While we're discussing revamping our draconian liquor laws, let's allow restaurants to re-cork bottles of wine. Forcing patrons to finish bottles of wine only serves to increase the likelihood of drunk driving incidents. If restaurants were allowed to re-cork the unfinished bottles, the patrons wouldn't feel the urgency to get their money's worth at the restaurant.

The biggest problem with the 2am closing time is that it's AFTER public transportation shuts down.

This shouldn't need discussion at all; a city that shuts down its transit before shutting down its bars is mandating drunk driving.

Close the bars at 11:30pm, or keep public transportation running until 2:30 (or all night, if the bars are going to be open all night), I don't care which.

You mean it might not be so hard to change this? And here I thought the WSLCB was an intractable government bureaucracy accountable to no one that never wanted to change how it does what it does.

This is pretty damned exciting! Ooonce Ooonce Ooonce all night long!

#2 Super-good point! A city that barfs up a bunch of drunks into empty, transportation-less streets every night is asking for *some* kind of mayhem.

#2 Super-good point! A city that barfs up a bunch of drunks into empty, transportation-less streets every night is (passively) fomenting mayhem.

Keep Vegas in Vegas. It's weird enough there as it is. 4 hours of down time here (2am to 6am)allows people to sober up and start all over, which is a good thing.

Vegas is DWI central.

Dunno how that would work with staggered or 24-hr closing times though, Robotslave. We can't afford to run full service 24hrs a day...

Keep Vegas in Vegas, please. If you happen to frequent the local bars there, as I did, instead of just the tourist spots as do most people, you will realize that 24 hour drinking is not a pretty sight. If you can't survive the 4 hour down time here (2am to 6am), then just move to Vegas instead.

Everybody drives DWI in Vegas. It is accepted practice. Worst car wrecks I have ever seen have all been in Vegas.

I am all for later bar hours! Awesome!

But to address the drunk driving issue, I actually think a public campaign for taxis will work better than later bus service. The reality is that club and bar goers (that need to travel to a bar, rather than walk) probably do not make up a big enough demographic of the population to justify supplying adequate bus service to. It will drain $ from the transport system that can possibly be better spent towards daytime riders.

Furthermore, people who are drunk are notoriously impatient, they don't want to bother waiting for and on the bus, they want to get home fast, puke, and eat ramen!

I think the city should start subsidizing taxis after say 11:30 when most bus service ends, so that you could get a discounted fare. It might also be nice to have airport style shuttle service, for larger groups of friends. I lived in a college town that offered $2 cab rides to anywhere after 12am, for just this reason. I think an $8 ride within city limits, and maybe a $15 to the east-side/burbs could work well here.

In addition to subsidized taxis, an ad campaign comparing the costs of taking a bus to the club and cab home vs a DUI or terrible accident, PAIRED with aggressive police presence to intimate would-be drunk drivers from even getting behind the wheel (a few weekend check points around Belltown, Pioneer Square, and the U-district would achieve this) might help limit drunk driving altogether.

#3 pants n boots n pants n boots n pants n boots n pants n boots n pants n boots...

@10, if Seattle is going to drastically reduce the price of taxis through a subsidy, the City better increase the number of taxi licenses in the system or it will only exasperate the current shortage that exists due to the current cap on licenses (about 650 the last time I checked). Otherwise, wait times will increase even further.

Although, it must be said that a policy of staggered bar times, assuming that a significant number of these businesses will actually change operating hours, will also spread out demand for taxis instead of concentrating it into a peak hour effect.

@1: You can recork bottles of wine that were ordered with a meal.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?…

I think somebody was trying to sell you more wine.

Fact is, there are plenty of studies showing later drinking times doesn't mean more drunk driving. Several studies in fact show just the opposite. And in the UK, violent crime has also dropped in the wake of 24 hour liquor licenses.

Currently when the bars get out at 2am, thousands of folks are pushed out onto the streets at the same time. Getting a cab is near impossible. There's little economic sense in trying to get more cabs on the street because it's only a period of about an hour that people need them in high quantities. However, when people who have had a few drinks can't find a cab, they are more likely to just drive. Doing away with the push out will mean people leaving bars and clubs at different times throughout the night, allowing there to be a higher cab per person ratio. Easier access to cabs, less drunk driving. Of course, some bus service would be excellent

Many other cities have already gone to 24 hour licenses. In fact whole countries have. We'll be studying the lessons learned in these places.

Many people here will raise hysterical objections to this change, as happens with any change. Just like they did when we fought to get rid of the Teen Dance Ordinance that had no curfew. In that case, City Council folks, the City Attorney and the mainstream press argued that chaos would occur every weekend as kids from the suburbs and other cities came to Seattle to see music and dance all night. What we've seen instead is a massive resurgence in people going out to see live music, a thriving and healthy all ages music scene, and big economic benefits. Hardly the lawless city the likes of Margaret Pageler and the Seattle Times predicted.

and PS - the places like Chicago and London that have extended service hours are hardly lawless. They operate quite nicely.

I love this idea all around! Even better I love the idea of more taxis at reduced rates after hours. Half the time I think about taking a taxi after a night of spending lots of money already and then I consider the $40 cost just to go from one end of town to the other end! Forgetaboutit!

Let's not forget that the suggestion of later/longer hours for clubs, staggered closing times or the end of restrictions on hours of operation all together are but one component among a number of proposals on the table for dealing with public safety, livability and economic issues here in Seattle.

It's an excellent opportunity for a serious discussion regarding our rights as business owners, residents, customers and patrons.

Business owners have a right to earn a profit. Fans have a right to enjoy music. And residents have a right to peace and quiet.

All have a right to a safe environment in which they can pursue their individual interests.

Each group has responsibilities as well.

Club owners have an obligation not to inflict excessive noise on the neighborhood outside their confines. Patrons should have the expectation of not being allowed to fight, scream, shout, litter and urinate in public.

And residents need to realize we aren't living in the burbs.

taxis are not expensive. hey! split one! three ways! dont forget to tip your cabbie!

@17 - Sounds like Capitol Hill.

24 liquor licenses sound great. I'm sure someone will soon end up correlating the 2 am cut-off with global warming. The city will embrace the new 24 option with a parade.

Mayor Savage.

How about less people drinking alcohol and more people smoking legal marijuana?

One of the considerations when I chose a city to move to was the bar hours, hence Chicago. We have both 4 a.m. bars & 24 hour public transportation. I find there are less problems than when I lived in Belltown & saw hundreds of drunks push out on the street with no public transportation & few available cabs. I hope for Seattle's sake this new law goes into effect, it will put Seattle one step closer to being recognized as a world class city.

I vote bars stay open til whenever, and more cab licenses... lots more. Keeping the entire public transit system open doesn't seem smart or cost effective when our city is starved for cabs anyway. The whole tunnel would have to stay open, with associated security, etc. Too much expense for too little benefit - let the drunks pay cab fare.

And we should note - most people make the decision to drink and drive AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NIGHT, when they drive to the clubs in the first place. Most garages and spaces have hefty fines for staying overnight, so there's a huge disincentive, once you've already decided to drive, to leaving your car wherever and riding transit.

ok, so i see a few problems and advantages.

I like the idea of subsidized taxi's to reduce fares. However, if you are visibly drunk, have fun trying to get one of those cabbies to let you rride.
as a bouncer in pioneer square i can tell you how many timesi've poured someone into a cab, only to have the cabbie kick them out a second later.

I think there should be a law about refusing transportation service to someone in need after public trans. has shut down.

Also, I thnk the city should slowly ramp this up. starting in one area and letting the culture shock relax before continuing.

Use it as a revitalization tool.

For instance, Pioneer square could once again be worthy of the legend it once was. The added traffic flow would revitalize the slowly fading busnesses there and all the extra attention would hopefully start pushing out the crackheads.

I think this is a smart idea. The more non-criminals on the street and establishments open, the safer an area is. This eliminates the need some drinkers feel to drink as fast as they can between 1:30 and 2:00 A.M., right before they are legally required to go out and drive or walk somewhere. Plus, establishments will have the option of making more money and creating more jobs by staying open. I'm not sure I'd want to be the graveyard bartender...But, there are also people who work graveyard or until 2 in the morning and they probably would like the option of stopping somewhere for a drink. This works well in other cities. I'm for it.

Think of all the people who live in the downtown area. People who wanted city living, but got stuck with a bar that opened under their bedroom!!! Only to find that Seattle has no nightlife noise ordinance. YES you read correctly, this city has NO nightlife noise ordinance. I have no rights as a citizen to complain of noise from the bar under my apt.
I was shocked to find this out, but had to learn it the hard way. There are no soundproofing codes, no db limits, nothing the police can do.
And it happens all the time. I know I don't live in the suburbs, but I also don't have to be forced to live on top of a 24 hour party.
FYI, I was there 1 year before the bar moved in. And all the people who live over flower shops or any other quiet day business, they can leave and sell/rent out to a bar and you will not be able to stop it.