(Seattle) Monorail's building, debt costs balloon to $11 billion (sold to voters as $2 billion!)

Monorail, light rail, heavy rail, subway, streetcar, mag lev... they all have one fatal flaw: they're fixed. They take people, at mind-boggling expense, from where they aren't to where they don't want to go.

It is amazing that almost every wanna-be "big city" has a commuter rail system underway, or in the planning stages. For reasons which have never been satisfactorily explained to me, a city simply MUST embrace 19th-century technology to be thought of as a "World Class City." My home town (though I've had the common sense to move to the exurbs, thereby avoiding at least some of the tax burden) of Charlotte is one such city. The South Line of its light rail system has been green-lighted for the commencement of construction. Of course, its budget has more than doubled before the first shovel of dirt was turned, despite the fact that the project scope has been scaled back to avoid even more egregious cost overruns. The line was shortened, so that it will stop short of the I-485 beltline, rather than crossing it. More amazingly, each station platform has been reduced in length, and therefore will be able to accommodate trains with a maximum length of TWO cars. Add to the equation the fact that the route will have numerous grade crossings, and what you have is not mass transit, but a toy. Lionel should have been asked to bid on the project.

Of course, it's all about incrementalism. Get the first line done, no matter how puny, and then use the "we can't stop now" argument. It's happening in mid-sized cities from coast to coast. Each and every one of them will be saddled with a money-losing white elephant for decades to come. Very sad.

I'm not going to read the whole article so let me ask, how much federal money is involved?

Another Big Dig RIP OFF?

I'm getting so sick of paying taxes to fund all these pie-in-the-sky lies the blue city folks shove down us so they can have "public transportation" and pretty "greenways" (prediction: mental illness in Boston will skyrocket from it's even high average being left wing idiots because off all the driving and train riding they do underground).

Lyle Lanley

Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Monorail! ...
What'd I say?
Monorail!
What's it called?
Monorail!
That's right! Monorail!
I hear those things are awfully loud...
It glides as softly as a cloud.
Is there a chance the track could break?
Not on your life, my Hindu friend.
What about us brain-dead slobs?
You'll all be given cushy jobs.
Were you sent here by the devil?
No, good sir, I'm on the level.
The ring came off my pudding can.
Take my pen knife, my good man.
I swear it's Springfield's only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
Monorail!
What's it called?
Monorail!
Once again...
Monorail!
But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...
Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
Mono... D'oh!

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