"There's nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail."
[Updated March 30, 2022] "Before entrepreneurs in Seattle won fame selling computer software or takeout coffee across the globe, the city’s vision of Century 21 soared on monorails," writes Mike Linblom for the Seattle Times.
"Elvis rode the elevated train here during the 1962 World’s Fair, as did 8 million other visitors. The German-built rail cars, whooshing on pneumatic tires from Seattle Center to downtown, demonstrated how people might transcend surface traffic jams in the future."
A public celebration is underway today, March 29, at Seattle Center Station to mark the 60th anniversary of opening day, March 24, 1962.
The article includes more history of the monorail as well as insight into the current state of the monorail in a rapidly growing city in a rapidly growing region. There is a new bundle of money headed to the monorail for station upgrades, for example, as the system is popular among fans of the Seattle Kraken NHL team.
"State lawmakers provided an initial $5 million toward station upgrades in the new $17 billion Move Ahead Washington package, and the monorail receives periodic train-maintenance grants by the Federal Transit Administration," reports Lindblom. "That follows $7 million private funds spent last year on renovations, mainly by the arena’s owners."
FULL STORY: Seattle Center Monorail celebrates 60 years
‘The Power of the Kraken:’ Seattle Monorail Ridership Spikes for Hockey Games
Seattle’s new professional hockey team is drawing legions of enthusiastic fans. Around a quarter of them are taking public transit, such as the city’s often-maligned monorail, to games.
Monorail Doesn't Measure Up for Los Angeles, Says Editorial Board
The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times is unimpressed by a plan to build a monorail between the Westside and the San Fernando Valley in the city of Los Angeles.
All Sound Transit Routes Get New, Alphanumeric Names
The "Red Line" didn't fly with people living in neighborhoods historically redlined by discriminatory real estate and land use practices.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research