a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h), to also be the fastest full-sized monorail in the country. The monorail trains and their tracks were given historical landmark status by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board April 16, 2003.

Creation and route

The monorail, which cost $3.5 million to build, opened on March 24, 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition, a World's Fair being held at the current site of Seattle Center. Eight million people rode the monorail during the half year the fair was open; today, annual ridership is around 2.5 million.

At the northern end of the line, the Experience Music Project building was designed so that the monorail passes through it on its way to the terminal.

Originally, the south end of the line was a large station in Westlake Park that formed a lid over the park. In 1988, the station was moved north a block with the construction of the Westlake Center shopping mall. In order to fit the design of the mall the tracks were moved closer together, such that there is only room for one train to occupy the Westlake Center station at a time. This design decision introduced a collision risk at the station that was eventually realized in 2005.

Operations

The Seattle Center Monorail operates daily. It departs every 10 minutes from the station at Seattle Center enroute to Westlake Center Mall, at Fifth and Pine Street. Each trip takes two minutes to cover the approximately one mile route. Each train can carry up to 450 passengers per trip. The Monorail provides two-train service during special events and activities, with departures every five minutes or less.

Round-trip fares are $4.00 for adults, $1.50 for youth ages 5-12, $2.00 for senior 65+, disabled (with valid Regional Reduced Fare Permit), and persons with Medicare cards. One-way fares are half of the round-trip price. Children four and under ride free.

Potential demolition

In November 2002, Seattle voters approved the construction of a new 14-mile (23 km) monorail line, the "Green Line", which was to be the first of five monorail lines running throughout the city. Partial service was scheduled to be available in 2007, and full service was scheduled for 2009. Because of the route chosen from Queen Anne to Downtown, the existing monorail line was to be demolished as part of that project. The Green Line project was terminated by a public vote in November 2005 after concerns were raised about its financing plan. [ [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002612604_monorail09m.html The Seattle Times: Local News: Monorail dream reaches end of line ] ]

Accidents

On July 25, 1971, a brake failure on the red train resulted in it striking the girder at the end of the track in the Seattle Center station, causing injuries to 26 passengers. In 2002 and 2003, passengers were evacuated by ladder after trains stalled on the track.

On May 31, 2004, a fire broke out on the monorail with 150 people aboard. No one was killed; five passengers were taken to the hospital, none of them burned. The line was closed until December 16, 2004, when service resumed with one of the two trains (the "red train", newly fireproofed) in operation.

On November 26, 2005, the two trains clipped one another on a curve, shearing a door off one train, smashing glass, and raining shards over passengers. Two people were hospitalized with minor injuries; no one else was seriously hurt. Poor design and driver error were blamed for the crash. In 1988, the space between the monorail tracks had been reduced at the southern end of the line to make room for the new Westlake Center, effectively making gauntlet/interlaced track.

The Monorail reopened for service on Friday, August 11, 2006, but was quickly beset with problems two days later when the blue train stalled just short of Seattle Center [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/281169_monorail14.html Monorail shut down again two days after resuming service ] ] and another breakdown on August 19 2006 that trapped over 200 passengers in the blue train at almost the exact same spot as the prior week's breakdown. [ [http://www.kirotv.com/news/9709919/detail.html Monorail Crippled By More Problems - News Story - KIRO Seattle ] ] The monorail was out of service for almost three months to see whether all the problems had been fixed, [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/281962_monorail21.html Monorail back on track? It's up in the air ] ] with service being restored once again on November 8, 2006.

ee also

*List of rapid transit systems
*Seattle Monorail Project (now defunct plan for a new Seattle monorail)

References

*cite news
first=Mike
last=Lindblom
title=Monorail collision result of hazard created during 1988 track redesign
date=November 28, 2005
publisher=Seattle Times
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002650818_monorail28m.html
*cite web
title= Monorail crashes into steel girder at Seattle Center, injuring 26, on July 25, 1971.
work= HistoryLink
url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7561
accessdate=2005-12-23
publishdate=2005-12-01
author=Dougherty, Phil
*cite news
first=Larry
last=Lange
title=Monorail damage more than just dents
date=January 5, 2006
publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer
url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/254555_monorail05.html
*cite web
title= Space Needle officially becomes a City of Seattle historic landmark on April 19, 1999.
work= HistoryLink
url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=1443
accessdate=2006-01-09
author=McRoberts, Patrick

External links

* [http://www.seattlemonorail.com/ Seattle Center Monorail (current)]
* [http://world.nycsubway.org/us/seattle/monorail.html Unofficial site about the monorail]