This weekend I went to Pikes Place Market and while browsing around I stumbled upon the magazine merchantile on the corner of Pike & 2nd Ave. I was killing time and decided to pick up a train subject magazine. While browsing through the current Railfan & Railroad magazine I came across an article about the Woodinville sub. According to this article the Ballard Terminal RR had brought forth a law suit to stop the abandonment and gain rail access from Woodinville to Bellevue for freight revenue. One of the major factors that Ballard Terminal RR failed to prove sufficient evidence for was financial backing AND statistics showing future freight traffic revenue. It was a rather interesting and sad article. In the article it was stated that when BNSF transfered the ownership of the corridor to Port of Seattle it not only transferred the ROW and property to the POS but ALSO had transferred all commerce control to the Port as well. Because of this rare circumstance the courts decided thatwhether or not a RR could deem the corridor as a viable entity for commerce in the future, the Port had final deciding factors of whether rail traffic could be used again. Needless to say, the rail has been in the process of being ripped up through Kirkland to make way for..........YEP, you guessed it ANOTHER DAMN BIKE TRAIL! Ryan
Morons. I am to the point of being ashamed to call that area my home. The idiotic things they're doing to create such a false Utopia are simply stunning.
I know Ken. Don't get me started on how short sighted our elected officials are in this area. I am at the point I am about ready to mfg a glass belly button. Yep you guessed it so when these d!p$h!t$ have their head buried up the a$$e$ they can still see the light of day. I had an interesting conversation with a guy at a local watering hole here a while back and we were discussing the Woodinville sub and how much of a viable entity it is not only to freight traffic but more so for future light rail use. Well this guy goes on to tell me that the entire eastside light rail corridor for Sound Transit was plotted out (most of which went over the existing Woodinville sub) and studied. It ended up and was proved as the best viable route/option in court. The eastside maintenance facility was plotted out to be somewhere over by the Safeway distribution plant in Bellevue. Well in the end the judge granted the rail corridor to be ripped out. The guy that was telling me this story ended up being the head of future development and planning for Sound Transit authority. The elected officials dont give a rats a$$ about what is best for the public. They only take sides with the people that line their campaign funds.
Now you know why I left The People's State of Taxington. Far too many people have foolishly become hooked into the easy tax money of high tech millionaires and billionaires. There are a whole bunch of ex-Puget Sound folks around my vicinity who were fed up with the rampant, constant stupidity. We've even run into some we personally knew, and had no idea they were here. I have a recurring nightmare that if I do come over for a visit, I'll be trapped and never again able to leave!
This rail line that would have been perfect for commuter trains like the ones that Sound Transit runs daily between Lakewood/Seattle and Everett/Seattle, between the Eastside Kirkland/Bellevue area to Seattle. Instead, the rails were tore out, new lanes on I-405 were built, and it STILL takes 1-2 hours during rush hour along this stretch!!! Seattle is 2 decades or more behind the mass transit idea that other city's already have had in place for years. I never go to the Eastside anymore-traffic, stress, bad drivers, etc........ And there's two good train stores over there, too!! But it's not worth the drive!!
Sadly... that issue isn't a seattle only issue... (I'm from SW Denver, but was stationed out of Bangor... lil background for ye. As well as on the east coast.) I always had this vision in my mind that the Puget Sound area was far more forward thinking than cities like Denver, etc. As far as rail transit, obviously the Eastern seaboard wins that. But then Denver installed it's light rail. Pretty much from scratch... I kept an eye on the Seattle area... nothing.. Now you have filled in the blanks... and knowing the Seattle area, and it's gridlock, I can only agree. Someone lining pockets. Or, lobbying against it. I now live east of Ghettofabulous Colorado Springs... and I can't help but wonder... why.. in God's name, there is no passenger, or commuter rail service from here to south denver, that links up with the light rail... The answer is simple... BNSF and U.P. My point? im thinking those lobbyists in Seattle may be made up by some RR heavy hitters saying "nay." And here is my point why... one needs only to look at Eastern Colorado for the example... BNSF stopped their freight roughts to Lamar, CO.. so the state came in asking to use those BNSF ROW'S. Bnsf, got greedy, not only wanting the state to pay to maintain them, but also kick in money to maintain active BNSF ROW's.. the state backed down... So, I have to ask. in the case of Seattle/Woodinville... what really took place in those negotiations? ??
We can only wonder. There is indeed a history. In 1979-1980, BN did influence the governor and that State was the only western one which would not support the efforts to save the western end of the MILW. In the late 1980's, when Stampede Pass was out of service, the State looked at it as a route needing preservation. The RR went in and logged every section they owned, to keep the timber value. The area looked like multiple nuclear bomb blasts in the forests, the way it was clear cut. Add to this a county leadership which goes from one corrupt person, to inept and so on....
You are quite correct. Just over thirty years ago, I took the time to draw up a map of current and past rail lines in the Seattle-Tacoma area. It was submitted for use to a local rail preservation advocacy group and used. But nobody in government would pay heed. What it showed was that every now current suburban commute residency center had, or once had rail service. At the time most of those rights of way still existed. Their engineering was at least very good, if not still able to be considered excellent. It looked almost like Seattle was a wheel hub, and there were spokes radiating outward, with a wheel rim. A lot of those who saw it, were startled by what had been out there. The effort did no good, as tracks kept coming out, trails going in, and in many places the rights of way lost back to property owners. Even with RTT preservation. Many folks who live there are now wanting a much larger light rail network. But they are facing billions of dollars to do it, delayed by years of re-re-re-studies and litigations, (in order to preserve the purple with pink spots hiccupping flea, and acquire new R-O-W), to ever begin getting anything significant done.
Yeah, it's a sad state of affairs here. I'm just glad I live 4 miles from my work, 8 minute commute at the most!! Feel sorry though, for all those that have a horrible commute, and recent accidents have clogged the I-5/I-405/167 routes to 3-4 hour closures!! Your on your own then!!
Just take a look at Warren Wing's "Trolley's Around Seattle" book-they went everywhere back then!! If we had the old system in place today, there wouldn't be traffic!!
Before we left western Taxington, a close family friend had twisted my arm to come work for her. Daily and on call work involved driving all over the area west of the Cascades. We used to play a guessing game. One would call the other, and ask where they were stuck in traffic this time. We ALWAYS carried food, water, reading materials, tapes to play, etc. Knowing that anywhere between a couple of hours and half the work day was going to be wasted, (along with a lot of gas), sitting on I-5, I-405, etc. Even the alternate routes became constantly plugged with people trying to avoid... I did this for about 4&1/2 years. Nice work, great owner, but the commuting sucked.
