Central Puget Sound

A transit hub at the north end of the downtown Seattle waterfront and a tunnel from the waterfront to the Seattle Art Museum are two options the city should consider, according to Bruce Agnew of the Cascadia Center. “The point we’re trying to make here is that the waterfront can serve as a place to connect people without cars,” Agnew Read More ›

In a recent tour of the transportation policy horizon, Seattle Times’ editorialist James Vesely offered an intriguing observation. “Environment-first groups have the big idea on their side… But the other side has no competitive big idea. They talk capacity while the greens talk about how we live.” Transit theologians have hammered at the notion that auto use is morally wrong. Read More ›

During the past decade, SUVs seemed to take over the roads. Average incomes rose. The price of gas remained relatively low. And yet, despite all that, per-capita gasoline consumption in Washington actually dropped 2 percent, according to a new report from the Seattle think tank Northwest Environment Watch. The report attributes the decline mostly to “smart-growth” policies aimed at reining Read More ›

Paul Heyne, senior lecturer in economics at the University of Washington, asks: When the population of an area grows, why is it that the roads get congested but the movie theaters don’t? His answer: Because you have to pay to see a movie. If people could walk in free, Heyne writes, “I would predict a growing problem of theater congestion.” Read More ›

September 25, 2000 By JIM TORREYand SUSAN CASTILLOTHIS WEEK, leaders from the Pacific Northwest will gather in Eugene to share economic and environmental strategies. How can we help our economy and our communities thrive in an increasing global world? How can we link high speed rail, revitalized downtowns, trade and tourism corridors, and environmental efforts to improve our quality of Read More ›