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Is the Monorail Worth Renovating?

A new study says $7 million in upgrades could double the capacity of the monorail in time for the NHL’s arrival. And additional funds could one day connect it to Link light rail. Good plan or way off track?

“The monorail takes 90 seconds to get from downtown to Seattle Center…. There is no public transportation current or planned that gets you there anywhere close to that fast.”

—Jonathan Hopkins, executive director, Commute Seattle

“The monorail is historic…but it’s not really part of the transit system in Seattle. I’d much rather see that money…spent on roads and making the city a little more friendly to cars.”

—Miller Freeman, chair, 36th Legislative District Republicans

“There are just some inherent challenges with the way that the station is set up downtown. I think that regardless of [Link], regardless of even the arena, we recognize that there are improvements that can be made to…the customer experience.”

—Megan Ching, general manager, Seattle Monorail Services

“It’s a critical link to light rail, to metro bus service, and then to parking garages.… When you’re talking about how you can manage traffic congestion before and after events…[it] can make a huge difference.”

—Deborah Daoust, communications director, Seattle Center

Published in the Washington State Park Adventures issue of Seattle Met.











Jaime Archer
Jaime Archer
Jaime Archer is a California native who grew up in the Bay Area and studied history at Reed College in Portland before landing at Seattle Met as an editorial intern. After a brief stint as a reporter at The Daily News in Longview, Washington, she rejoined Seattle Met as digital editor, and now oversees its website, newsletters, and social media accounts. She lives in Capitol Hill with her trusty cat Scully.