Seattle NHL team announces Monorail partnership with free transit to games

[TheScorpion]

1232408068358467584

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-seattle-announces-monorail-partnership-and-free-public-transit/c-315511164?tid=304993632

you know, a team with money's a little like the mule with a spinning wheel!

ok guys get your jokes out of the way

[Muta]

I hope they call the train line to the arena, 'The Tentacle'

[btimbit]

Live feed of the meeting to arrange this

ZDOI0cq6GZM

[GranteedEV]

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't Capitals fans have a serious beef with their public transit?

[dash_pinched]

I hope they call the train line to the arena, 'The Tentacle'

Careful :D

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/42/ca/2a42ca96a8ea53944078a622419ff749.jpg

[Reaper]

Honestly, I think that free transit for NHL home games would be an excellent green initiative for all 32 teams.

[Strange Brew]

The Seattle monorail is essentially a tourist attraction. It doesn’t really go anywhere. And it’s not set up to move a bunch of people.

I don’t believe this is offering free transit on their rail line (which in my limited experience is pretty good IMO).

[Dion]

Whoever came up with this idea has a one track mind.

[Calgary14]

Seattle monorail has a total of 2 stations?

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Seattle monorail has a total of 2 stations?

Yes.

[Flash Walken]

I wonder if this something that came up when the flames were considering relocation and is the basis for their ask from the city for free transit on game days.

[Flacker]

Yes.

And they don't mess around with any of that hokey mag-lev stuff, good old rubber tires on concrete. If you have ever been on it, you wouldn't want to ride it to a hockey game. It should have been either upgraded or demolished, years ago.

[Scornfire]

NHL Seattle - Public Transport Partnership (https://komonews.com/news/local/nhl-seattle-to-partner-with-offer-free-transit-to-home-games)

The article clarifies that ORCA is also part of this arrangement, so all Public transport is seemingly included. You can take light rail (Using your Game Ticket) to the Westlake station to get on the monorail to the arena

[djsFlames]

Live feed of the meeting to arrange this

ZDOI0cq6GZM

Came for this, left satisfied.

[TheScorpion]

The Seattle monorail is essentially a tourist attraction. It doesn’t really go anywhere. And it’s not set up to move a bunch of people.

I don’t believe this is offering free transit on their rail line (which in my limited experience is pretty good IMO).

I believe it is, although the NHL.com article is slightly unclear

The NHL team's decision to include free public transit via ORCA (our regional transit pass card) with season ticket packages and single-game tickets will no doubt encourage fans to be part of a better flow to and from games. It's phase one of a three-part plan to be unveiled in coming months.

"We expect around 25% of fans to use public transit in our first year," said Rob Johnson, vice president of transportation for NHL Seattle who notes total transit boarding in the central Puget Sound region increased by 2.4 million people year over year, the largest increase among the top 50 urbanized areas in the nation. "The use of public transit can become a unique part of the fan experience [including 90-second bursts of fun information] and will likely be the quickest and most reliable way to get to and from our games. It's about a system which will both be efficient and build culture."

As far as I've been able to ascertain, ORCA cards are already in use for all of Seattle's various transit options and are now going to be used for the Monorail system as well in conjunction with this announcement

I also found it interesting that the new NHL team is subsidizing a pretty substantial upgrade to the Monorail system and stations

As part of the partnership with SMS, the current Monorail operator, and NHL Seattle will make a private capital investment of up to $6 million at the Westlake station to achieve upgrades including improved platforms, modernized electronic fare gates (making ORCA card use even easier) and additional elevator access.

[Jethro Choicebro]

And they don't mess around with any of that hokey mag-lev stuff, good old rubber tires on concrete. If you have ever been on it, you wouldn't want to ride it to a hockey game. It should have been either upgraded or demolished, years ago.

Replace it with an escalator of some sort perhaps...

https://media.giphy.com/media/l2Je87QlNqPh2QdDW/giphy.gif

[Johnny Makarov]

Seattle monorail has a total of 2 stations?

Sounds like the Edmonton LRT. I haven't taken it in a while but the last time it was U of A to Jasper Ave. haha

[Strange Brew]

Thanks for the additional info there Scorp. That is a big difference.

And yeah they'd have to make huge upgrades to the monorail station at the Space Needle if they expect to accommodate large crowds. And to the cars themselves.

But IIRC the trains don't go by that area so the mono could take people downtown to where the trains are. Based on my experience. moving say 10,000 people through that monorail would take about a day and a half.

[Since1984]

So, Seattles transit names include ORCA and SLUT. Interesting beef with Vancouver already!

[siggy]

Smart initiative by Seattle - I don't know if it's still the case, but when I did live in Edmonton, transit was free on gamedays to anyone who had a ticket for the Eskimo home games. I don't think there is anything similar for Oiler games though. Hopefully this will become a trend across the NHL.

Sounds like the Edmonton LRT. I haven't taken it in a while but the last time it was U of A to Jasper Ave. haha

It was never only U of A to Jasper Ave. While it's doesn't come anywhere close to Calgary's system, it's been going as far North as Clareview for the last 40 years, and as far south as Century Park for the last 10. It also has a leg that branches off to NAIT, and by next year, a new 13 km SE leg to Downtown is scheduled to open (whether it does or not is another matter).

I'm not saying the system is great (it really sucks and it has tons of issues - I rode the C-train way more than I ever rode the LRT when I lived in either city), but to say it only travels between the U of A and Jasper Ave is misleading.

[btimbit]

Came for this, left satisfied.

The whole world knew it was coming, but that didn't make it any less satisfying

[TheScorpion]

Interesting to note that in the picture of the Monorail train included in the tweet posted above, the home team is wearing red jerseys.

[PaperBagger'14]

If their name is still the "Rain City B**** Pigeons" I hope they call it the "Rain City B****-Bus"

[_Q_]

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't Capitals fans have a serious beef with their public transit?

Everyone in DC actually has an issue with public transit there. I have no clue why, though, Washington metro is pretty awesome and super reliable.

[BurningSteel]

I just hear a pirate captain speaking:. Yarrgh next stop be the home of the crakin watch yer step.

Yarrgh it's the end of the line for ya. Beyond here lies the crakin.

Etc etc

[Strange Brew]

Everyone in DC actually has an issue with public transit there. I have no clue why, though, Washington metro is pretty awesome and super reliable.

The best in NA in my rather unqualified opinion.

[Reaper]

Interesting to note that in the picture of the Monorail train included in the tweet posted above, the home team is wearing red jerseys.
I'm calling Seattle Sockeyes. Just a feeling.