The Coldest Commute in Tacoma
Commuters express outrage as the local transit company forces passengers to brave midwinter rain on open-air 'summer' streetcars.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A disgusted crowd stood at the intersection of St. Helena Avenue and 9th Street last night, waiting for a streetcar. It was cold and the rain was falling, and the fact that the car was late did not improve their mood. When it finally arrived, it was one of those big cars built for July weather, entirely open on both sides. There was not even the protection of a curtain, and the wind had blown the rain inside until there was not a dry seat in the car. Passengers were forced to scramble for the middle of the seats to stay dry, and every time someone entered or exited, those remaining were drenched by water pouring from the roof. On the cable line, conditions were even worse, with standing puddles on the floor. While the company claims these open cars are used to increase capacity during peak hours, citizens are demanding better service and questioning if the company should forfeit its franchise for such miserable conditions.
“Whenever a passenger got off he or she was reasonably sure that one of the numerous rivulets that ran down from the roof of the car would administer a small shower bath.”
Tacoma’s long-standing frustration with transit reliability is as old as the streetcar itself. Today's debates over Sound Transit frequency and bus capacity echo this 1904 struggle, where profit-driven scheduling consistently prioritized volume over passenger dignity.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.