Eastside Rail Corrider Purchase Delayed

Short Version: Economy forces Port of Seattle to hold off buying the $107 million corridor from BNSF:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/164833.asp

Long Version: Port of Seattle thought twice about issuing bonds to purchase the Woodinville Subdivision, mainly because of current state of the economy. In addition, the Federal Transportation Board hasn't completed its analysis of the deal. I don't think there is any indication it wouldn't go through, but given some of the notoriety the Port had last year I'd say the head honcho is being nice and conservative.

What's interesting about the above-linked article is that the P-I focuses on the bike trail angle of the transaction, rather than the potential transportation perspective that the line could become for the region. The media sees this as a bicycle resource, not a transportation resource for more than two wheels.

Not too balanced if you ask me.

$1 Billion Pricetag on Eastside Rail Upgrades

Ouch!

With a purchase price of $107 million, spending another billion and change is obviously a hard sell. I still think it's a good investment for the future, but can understand why people are gritting their teeth and squinting heavily when seeing the costs involved.

Port of Seattle OKs Eastside trail deal

Agreement between Port of Seattle and BNSF has finally been signed for the Woodinville Subdivision. BNSF is choosing a short line operator for the customers still on the line, and advocacy groups are now jockeying for position as right-of-way uses by people and trains are proposed for the future. One group wants "further study" on the line's use; that group is made up of people who own property butting up against - or near to - the tracks in Kirkland. "Further Study" in advocacy speak means "We don't want trains in our back yard," or "I bought this property assuming the trains would no longer run someday."


We saw plenty of that when King County was struggling to put in a rail trail along the east shore of Lake Sammamish. Some of the property owners - once BNSF pulled the tracks - went so far as to fence across the right of way and keep the trail in court for years, under the assumption that the right of way would revert to private ownership once the line was no longer used. When that didn't happen, the fight got messy. Eventually King County won out and now the most level route between Redmond and Issaquah can be ridden by bicycle, in the shadow of the Northern Pacific.

As always, we're watching this situation closely. It's a pivotal event for the Eastside, and will have impact on the region's ability to move in, out, and around the east part of King County