Woodinville Sub Sale to Close Soon

Mark December 15th on your calendars, because after that time the BNSF Woodinville Subdivision will be under new ownership! Price: $107 million.

Since we are in tough financial times, a group of buyers joined forces to save this right-of-way from abandonment. And here's the best part: the new owners will include Port of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit, and the City of Redmond. The northern part is still being used for freight, and will be operated by the Port. An email from their spokesperson a few months ago indicated that they were still looking for a short-line carrier to manage the line; sadly, the Temple family - owners of Washington Central and the Dinner Train - chose not to bid at that time. Redmond is interested in the stretch between Woodinville and Redmond for trail and rail access. I've long considered this portion to be a sleeper of sorts, because it runs from the busiest part of Woodinville to the busiest part of Redmond. Also imagine this: an interurban ride between the two cities through the valley and surrounded by some of the finest views in East King County. Sweet!

King County is still interested in building into their extensive trail system, and considers this corridor a vital link to many of those trails already in use. With 100 feet of right-of-way in many spots along the Woodinville Sub, operating both rails and trails can be a reality. Will Sound Transit's Link Light Rail run on part of this route? Only time and planning will tell.

Ever since late 2005, when BNSF announced that the line was for sale, I've been watching this activity as closely as possible. I even started a simple one-page website called Save The Railroad to get the word out that a priceless opportunity was ahead. That one page put me in touch with several of our elected leaders and a fair share of community organizations who were all interested in seeing the line used for the good of all. It was a great lesson in activism. Redmond's current vision for their part of of purchase mirrors almost exactly the idea I had for it back in early 2006. Amazing!

Frankly I'm thrilled to see this sale happen for several reasons. Keeping rail on this route is far too important for addressing future transportation needs. Creating more trail opportunities also makes me happy, because they not only create safer routes for peds and bicycles, but also a place for rail fans to potentially see trains up close from the safety of a dedicated walkway.

Kudos to all the groups involved!
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Article Link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010221495_raildeal07m.html
More Subject Reading: http://www.warail.com/search?q=woodinville+subdivision