Video - Sound Transit Light Rail Testing

Oran Viriyincy posted this video of Light Rail testing in the Rainier Valley. It's 9 minutes of crossings, honks, bells, and traffic. Great stuff when you like trains, that's for sure!

If you can't see the embedded video below, click HERE to see it directly on YouTube.

Video - First Full Run of LINK Light Rail

KOMO TV Video of first full-line run of the light rail, from Westlake Center to Tukwila. Great stuff!

Car - Train Collision in South Seattle

View Area Map in Google

A car made an illegal turn in front of the LINK Light Rail train as it was running through South Seattle. No major injuries but the driver was hospitalized briefly.

Pay attention people!

East Link Bridge Funding Is Back

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/165823.asp

We reported last week that Bridge Funding for Sound Transit's Eastside Light Rail Project was on hold. Through some adjustments the State was able to come up with funding to keep the project on time...for now. But there are a lot of discussions right now over what State projects will receive funding in this downturn world of money.

State Funds On Hold For Eastside Light Rail

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008952405_bridgerail31m.html

Given the financial situation in the Washington right now, the State has backed out of a $29 million commitment to fund work on the the I-90 bridges in support of the Eastside LINK Light Rail project. This could delay the line considerably if funding isn't found.

Eastside Light Rail Route Under Fire

It was only a matter of time before this happened.

The chosen route laid out HERE - down Bellevue Way and then to 112th Avenue - is coming under fire from people who don't want the LINK Light Rail to run near their homes. P-I reports this morning that the opponents are starting to come out of the woodwork in general, arguing against the preferred route which would take the trains down 106th Avenue through town. A real estate agent also claims that small businesses will be destroyed by the route, a claim that I don't support.

Once again the call for using the BNSF Right-Of-Way, which hasn't been purchased by the Port Of Seattle quite yet, in place of the route going down Bellevue Way. Both routes end up back at the same place at SE 8th Street, but the concern I have is that the right-of-way route bypasses any chance of having a rail station at the South Bellevue Park&Ride.

Discussions are ongoing. It's no wonder why our big projects around here take forever to complete. We'll have to see how this one plays out in the next few months, as the planning stages for the line become more advanced.

Light Rail on Bellevue Way or Along 405?

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."

View Proposed Routes on Map

Light Rail - Bellevue Shapes Future With Transit

This short Editorial piece discusses and describes accurately the feeling of excitement that many on the Eastside feel about getting Light Rail over Lake Washington.

Yesterday's article about what's called the Bel-Red Corridor puts the editorial into perspective; a large chunk of the region has been in decline for a decade, which is a good indicator that rezoning and new thinking are in order. The fact that Bellevue wants to build this up around Light Rail is a promising development. Mrs. WARail - who was born and grew up on the Eastside - laments the disappearance of the Bellevue she's known since she was young, but understands that change is imminent and in this case an addition to the quality of life for the region.

View Bel-Red Corridor on Map

View From The Cab

©2008 Ben Schiendelman

Ben took this shot last October from the cab of the new LINK Light Rail that was being tested in the Rainier Valley. I asked him then if I could use it here, and then lost track of his reply. Good goin' Kurt!

In any case, it's a neat shot that I wanted to share. Thanks Ben!

Fed Financing For UW Link Up To 40 percent

Wow! The federal government has now assigned over $800 million to the project that will bring Light Rail to UW Stadium. Incidentally, it looks like we're going to have a whole lotta digging in the Central Puget Sound over the next few years, for this project, other Light Rail projects, and replacement tunnel for The Viaduct.

We'll need to start calling Capitol Hill by "Mole Mountain" instead!

Sound Transit Wants Your Feedback on East Link

Sound Transit wants public comment on East Link light rail options. This impacts anyone between Downtown Seattle and Redmond Overlake. Hate 520 or commuting over I-90? This might be your chance to be part of the solution. Like trains? Well this is an opportunity to share your preferences for a route.

I'm not so big on the timeline - Overlake Station by 2021 - but it's not like I could build a route any quicker. I feel the Eastside needs it no matter what.

Light Rail U-Link Contract Bid Below Estimate

The first major bid from a contractor for building the Sound Transit U-Link from Downtown Seattle to the UW is a stunning 34% below estimates. Some analysts are attributing this to the economy's downturn, which makes for heavy competition from contractors looking for work. Of course the bid is being checked over, to make sure it's not a fantasy lowball number.

In the article linked above we also discover that the segment of Interstate 5 that runs through the area served by the proposed link operates at levels "over capacity" for up to 8 hours a day. It's not surprising to me; since the 1980s a person hasn't been able to even go southbound on a Saturday through this area, without hitting heavy congestion. And with population in that area predicted to grow, it's no wonder the U-Link project got high priority in DC when federal money was doled out.

This is exciting stuff for a railfan like me, because it's like the rebirth of The Interurban!

Sound Transit's UW Link Gets Fed Funding

In November Sound Transit got its $813 million funding boost from the federal government, for the UW Link for Light Rail. Check out their handy interactive map to see what that link will look like!

Sound Transit Link Light Rail Concept Videos

After a hard day of watching really bad videos on YouTube, why not sit down to some concept videos showing how Sound Transit's Link Light Rail stations will look in the future? It's pretty cool they can actually show people what they layout will be and how the movements look.

My favorite? Northgate Station, because that it shows Interstate 5 exactly as it is and has been since I was in high school during the Disco Pandemic, crowded and moving slowly. Now that's progress!

Eastside Rail Now! Gets the Word Out

In 2006 I hosted a website called "Save The Railroad" to inform people about what I called "A vital branch line in peril." Eastside Rail Now! now runs with that torch; it's a group whose sole purpose is to promote and protect the former Woodinville Subdivision. They have provided community level guidance to decision makers on the line, and all the while providing ideas for the tracks' use in this busy corridor.

Since 2003, BNSF has had the Woodinville Subdivision up for sale, with King County as the primary suitor. This line runs from Renton to Snohomish, plus a link to Redmond via Woodinville. Ultimately that line was purchased by the Port of Seattle, in a deal that keeps King County involved with the line in some measure.

For BNSF it was a low producer with minimal traffic from the perspective of a nationwide carrier. For short lines - currently bidding on the opportunity to serve the customers along those rails - it's a way to get more business. For history buffs it's one of the last vestiges of the Northern Pacific that exists in the area; NP once had tracks on both sides of Lake Washington, and the northbound route ran all the way to the Canadian border. What remains serves three big customers and few smaller ones. Some of the tracks date to the 1940s and maximum speed on the line is about 30mph in most places.

Plenty can be found on the Internet about the rough back-n-forth political battle that has shrouded this purchase. What lingers still is the uncertainty over what will happen with this route. Bits of it are being whittled away slowly from the south. In 2007 it was announced that the right-of-way just north of Interstate 90 would be abandoned because it was too costly to add rail into an upcoming freeway project that the line crossed over (the line has since been severed, and the crossover removed from I-405). This leaves the historic Wilburton Trestle unused, along with all the track between Factoria and Coulon Park in Renton.

Eastside Rail Now! has done a great job of keeping the potential uses of this line alive in the minds of the region's decision makers, and continues to remain involved as transportation plans for the are formulated.

Seattle Times : $4 gas to fuel new light-rail vote?

It was only a matter of time before this day came!

Local News | $4 gas to fuel new light-rail vote? | Seattle Times Newspaper

Down at The Pencil Yard

Steve Carter shot this photo at the new Light Rail yard next to Alaskan Way in Seattle. I call it The Pencil Yard because of the tall dangerous looking poles that pepper the property. This shot was taken at night, which gives is an otherwordly lighting perspective.

Look for more of Steve's great pictures HERE.

Federal Way Weighs In on Light Rail

After Proposition 1 failed with voters last Fall, Sound Transit was forced to go back and redraw their vision for light rail. The proposals they have written up so far have any trains coming south out of Sea-Tac to dip down into the Kent Valley before heading to Tacoma.

This bypasses Federal Way entirely, and they're not too happy about that.

I can see why. As I've mentioned before, Federal Way is highly populated and grossly overloaded with vehicle congestion. If there ever were a suburb that could be considered poster child for mass transit, FW would be a start. The city needs it more than many surrounding it.

The Secret Power of Light Rail

Redevelopment along Seattle's Martin Luther King Way has begun a full year in advance of the new light rail line that will be running up the valley. This area is in dire need of I would consider the "Secret Power of Light Rail" - the ability to take a tired neighborhood and stimulate it into the 21st Century. Ironically 60 years ago a light rail / interurban system was considered "outdated." Buses were the way. Leapfrog to 2008; you want to ride a Metro bus up MLK? No thanks...

Opponents to this line - and the money spent on light rail through the valley - don't understand this point. Thing is, developers do understand this point and are willing to pour money into the area because of this vision.

Snohomish to Bellevue Commuter Trains?

If successful, this would be a big deal! An excellent idea for the region, and for using existing infrastructure.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080403/NEWS01/537823232

County Council agrees to pursue commuter train between Snohomish and Bellevue

By Jeff Switzer, Herald Writer

A private company's proposal to run commuter trains from Snohomish to Bellevue won more leverage Wednesday.

The Snohomish County Council voted 4-0 to approve further analysis of a proposed commuter train system. The council agreed to authorize County Executive Aaron Reardon to negotiate agreements with the company, GNP Railway.

"I think this is an important step to indicate our interest in this and I think it has great potential," County Council chairman Dave Somers said. "This at least keeps this alive and lets other folks know that we're definitely, seriously interested in having this option explored."
The move allows the county and railway company possibly to team up and gain clout with federal railway regulators.

The proposal now goes to Reardon's office for talks and review.
"It's an intriguing concept but there's a lot of work we need to do to fully vet the proposal and understand it," said Peter Camp, an executive director who advises Reardon on land-use issues.
"If we can come up with an agreement, it will come back to the council."
He said he'll be evaluating any financial risks to the county and risks from having commuter trains sharing the rails with freight haulers.

The idea for commuter train service comes from Tom Payne, a former owner and founder of Canada's third largest railway system. He said he spent months analyzing the costs of railway upgrades and operations from Snohomish to Bellevue and wants his new company, GNP Railway, to have permission to run trains.

There's an opportunity to use the route because the Port of Seattle is close to buying the tracks for $103 million from Texas-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The tracks run 42 miles from Snohomish to Renton.

If a deal is reached in coming weeks, the Port of Seattle plans to decide how the route is used. Federal regulators have a say, too.

Payne's idea is to run six trains in the morning to Bellevue and six back to Snohomish in the afternoon. It would cost an estimated $80 million for stations, trains and track repairs, Payne said.

Port of Seattle officials called Somers on Wednesday to talk about Snohomish County's involvement in the future use of the route, Somers said.

The Port of Seattle proposes keeping freight trains running from Woodinville to Snohomish and suspending operations south of Woodinville. King County wants to build a hiking and biking trail along the route through cities on the east side of Lake Washington.

Snohomish County wants to work directly with the Port of Seattle and not leave talks to other forums, Somers said he told port officials.

Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.