Bike —> Valley Line —> Bike is a great combo.

ARC readers also seem much faster than last time I rode, almost immediate. 👍
I feel like bicycles on trains are a cheat code. I did the same this morning on Capital Line which really needs the same bicycle/wheelchair area treatment as Valley Line. I'm often not in the mood to ride all the way to work in the morning but I do love that afternoon ride home.
 
I took the valley line from downtown to Millwoods for the first time yesterday. A few observations:

- about 5 young men hanging out in one of the shelters who then proceeding to stand on the tracks tempting the train driver, who had to hit his horn for them to move.
- activated my arc card for the first time. I was able to add cash to the card and tap it all very easily, no issue here.
- the train ride didn’t seem too long. I didn’t really notice the train stopping at lights.
- views are awesome
- didn’t see too many drug users. This was around 10am.
- the train from downtown to mill woods only had a hand full of people on my cart. However, the way back to downtown shortly after was much busier.
- the most disheartening part of the ride was seeing literally 50% of the shelter doors popped off, jammed open, not working, etc. I couldn’t believe how it is possible to have that many broken down doors. Some other solution is needed here asap.
 
- didn’t see too many drug users. This was around 10am.

- the most disheartening part of the ride was seeing literally 50% of the shelter doors popped off, jammed open, not working, etc. I couldn’t believe how it is possible to have that many broken down doors. Some other solution is needed here asap.

On the brightside:

Didn't see 'too many' drug dealers.
and
In terms of lrt shelter vandalism, perhaps it has meant the funicular hasn't been receiving the brunt of abuse.
 
- the most disheartening part of the ride was seeing literally 50% of the shelter doors popped off, jammed open, not working, etc. I couldn’t believe how it is possible to have that many broken down doors. Some other solution is needed here asap.
I think they should just cut their losses and remove them all. It seems like the maintenance costs are going to be crazy, and all the broken doors are giving the stations a very dishevelled look.
 
I have a feeling they may have included the sliding shelter doors in the VLW stations, too :( Hindsight is 20/20 but that was a bad design choice from the start imo. Just take off the doors at this point.
 
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Do you think that would help though? They looked tampered with in about 20 different ways. I wonder if people without an arc card would just start booting the doors resulting in cracked glass and other damage
Honestly now that I think about it, probably not. Unless they change the doors and make them stronger/more resistant to being tampered.
 
The ones that do work smell funny inside. Is that smell bad for us? I was going to wait in one with my year old daughter but wasn't sure if the chemicals could affect her so I opted to wait outside in the blustery cold.
 
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I took the valley line from downtown to Millwoods for the first time yesterday. A few observations:

- about 5 young men hanging out in one of the shelters who then proceeding to stand on the tracks tempting the train driver, who had to hit his horn for them to move.
- activated my arc card for the first time. I was able to add cash to the card and tap it all very easily, no issue here.
- the train ride didn’t seem too long. I didn’t really notice the train stopping at lights.
- views are awesome
- didn’t see too many drug users. This was around 10am.
- the train from downtown to mill woods only had a hand full of people on my cart. However, the way back to downtown shortly after was much busier.
- the most disheartening part of the ride was seeing literally 50% of the shelter doors popped off, jammed open, not working, etc. I couldn’t believe how it is possible to have that many broken down doors. Some other solution is needed here asap.
The one set of sliding doors at Corona Station is still boarded over, I think after a year or more because of repeated vandalism.

It looks so cheap and awful and I don't know why it hasn't been fixed after so long. Perhaps they just need to replace them with regular doors that you open by hand.
 

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