They call it 'public transit' but some riders get left behind
Bureaucracies have their ways of ignoring the needs of customers using other public transit systems -- to say nothing of private providers.
C.B. Hall
Latest work
Amtrak finds it hard to take citizens' help, even when they build a station
A community effort built Olympia's train station and, in the nearly 20 years since, volunteers have met every single train to help passengers. Amtrak is not enitrely impressed: its literature tells travelers that the station is unstaffed.
Politics
Gale force ferry service warnings
The state is talking about cuts in the neighborhood of 40 percent. But would such drastic cuts really happen?
Politics
State's newest ferries are proving pricey
The ferries were bought at a high price and have some odd characteristics: the tendency to list, the engines that seem to waste fuel, and tight quarters for vehicles. They are very comfortable, but the state is looking at a potentially bleak future for ferry service finances. Updated: The ferry syst
Culture
Best of 2011: The fragile state of Washington's ferries
A recent disruption in ferry service to the San Juan Islands illuminated just how close Washington's ferry system is to the edge. Can a new government task force resuscitate the struggling system?