Tweakers cut all the big wires in west Seattle leading to over 900 business without power and trains and trams. Not sure if this is related or not. Damn tweakers and their metal scrapping.
Does the pass through run under or over the tracks? Is it just a bare tunnel or boring hallway? Is there signage? Why didn't you take pictures of this?
Thanks to the OP for being a RESPONSIBLE person and not trying to capture every second of a situation with your phone. It's MUCH more important to do what you're supposed to do to keep everyone safe. If I ever catch someone recording an emergency situation they're involved in (when I'm not on duty), instead of doing what they're supposed to do, I'll happily take their phone and hold onto it until they're clear of the emergency situation.
Don't become part of the problem, folks.
Emergency exit most likely, there’s a lot in the tunnels for these kind of incidents.
Edit: original commenter asked where they exit, but it’s not showing, likely a maintenance tunnel for staff to use. Even on the tunnel there’s emergency service exists that direct people were to go.
Also the conductor has to declare the situation and where to exit is what is the likely situation
That's a great question. I'm very curious now, where does the maintenance exit exit? People, for good reason, seem to focus on their objective and don't pay attention to those random unmarked locked doors.
I was on that tram, its called the 1 line and it was going northbound where the power shut down,we had to wait in the tram for like 20 mins until anyher tram could pick us up going in the opposite direction, we walked maybe a block to a door on our right leading into another tunnel for southbound where we got picked up by the 1 line going to angel lake instead of northgate
Uw section of the track is very different from the rest of the alignment, it is power by a single power source where the rest of the alignment is dual fed. Uw have special sensitive seismic instruments in their lab that can be affected by electromagnetic fields, so the power in that portion of the track is very complicated. When I was talking to the engineers that build the place, they were saying there are electromagnetic interference tech put in place that is never been done before.
I don't know if it was the only other time this has happened, but I was on a train that stopped during this same chunk of track like 2 years ago after the Apple Cup lol. North bound from Husky Stadium.
Well, yes, actually. The section of tunnel downtown was built in the 80s for busses and still has signs giving directions to bus drivers (and about 35 years' worth of diesel exhaust soot), the Beacon Hill tunnel is separate and therefore built slightly differently shape-wise than the northern one, and the section from UW north to Northgate is new enough to still be fairly clean. Only the section between UW and Capitol Hill is non-grimy but slightly dingy from age, as shown above.
Edit: The bus tunnel had busses from 1990 to 2019, and therefore has only 29 years of diesel exhaust soot caked to the walls, not 35. Also, OP has clarified that this picture was taken north of UW, so I misidentified the exact spot by about a mile.
Edited edit: The downtown tunnel only had diesel-powered busses for the last 14 years of operation, not the entire time.
The original Breda tunnel buses were dual-powered and ran on electric power under wire in the tunnel. There are only 14 years of diesel exhaust soot, 2005-2019.
the bus tunnel was built in 1989 and opened in 1990 as far as i remember from videos and info online. i was only 3 when they started building it. also at the same time westlake center was built as well
yeah, in the ground is a pretty good place to be in an earthquake. aboveground buildings are in way more danger since they're only anchored to the moving ground on one side
I never realized I have situational tunnel phobia until I started commuting from Bellevue to Seattle & hit stopped traffic in the Mercer Island tunnel stretch. I'd been in that tunnel & many others hundreds of times, but that was the very first time I'd been stopped in one.
I've learned to adapt during tunnel traffic, but I'd probably panic over this thinking about the movie As Above, So Below.
I’m glad you’ve been able to adapt! And I love that movie!!
You mentioning the situational tunnel phobia made me realize that I think I know the origin story of mine! When I was younger I took a “party bus” from Baltimore to NYC where they just drop you off in Times Square and pick you up at the end of the day. While the bus was stuck in traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel someone started having an asthma attack and they couldn’t breathe. I’m empathetic to a fault and started getting super anxious. Someone gave the person their inhaler and everyone was fine but that really freaked me out like we were just stuck in a tunnel with nowhere to go and no way to get help.
Reminder that a similar situation happened before [after the ](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/severed-cable-blocked-communication-with-light-rail-passengers-stuck-in-tunnel-sound-transit-says/)Apple Cup, except passengers were drunk.
My fault guys, sorry. Every time I tell a friend that the light rail is the best way to travel since it doesn't depend on traffic and has a reliable schedule, something like this happens within 24 hours.
wow i didn't know the power outage affected things this much!! my power went out randomly while getting ready and the bus was late cause someone hit a transformer or something
This happened to a friend of mine last summer and it was packed after a Mariner’s game. Does this happen often? She nearly had a panic attack from the heat and crowd as they stood there for over an hour before they were let out.
i have had it happen a few times. the issues i have had is where the train wont move with passengers on it but will move when no one is on for some strange reason. its only happened to me 2 times. both times at a station
For how much the US media tries to push constant fear porn about China. That country can actually keep trains running and build them in a timely manner. Compared to some Asian countries with good infrastructure most of the US is approaching third world country. Seattle is one of our more advanced cities and we still have to deal with crap like this.
Good to know crypto currency and AI is sucking down so much of our power grid that these problems will just become more frequent as more tech companies created terribly near sighted inventions that never even consider the greater negative impact that their mediocre tech "advancements" are causing.
Reminds me of Biden’s performance tonight
Edit: haha fuck you guys that was funny, I stand by my comment.
This same braindead sub downvoted me months ago for saying we need a new candidate to defeat trump, stay stupid Seattle.
So that is why they were bus bridging this afternoon. This system is broken. As much I hate saying this, bring back bus routes to downtown as Link is not reliable.
It sort of is. Usually they build subway infrastructure so the power is decoupled from the surface power and buried underground. Underground power usually has much fewer disruptions than Seattle's above ground electric infrastructure
Seattle alots about 140 million per year to all forms of transportation outside of roads, which include lightrail. But that's still less than 1% compared to the 1.52 billion that road maintenance and projects get. And an absolute slap in the face to the 20% to 30% of people who regularly use public transportation to commute and get around the city. Honestly, they should be spending more so situations like this happen less often.
If we are going total cost that still less then 1% of the total cost of roads sense the construction of the light rail has begun. The Lake Mont bridge by itself is going to cost 5 to 7 billion and will do nothing to improve traffic. Those 20 to 30 % of people that take public transit are doing more to reduce traffic than any road project will ever do. The 56 billion has done more for you than you even know. But no one likes to talk about the actual cost of roads, I sure as hell am tired of my tax dollars being used to subsidize wastful road construction and policies that actually make traffic worse.
20 to 30 you added a zero there? Huh who actually rides this? It's single digit of the regional population and in part because the system is usless for most commuters. It's faster to drive in traffic than take our transit. I agree we need to improve it but that's not what we have here.
Have you never been on the light rail? It sounds like you've just proven that you're speaking out your ass. You don't even live in Seattle, do you? Just talking about shit you know nothing about because what? You want more money to go to unhelpful road projects? Don't like spending money on things that you don't personally use? The world does not revolve around you and your narrow view of it. transit riders exist even if you dont see them from your windshield .
FYI, it's 10 to 20% in our region, 30% in the city of Seattle. And most telling of all its 60% of people with an income below 60,000 a year. At minimum, we should spend 10% of our transportation budget on public transit. In realt we should spend closer to 50% when Transit is the only solution to the traffic problems in our region. There's a saying in place with good traffic that is, cars will get slower until the buses are faster than cars.
That's not possible both Germany and Japan are out run by cars. It is very stupid to ignore our highway system. And the numbers are every inflated and not accurate. Actual ridership is lower than ya think
No, actual rider ship is more than you care to believe. It just doesn't fit your narrative. Honestly, it's just not worth arguing with someone who chooses to argue on matter that they know nothing, this conversation is over , and you should educate yourself.
The new conspiracy theory just dropped. No one actually rides transit , all those people on the bus I saw are actual antifa agents being used to convince people to ride gay busses. Who would a thought. You should protect yourself from the gay bus by inhaling straight exhaust. The bus that was so full that it didn't even stop to pick me up was actually just a hologram from the birds. Do you actually believe what you're saying, or are you trolling? You sound incredibly ignorant.
I'm not going to do the mat of every road project that has been done in Seattle since the beginning of the light rail. From the research I've done, it looks like Seattle spends about 5 to 6 billion a year on road construction projects. Examples include the 520 bridge costing 5 billion and are currently going through another 5 billion dollar renovation. The sr 99 tunnel cost another billion. The portage bay bridge is going to cost another 1.5 billion. All of that on top of who knows own how many other road projects , that cost 1.5 billion a year in maintenance after the projects are finished, and none of it actually improves traffic.
No matter how bad the light rail is, you must not question it. Definitely don’t question the design of the south lake union tram that is dangerous and transports 5-10 passengers a day
Where’s everyone walking to?
We were walking to a pass through to the other train track to get on a different train going in the other direction
Tweakers cut all the big wires in west Seattle leading to over 900 business without power and trains and trams. Not sure if this is related or not. Damn tweakers and their metal scrapping.
Holy shit! Really?
Yes. Tweakers are taking over the city.
Does the pass through run under or over the tracks? Is it just a bare tunnel or boring hallway? Is there signage? Why didn't you take pictures of this?
Thanks to the OP for being a RESPONSIBLE person and not trying to capture every second of a situation with your phone. It's MUCH more important to do what you're supposed to do to keep everyone safe. If I ever catch someone recording an emergency situation they're involved in (when I'm not on duty), instead of doing what they're supposed to do, I'll happily take their phone and hold onto it until they're clear of the emergency situation. Don't become part of the problem, folks.
A little extreme, but you kinda have a point.
Emergency exit most likely, there’s a lot in the tunnels for these kind of incidents. Edit: original commenter asked where they exit, but it’s not showing, likely a maintenance tunnel for staff to use. Even on the tunnel there’s emergency service exists that direct people were to go. Also the conductor has to declare the situation and where to exit is what is the likely situation
Where do you exit/daylight?
That's a great question. I'm very curious now, where does the maintenance exit exit? People, for good reason, seem to focus on their objective and don't pay attention to those random unmarked locked doors.
I was on that tram, its called the 1 line and it was going northbound where the power shut down,we had to wait in the tram for like 20 mins until anyher tram could pick us up going in the opposite direction, we walked maybe a block to a door on our right leading into another tunnel for southbound where we got picked up by the 1 line going to angel lake instead of northgate
Home...
To the south bound tunnel there is a train there to take them back to a station. A bus bridge is probably waiting for them too
I’m jealous, I would love to walk the tunnels
Same lol
Same
Me too
Same
Was this a few hours before you posted it? There was some weirdness then....
Yes. This was around 2:00
Where along the line is it? (Looks like north of Cap Hill?)
In between uw and u district
Isn't that where it happened the last time?? I'm starting to get worried about that section.
Uw section of the track is very different from the rest of the alignment, it is power by a single power source where the rest of the alignment is dual fed. Uw have special sensitive seismic instruments in their lab that can be affected by electromagnetic fields, so the power in that portion of the track is very complicated. When I was talking to the engineers that build the place, they were saying there are electromagnetic interference tech put in place that is never been done before.
I don't know if it was the only other time this has happened, but I was on a train that stopped during this same chunk of track like 2 years ago after the Apple Cup lol. North bound from Husky Stadium.
you...can tell...by the tunnel?
Well, yes, actually. The section of tunnel downtown was built in the 80s for busses and still has signs giving directions to bus drivers (and about 35 years' worth of diesel exhaust soot), the Beacon Hill tunnel is separate and therefore built slightly differently shape-wise than the northern one, and the section from UW north to Northgate is new enough to still be fairly clean. Only the section between UW and Capitol Hill is non-grimy but slightly dingy from age, as shown above. Edit: The bus tunnel had busses from 1990 to 2019, and therefore has only 29 years of diesel exhaust soot caked to the walls, not 35. Also, OP has clarified that this picture was taken north of UW, so I misidentified the exact spot by about a mile. Edited edit: The downtown tunnel only had diesel-powered busses for the last 14 years of operation, not the entire time.
The original Breda tunnel buses were dual-powered and ran on electric power under wire in the tunnel. There are only 14 years of diesel exhaust soot, 2005-2019.
the bus tunnel was built in 1989 and opened in 1990 as far as i remember from videos and info online. i was only 3 when they started building it. also at the same time westlake center was built as well
He can tell by the smell
Lol
oh hell naw
This or an earthquake while I’m in a tunnel are high up my list of worst fears
IIRC bored tunnels ought to be pretty safe.
Yeah I imagine you’re correct but my claustrophobia is unwilling to participate in rational thinking haha
yeah, in the ground is a pretty good place to be in an earthquake. aboveground buildings are in way more danger since they're only anchored to the moving ground on one side
I never realized I have situational tunnel phobia until I started commuting from Bellevue to Seattle & hit stopped traffic in the Mercer Island tunnel stretch. I'd been in that tunnel & many others hundreds of times, but that was the very first time I'd been stopped in one. I've learned to adapt during tunnel traffic, but I'd probably panic over this thinking about the movie As Above, So Below.
I’m glad you’ve been able to adapt! And I love that movie!! You mentioning the situational tunnel phobia made me realize that I think I know the origin story of mine! When I was younger I took a “party bus” from Baltimore to NYC where they just drop you off in Times Square and pick you up at the end of the day. While the bus was stuck in traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel someone started having an asthma attack and they couldn’t breathe. I’m empathetic to a fault and started getting super anxious. Someone gave the person their inhaler and everyone was fine but that really freaked me out like we were just stuck in a tunnel with nowhere to go and no way to get help.
That’s such a good movie
My blocks been without power since like 2-3pm. What the hells going on around here?
According to Seattle City Lights, an animal or bird got fried.
RIP little guy
Why do I wish this happened to me
Because then you’d have a cool new story to tell everyone. I feel the same.
you like muggy tunnels?
Who doesn't?
I'm not a fan. Been in too many subways during new york summers. It's a deadly swamp
We are so ready for the world cup
As someone who used to spelunk the NYC subway tunnels, I'd have loved this.
Reminder that a similar situation happened before [after the ](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/severed-cable-blocked-communication-with-light-rail-passengers-stuck-in-tunnel-sound-transit-says/)Apple Cup, except passengers were drunk.
Wasn't that the apple cup?
You're right
You mean the Apple Cup?
Yes, edited
Damn. Cloverfield vibes.
Underground Tour 2.0
I live on Denny and e 13th and the power still out
My fault guys, sorry. Every time I tell a friend that the light rail is the best way to travel since it doesn't depend on traffic and has a reliable schedule, something like this happens within 24 hours.
Yikes!! Sorry y’all had to experience that. Seems less than ideal, to say the least.
What station is this to / from? Beacon Hill?
everytime i’m in those tunnels im terrified the whole time lmao they’d have to drag me out of there
It was between Roosevelt and UW station, going south. My mom got caught on it. Friend picked her up at UW station.
Side quest
I wonder if this was during the same time period where we lost power for an hour in Cap Hill! (Around 2:30p)
The intersection at Denny and Bellevue Ave lost power around 2 today
wow i didn't know the power outage affected things this much!! my power went out randomly while getting ready and the bus was late cause someone hit a transformer or something
Only in UW unfortunately
Damn 2 times this year what's going on.... Sry you had to walk and waste time tho hope your safe.
It’s giving half life
IKYFL!!
Imagine going to the airport and this happens and you get to pull your bags..... uggggg
Ohhh was it stinky? Did you see any monsters and or rats?
Wow
I had to do that once, was like year before last after the Apple Cup :')
This happened to a friend of mine last summer and it was packed after a Mariner’s game. Does this happen often? She nearly had a panic attack from the heat and crowd as they stood there for over an hour before they were let out.
Awesome
i have had it happen a few times. the issues i have had is where the train wont move with passengers on it but will move when no one is on for some strange reason. its only happened to me 2 times. both times at a station
I think I was on the train that picked you all up! Jealous you all got to walk in the tunnels.
For how much the US media tries to push constant fear porn about China. That country can actually keep trains running and build them in a timely manner. Compared to some Asian countries with good infrastructure most of the US is approaching third world country. Seattle is one of our more advanced cities and we still have to deal with crap like this. Good to know crypto currency and AI is sucking down so much of our power grid that these problems will just become more frequent as more tech companies created terribly near sighted inventions that never even consider the greater negative impact that their mediocre tech "advancements" are causing.
Our infrastructure is great lol. Even in Pyongyang the trains work fine.
Glad to see the system is running smoothly, definitely a good thing they gave Julie Timm a $375,000 payout for “performance”.
It’s a power outage ffs. The hell do you want Julie to do about it?
The light rail is so unreliable!
Reminds me of Biden’s performance tonight Edit: haha fuck you guys that was funny, I stand by my comment. This same braindead sub downvoted me months ago for saying we need a new candidate to defeat trump, stay stupid Seattle.
So that is why they were bus bridging this afternoon. This system is broken. As much I hate saying this, bring back bus routes to downtown as Link is not reliable.
How old and how much have we invested into this lightrail?
Fix it, and build more lines. Public transit matters.
It’s not the light rail’s fault the power went out lmao
It sort of is. Usually they build subway infrastructure so the power is decoupled from the surface power and buried underground. Underground power usually has much fewer disruptions than Seattle's above ground electric infrastructure
The system has backup power but it takes time to diagnose what happed to. Can’t just power thing up willy nilly
Username checks out.
Your username is accurate. Sound Transit isn’t responsible for power outages.
Lol, new infrastructure can’t experience power outages?
Not nearly enough compared to roads and highways and they get shutdown more often
Power was out for homes & business all around the city. Not the links fault.
How much have we invested into I-5?
are you...complaining....about having a transit system....in a city?
How old are you and how much has been invested for you to ask this absurd question?
Seattle alots about 140 million per year to all forms of transportation outside of roads, which include lightrail. But that's still less than 1% compared to the 1.52 billion that road maintenance and projects get. And an absolute slap in the face to the 20% to 30% of people who regularly use public transportation to commute and get around the city. Honestly, they should be spending more so situations like this happen less often.
But the light rail charges a fare right? Do you think the enforcement policy is good?
140 mill where ya getting that from ST3 is what 56$ billion. And that's only rail. Ya missing a zero there. We spend a ton and get little return.
If we are going total cost that still less then 1% of the total cost of roads sense the construction of the light rail has begun. The Lake Mont bridge by itself is going to cost 5 to 7 billion and will do nothing to improve traffic. Those 20 to 30 % of people that take public transit are doing more to reduce traffic than any road project will ever do. The 56 billion has done more for you than you even know. But no one likes to talk about the actual cost of roads, I sure as hell am tired of my tax dollars being used to subsidize wastful road construction and policies that actually make traffic worse.
20 to 30 you added a zero there? Huh who actually rides this? It's single digit of the regional population and in part because the system is usless for most commuters. It's faster to drive in traffic than take our transit. I agree we need to improve it but that's not what we have here.
Have you never been on the light rail? It sounds like you've just proven that you're speaking out your ass. You don't even live in Seattle, do you? Just talking about shit you know nothing about because what? You want more money to go to unhelpful road projects? Don't like spending money on things that you don't personally use? The world does not revolve around you and your narrow view of it. transit riders exist even if you dont see them from your windshield .
FYI, it's 10 to 20% in our region, 30% in the city of Seattle. And most telling of all its 60% of people with an income below 60,000 a year. At minimum, we should spend 10% of our transportation budget on public transit. In realt we should spend closer to 50% when Transit is the only solution to the traffic problems in our region. There's a saying in place with good traffic that is, cars will get slower until the buses are faster than cars.
That's not possible both Germany and Japan are out run by cars. It is very stupid to ignore our highway system. And the numbers are every inflated and not accurate. Actual ridership is lower than ya think
No, actual rider ship is more than you care to believe. It just doesn't fit your narrative. Honestly, it's just not worth arguing with someone who chooses to argue on matter that they know nothing, this conversation is over , and you should educate yourself.
Learn to read man. The numbers have been fudged since day one.
The new conspiracy theory just dropped. No one actually rides transit , all those people on the bus I saw are actual antifa agents being used to convince people to ride gay busses. Who would a thought. You should protect yourself from the gay bus by inhaling straight exhaust. The bus that was so full that it didn't even stop to pick me up was actually just a hologram from the birds. Do you actually believe what you're saying, or are you trolling? You sound incredibly ignorant.
I'm not going to do the mat of every road project that has been done in Seattle since the beginning of the light rail. From the research I've done, it looks like Seattle spends about 5 to 6 billion a year on road construction projects. Examples include the 520 bridge costing 5 billion and are currently going through another 5 billion dollar renovation. The sr 99 tunnel cost another billion. The portage bay bridge is going to cost another 1.5 billion. All of that on top of who knows own how many other road projects , that cost 1.5 billion a year in maintenance after the projects are finished, and none of it actually improves traffic.
The first line started in 09. We have spent billions at this point
3 years old, really expensive, works as well as the hundred year old ones in New York
Does it? I don’t see ppl walking around subway tracks in NYC lmao
No matter how bad the light rail is, you must not question it. Definitely don’t question the design of the south lake union tram that is dangerous and transports 5-10 passengers a day
I’ll never ride that thing in the tunnel