No, the other question I have is: Do they have a plan and a budget for keeping it clean? The platform level of any subway station is hard enough to maintain without installing a lot of brightly-colored, difficult-to reach artwork there. Was nothing learned from BART's Embarcadero Station "Legs" experience, other than "don't use macramé"?

The suction created the trains going through the tubes pulls tons of dust and dirt into a station, and the brakes shed a lot of material too. Sure, stations need art, but the cost and practicality of upkeep deserve stronger consideration. Save the flourishes for the entrances and upper levels; keep the platform levels sleek and simple.

Yes, how dare they!

So cool.

Was the artist present for the installation process? Or was that done entirely by the be-helmeted workerfolk?

@1: yes, there is a plan for maintenance. I don't know what it is, but come on. are the other stations filthy? this is the wealthiest (albeit the cheapest) country on the planet. WE CAN AFFORD NICE THINGS.

@4: the artist was probably one of those with safety gear on.

I bet those construction workers had some very interesting things to say while putting that thing together.

@1 - That thing was the stuff of nightmares. I wish it could have retained its color that I've only seen in pictures, but in my time here goddamn it was terrifying. Could you imagine being mopped with that thing?

Wonder if an anti-static shock would work on something (the plane) that large without killing someone? Really though, grime is part of every underground system, and every city's feels and smells a little different, it's just part of the deal. (I love the Tube platforms that smell like tar from the old trestles, reminds me of the Seattle waterfront.)

Also, HOLY SHIT PEOPLE YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET SOME REAL TRANSIT. All those years on the 43/44... *shutter* I'm very excited for y'all.

@5: Whether or not the other stations are "filthy" isn't the question, since virtually no other stations in Seattle are like this one. Beacon Hill, I suppose. If the platform-level art there is kept clean there, then maybe this will be fine too.

Subway stations anywhere in the US are, typically, grimy. When a city or other jurisdiction has budget problems, public transit is usually the first place they cut. And cash-strapped transit agencies, in turn, usually react by skimping on maintenance.

@8: The rats didn't seem to mind getting mopped.