In Seattle, A Ride On The S.L.U.T. Is Good For the Earth

Normally, when Paul Allen invests in something, he gets it right (exhibit A: co-founding Microsoft). But in the case of the Seattle trolley developed by Vulcan, his private asset management company, he got almost everything right. The trolley will be servicing "a 1.3 mile route, connecting South Lake Union, the new waterfront park, the Denny Triangle and the Downtown Retail Core/Westlake." So far, so good. The problem is that they decided to call it The South Lake Union Trolley, or S.L.U.T. for short. Already, a nearby coffee shop has begun selling T-shirts that read "Ride the SLUT." Not surprisingly, they've been quite popular, proving the maxim that "there's no such thing as bad publicity."

According to CNN.com, however, at least some of the name calling has more to do with "resentment over changes in the old working-class neighborhood" than with the extremely unfortunate acronym. One local described a meeting with city representatives this way:

"They asked us, 'What we could do for you?' Most people raised their hands and said, 'Affordable housing,"' he said. "Then the people from the city huddled together -- 'whisper, whisper, whisper,' -- and they said, 'How about a trolley?"'

Name and neighborhood issues aside, the trolley will connect with "light rail, regional buses and the monorail," and with a projected ridership of " 330,000 in the first year, growing to over one million as the area develops," the project should make leaving the car at home that much easier to do.

Whether or not the trolley will bring economic growth to the community remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: in Seattle, a ride on the S.L.U.T. is good for the Earth.

Via: ::G Living and ::CNN