SEATTLE — Do you ever wonder about how Western Washington residents got around before Sound Transit and other popular forms of public transit we rely on today?
Spokane-based author, historian and journalist Jim Kershner has spent years archiving the evolution of transit in Puget Sound through his camera lens. Now, you can flip through history in his new book, Transit.
"Only now are we getting back to having a real mass-transit rail system," Kershner said.
From streetcars to link cars, Kershner can recall the more than 220 miles of street railways Seattle once had, and a failed 1968 initiative that would have brought high-speed trains to the city.
One of the most significant developments in the Pacific Northwest's 21st-century transit was the opening of the Link Light Rail, which caused controversy among residents.
"Instead of people just talking about it and arguing about the money, there was something people could actually ride," Kershner said.
Today, Link Light Rail continues to expand, bringing transit across Lake Washington and to more "far-flung districts," as Kershner put it.
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.