Not all on board with Bellevue Way light-rail proposal | Seattle Times Newspaper
Routing is the big question going forward, when bringing light rail into the Eastside's most populous city. Should it be done on the west side of the Slough or the east? Well, in short, there are more homeowners who have conflict with a route that would bring a larger South Bellevue Park & Ride into existence, and then run up Bellevue Way to 112th. The other route, using right-of-way from the BNSF line that is no longer used along I-405, would take riders east of the slough and create a station near SE8th and 118th Ave SE. While not as vocal as homeowners from Bellecrest and Surrey Downs neighborhoods, condo owners along the proposed BNSF route are also concerned about constant Light Rail behind their homes.
It's all summed up well by Bellevue Councilman Phil Noble: "It's not going to satisfy everyone."
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Hey Kurt - when it comes to the "West Side" in general, I always wonder at what point people will be sick enough of gridlock and driving to start putting up with some light rail in their backyards? I guess we're not there yet. The line to the airport is at least a start I suppose.
ReplyDelete-Leland
Generally speaking most folks "on the coast" understand the need for it. The opponents usually include people who cry foul on "property values" but hide their intent behind such issues as safety, crime, costs, or number of crossings that would impact ground traffic. I had a discussion about this with a real estate agent in Kirkland, who understandably was interested in maintaining the value of the homes she represents. But her arguments were shallow when she indicated that commuter rail traffic through the Eastside would be a huge imposition to car traffic at the crossings. She even pulled out a video that showed a BNSF local freight going through an intersection at Totem Lake, but the train was maybe 25 seconds of the 4-minute video that simply showed that the light sequence at the intersection sucks. Trains are the least of someone's worry at that spot, seriously.
ReplyDeleteSo, in essence, oftentimes the counterstrike is all about the the counterstriker rather than the community.
Well put Kurt. Now that I think about it, I do know a lot of people who would rather not be driving places out there. The people who don't like it are probably a minority, but they make a lot of noise! It is an interesting time for the area, there aren't very many places where capacity for vehicles can actually be increased. If the area continues to grow, eventually something will have to happen...
ReplyDeleteTake care,
-Leland