Talk:T Line (Sound Transit)

Does this run in mixed traffic?

Does Tacoma Link run in mixed traffic? If it runs in lanes with cars, then it is a "streetcar line". If, however, if it runs in a completely segregated/separate right-of-way for its entire route, then it is truly "light rail". The article doesn't address this issue, so I can tell. Pinging: @SounderBruce, RickyCourtney, and SJ Morg:... --IJBall (contribs • talk) 22:04, 29 March 2016 (UTC)

@IJBall: The line has some exclusive segments, but the majority is street-running in mixed traffic. But it's irrelevant as Sound Transit calls it light rail and puts it equal to Central Link, which is on the high, high end of what light rail can be. SounderBruce 22:46, 29 March 2016 (UTC)

This system runs in reserved lanes, not in mixed traffic, over about 63% of its length (1.0 mile of a 1.6-mile line). Streetcars share lanes with other traffic on most parts of Commerce Street, but all other sections of the line have the track in streetcar-only lanes (or, on one short section near the Convention Center only, private right-of-way). It's clearly visible in Google Street View (for example here, looking west on 25th at D Street), and the distances can be easily measured in Google Earth (which I did for this comment). Even the two blocks of non-revenue track between the south/east end of the line and the carhouse are in a streetcar-only lane, and if that stretch is included, the proportion of the line that is not in mixed traffic amounts to two-thirds (about 1.2 miles of 1.8 miles). SJ Morg (talk) 23:49, 29 March 2016 (UTC)

Adding to my own comment: The Tacoma situation contrasts sharply with the Portland Streetcar and Seattle Streetcar systems in this regard (albeit not with regard to vehicles), as the Portland and Seattle systems both have roughly 95% of their tracks in lanes shared with other traffic, compared to Tacoma's approx. 35%. – SJ Morg (talk) 00:06, 30 March 2016 (UTC)

My $0.02 is it would be a very good thing to add this info to the article (perhaps in a 'Route' or 'Character' section). --IJBall (contribs • talk) 01:32, 30 March 2016 (UTC)

The definition of a "streetcar" seems tenuous... but Tacoma Link is definitely a streetcar. Sound Transit refers to it publicly as "light rail" largely for political purposes, but has acknowledged that by American definitions, it's a "modern streetcar." From the opening day press release:

"Light rail has arrived in the Puget Sound region!"
With those words - amid fireworks and a shower of confetti- Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Ron Sims today officially launched service on Tacoma Link Light Rail. The 1.6-mile line is the first modern streetcar service in Washington State - and the first streetcar to run in Tacoma since 1938.

— Sound Transit launches Tacoma Link Light Rail

Tacoma Link is very unique amongst modern streetcars here in the US in that it spends very little time in mixed traffic/general lanes. For the majority of the route it operates in reserved lanes or a separate right-of-way and the section that it does operate in mixed traffic is along the Commerce Street transit mall. That's certainly worth mentioning in the article. --RickyCourtney (talk) 05:57, 31 March 2016 (UTC)

GA Review

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

---

This review is transcluded from Talk:Tacoma Link/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: MPJ-DK (talk · contribs) 14:50, 19 January 2019 (UTC)

I am about to start the review this article. I'll be making updates here over the next couple of days. MPJ-DK (talk) 14:50, 19 January 2019 (UTC)

GA Toolbox checks Y

• Link Check - The following links come up as dead according to the tool

• Title: "Tacoma Link Expansion Environmental Evaluation: Historic and Archaeological... "

• Added archived link.

• Title: "Tacoma Link Expansion: Hilltop Extension"

• Fixed.

• Title: "Sound Transit: Tacoma Link" - Link changes when you click on it, suggest you update that to keep the link good for the future

• Due to a recent website renovation, there is no longer a specific page for Tacoma Link. I removed the subpage from the infobox and went to the schedules for the External links section.

• Works for meMPJ-DK (talk) 02:02, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

• DAB - No issues Y
• Copyvio Tool - No issues detected Y

Images (6) Y

All images hits the mark in so far as:

• Appropriate for the article (6B)
• Have captions (6B)
• Look like they all have appropriate licenses (6A)
• Been on commons for years so highly unlikely that the licenses are misrepresented (6A)
• (Not a GA criteria) - only the table images have "alt" text, ideally all should have it, more of a suggestion for improvement if you are looking for a future Featured Article push.

Stability (5) Y

• I see 1 revert in the article history, no indicators of edit wars in history or talk page

Neutral POV (4) Y

• Factual and direct, no issues

Coverage (3A) Major Aspects Y

• Looking at other GA articles of the same name nothing jumps out at me as missing.

Coverage (3B) Focused Y

• It sticks to the topic appropriately

Verifiable (2A) References Y

• Generally there are sources for everything as far as I can see
• AGF on offline sources
• Spot checked the linked sources and found everything covered
• The station table is partially unsourced. There is a source above it to verify the station names and that they are part of the route. But nothing on the dates or the note listed.
  • Added citations to the table.
    • PerfectMPJ-DK (talk) 02:02, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

Verifiable (2B) Reliable Sources Y

• All sources look like they are reliable and cited appropriately

Verifiable (2C) Original Research Y

• Nothing identified

Verifiable (2D) Copyvio Y

• No issues detected

Well written (1A) prose, spelling, and grammar

• Lead: Tacoma Link runs for 10 to 14 hours per day, - Service section 17 hours per day on weekdays, from 5:00 am to 10:12 pm, 14 hours per day on Saturdays, 7:48 am to 10:12 pm, and 8 hours per day on Sundays and holidays - Which one is correct? and please make consistent.
  • Fixed.
• Among the projects were a multimodal station - I suggest: "Among the revitalizations projects was the construction of a multimodal station"
  • Done.
• Tacoma Dome Station opened for use by buses in October 1997 -> Tacoma Dome Station opened for bus operations in October 1997
  • Partially done. I don't want to repeat variations of "operations" twice in the sentence.
• 1998 with the intent of building a link to downtown retail... - Suggestion 1998 with the intent to create transportation options for downtown retail...
  • Partially done, since this wasn't a project explicitly for retail/attractions, but rather a new mode.
• A set of 20 potential route alignments were considered to connect Tacoma Dome Station... - A set of 20 potential route options were considered for connecting the Tacoma Dome Station...
  • Done.
• , with trains using either Commerce Street - . The statement included options for trains using either Commerce Street...
  • Partially done. The statement is just the document that was used to publish the options.
• changes in platform - What changes? Was it originally suggested to be a different form of transportation?
  • Clarified and split into a separate sentence.
• Construction of the light rail line near the Tacoma Dome began in August 2000, resulting in a reduction in parking and complaints from business owners. - Construction of the light rail line near the Tacoma Dome began in August 2000, resulting in a reduction in parking and drew complaints from business owners
  • Partially done, by swapping "and" for "that".
• shortly after the opening of Tacoma Dome Station to Sounder commuter rail service - suggestion shortly after the Tacoma Dome Station was opened up for Sounder commuter rail service
  • Partially done, in a different order.
• via a public plaza that began construction in June 2001 - "that began construction" makes it seem like it was the plaza that started the work when I read it.
  • "that" switched to "which"
• Sound Transit agreed to handle operations of the light rail trains, in lieu of contracting Pierce Transit or the city government, on an interim basis for an indefinite period of time. - Sound Transit agreed to handle operations of the light rail trains on an indefinite interim period interim basis, in lieu of contracting Pierce Transit or the city government
  • Partially done, since "indefinite interim" sounds awkward.
• buses and businesses who requested the use of a mitigation fund - What is a mitigation fund?
  • Funds meant to make up for lost revenue due to construction impacts. Put a shortened version into the prose.
• bus transfer station in February 2003 as light rail construction neared completion - bus transfer station in February 2003 when light rail construction neared completion
  • Not done. "As" is better suited here, as construction was still ongoing.
• which was also marked by a ribbon-cutting event - which was also marked by a ribbon-cutting event
  • Done.
• 2,000 patrons during its opening month, exceeding original projections; - if the original projection is known I think this is a good place to mention it.
  • The 2,000 figure is the projection, but for the year 2010. Added a mention.
• share its lanes with mixed traffic - This is the only mention of mixed traffic in the route description, is that the only place it is mixed and when does it go back to a seperate lane?
  • It only runs in truly mixed traffic on Commerce Street. The rest is an exclusive trackway down the median of Pacific Avenue or 25th Street.
• due to the cost of collection exceeding projected revenues - Any sources mention what the collection costs were? or the projected revenues?
  • The source doesn't mention the actual numbers at the time.
• The Tacoma Link cars are stored and maintained outside of service hours at an operating base... - Outside of service hours, the Tacoma Link cars are stored and maintained at an operating base...
  • Removed "outside of service hours", since technically one car remains at the base during service hours as a spare.
• cost $217 million, primarily using local funding and federal grants... - cost $217 million, primarily paid for by local funding and federal grants.
  • Fixed.
• and scheduled to be completed - and is scheduled to be completed
  • Fixed.

Well written (1B) MoS for lead, layout, word choice etc. Y

• Generally looks okay for MOS Lead, word choices etc. but I do have a Layout issue
• I have very little experience of what the standards are for rail articles so I looked at a couple of different GAs of a similar nature to get an idea of the standards. The "Station" section in this article differs very much in content and layout compared to similar articles such as MAX Red Line#Stations and Blue Line (Washington Metro)#Stations. I think it'd be great if the "Stations" section could match that better, at the very least provide more info than just pictures and names.
  • As this is a very short streetcar line, rather than a standard metro railway, there won't be a lot of detail that we can easily add to the stations table. Only one city (and two neighborhooods—downtown and not), one parking lot, and a few destinations that are already described in the station articles. SounderBruce 01:35, 20 January 2019 (UTC)
    • I am a big proponent of "Everything in context" and in the context, you have explained I am good with the current version. MPJ-DK (talk) 02:02, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

General comments

• Review ongoing MPJ-DK (talk) 23:06, 19 January 2019 (UTC)
  • Only the prose review left, good work so far, I don't expect a lot of issues here based on what I have read. MPJ-DK (talk) 02:02, 20 January 2019 (UTC)
  • Prose review is completed, I am putting this on hold to work through the issues identified. MPJ-DK (talk) 06:15, 20 January 2019 (UTC)
    • @MPJ-DK: Replied to all your prose comments above. I've disagreed on a few points, but otherwise implemented them as close as I see fit. SounderBruce 06:52, 20 January 2019 (UTC)
      • SounderBruce - I have no problems with the modifications you made and the additions you made to the article. I'm gonna go ahead and pass this. Congrats and kudos for an article that was super close to GA level when nominated, great work. MPJ-DK (talk) 06:56, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.