Episode Details

In part two of their monorail retrospective, hosts Cari Simson and Elke Hautala dive into the grassroots effort that nearly brought an expanded monorail system to Seattle.

If you missed it, go back and listen to Part 1 to get the deep dive into Seattle Monorail politics and advocacy!

In this episode, we are joined by former campaign staffer Michael Taylor-Judd, transit advocate Rodney Rutherford, and Seattle Department of Transportation staff Brian Dougherty. The episode explores the ground-level advocacy, creative campaign tactics, and complex local politics surrounding Seattle’s monorail movement. The second half of the episode was recorded in the field with Rodney and Brian at 1st Avenue South and South Lander Street, which would have been the Lander Monorail station across from the old Sears flagship location.

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Topics:

• Grassroots Campaign Tactics: How volunteers used plastic-wrapped A-frame petition boards left on city sidewalks and carried a PVC-and-canvas monorail float on foot from Ballard to West Seattle.
• Unforgettable Fundraisers: The 4th of July monorail train rental where supporters watched fireworks over Elliott Bay and Lake Union while tilted on a curved track.
• Why the Monorail Failed: Financial shortfalls tied to car tab motor vehicle excise tax projections, procurement bidding hurdles, political pushback, and friction regarding automated driverless transit.
• Lasting Legacy: How campaign organizers handed over the Transit Riders Union domain to future Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, and how monorail train designs created for Seattle eventually made their way to cities like Cairo, Egypt and São Paulo, Brazil.

Links:

Seattle Monorail Project Wikipedia

For the Monorail: A 1997 Op-Ed by Walt Crowley

Seattle Municipal Archives - Monorail documents:

USCG final environmental impact statement for Seattle Monorail Project Green Line and contains Appendix LL.

Seattle monorail project / final staff recommendation for alignment and stations and includes a small amount about the Lander station and other stations.

The Monorail Society: Hall of Fame

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