The Seattle monorail runs on electric motors and travels along a dedicated concrete beam. This makes it efficient and relatively low-maintenance. The monorail’s technology was advanced for the time, although elevated metro trains had existed in the US for almost a century. Still, it offered smooth and elevated travel above city traffic. 

So what really sets Seattle’s monoral apart? I think it's the design. The monorail’s elevated structure fits nicely into Seattle’s urban landscape, especially around the Seattle Center and downtown. Its clean lines and futuristic look were meant to complement the Space Needle and reflect the optimism of the 1960s. For many, it’s still a recognizable and nostalgic part of the city’s identity.

Towards the end of the route, the monorail glides directly through the Museum of Pop Culture. This cool feature offers riders a unique view of the building’s striking architecture from above. But also, it’s a great photo opportunity for train enthusiasts like me! 

Over the decades, Seattle’s monorail has become a recognizable part of the city’s identity. It’s featured in postcards, travel guides, and even movies. For locals, it’s a nostalgic reminder of the city’s ambition during the 1960s. For visitors, it’s a unique and memorable way to experience the city. Despite its limited route, the monorail continues to attract attention and affection.

Seattle’s monorail wasn’t the first of its kind. Just a few years earlier, in 1959, Disneyland introduced its own monorail system in California, which was designed as part of Walt Disney’s vision for futuristic transportation. Both systems shared a similar aesthetic: sleek, elevated, and modern. Both were also built by the same German company ALWEG. Remarkably, Seattle’s monorail was constructed at no cost to the city, under an agreement that ALWEG would recover its investment through fare revenues, a goal it successfully achieved during the six-month run of the 1962 World’s Fair! 

But the monorails in California and Seattle were built for completely different purposes. Disney’s monorail was built to enhance the theme park experience, while Seattle’s aimed to demonstrate how such technology could work in a real urban setting. Seattle wanted the monorails to be seen not just as a temporary people mover for its 1962 exposition, but as a legit transit solution solving the real transportation needs of the growing city.

Today, as in 1962, Seattle’s monorail operates a short 1-mile route between Seattle Center and Westlake Station in downtown. While it remains a popular tourist attraction, its role in the city’s broader transit system is very limited. Over the years, there have been multiple proposals to expand the monorail network across Seattle to make it a more integral part of daily commuting. 

None of these expansion plans have materialized. The city (rightfully so) has been focusing its energy lately on expanding its light rail system. So the monorail stands as a reminder of what could have been, a glimpse into a future that never fully arrived.