November 16, 2006

Bus Chick, Transit Authority
Going About Without

By CARLA SAULTER

When I was a child, my parents served in the Peace Corps in Morocco. As a lefty living in a culture that considers the left hand unclean, I was often forced to sit on my favored hand while I ate, colored, or played with blocks. Back in the States, no one prevented me from using my left hand—at least not directly. Instead, I was faced with a world built for righties. School desks, spiral notebooks, scissors, can openers, musical instruments — even expressions — seemed to presume that right was, well…right.

Similarly, in my years as a bus chick, I have become keenly aware that Seattle is, for lack of a better word, “carist.” Freeways, shopping malls, and parking lots far outnumber walkable open spaces. Restaurants and department stores validate parking, but they don’t give away bus tickets or day passes. Web sites for businesses and other organizations offer driving directions but don’t mention which bus routes service their offices. And if I had a nickel for every time a receptionist has asked to register my car, I could single-handedly fund that monorail project we scrapped.

Many neighborhoods do not even have sidewalks, so those of us who must walk to and from bus stops or choose to walk on errands are forced to the ditches at the side of the road. And forget about the suburbs. Last weekend, I went to Bainbridge Island for a baby shower. Buses are scarce on Bainbridge, so I decided to walk the three miles from the ferry dock to the party. After the first mile, the sidewalks ran out. I walked another mile in the bike lane — praying that everyone who passed was both sober and competent — until the father-to-be happened by and offered me a ride — thankfully, just before the bike lane ended.

And speaking of bike lanes…. Although I love the idea of combining my workout with my commute, the only time I ride my bike in the city is on Bike to Work Day. There are simply not enough bike-only lanes, and I am terrified to ride in the street — apparently with good reason. According to The Seattle Times, in 2004, there were 258 bicycle/car collisions in Seattle.

If this carism continues, it won’t be long until we find ourselves — like our brothers and sisters in Los Angeles — permanently stuck on freeways and choking on our own exhaust. I know that this is not what my fellow Seattleites want, because, despite the fact that we continue to build freeway exits and three-car garages, I have yet to meet a person who prefers strip malls to pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods or drive-through windows to neighborhood cafes. It’s time to shift our focus from making the city accessible to cars to making it accessible to people.

While we’re at it: Can we put those anchored pens in stores on both sides of the counter?