I had reason to be at SeaTac Airport this week. The landscape there is still evolving with the completion of the light rail station there. It got me thinking about how light rail would wend its way into Snohomish County.
I know light rail is not expected in our county for another decade or more, but I was thinking about land-use decisions we should be making in our county to be ready when our day finally arrives.
The last I heard, the plan was to serve Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood but what does that mean?
Long range planning for a project like this requires that we establish likely routes so we can begin right-of-way acquisition and upgrades to our comprehensive plan that will steer the right kind of development into the vicinity that will increase population density to a point where light rail begins to make sense.
The Urban Center concept would work for the area around a light rail stop; High Rise development that incorporates shopping, professional services, residential units and adequate parking for commuters who live away from transit lines.
Think about a light rail station in the middle of Bellevue Square or the Mall of America.
The Sound Transit – North Link plan calls for an underground station between NE 45th Street and NE 43rd Street on Brooklyn Avenue in the University District; heading north from the U District in a tunnel to a station at 65th NE and Roosevelt Ave then over to the I-5 Freeway and up to the Northgate Transit Station south of the Mall. The train comes out of the tunnel just north of NE 85th Street and runs on the surface a short distance then elevated to the Northgate Station.
The North Link is scheduled to start in 2012 so it would be a good idea for us to start talking about where the line will go when it leaves Northgate.
If the decisions about Sound Transit are made in cooperation with the communities to be served, then I would assume there is a process in place to gather input, I just can’t find it.
The Puget Sound Regional Council’s Transportation 2040 shows light rail in the Alderwood Mall vicinity but is clearly not a priority for them.
Interestingly, PSRC also shows Commuter Rail serving the Woodinville – Snohomish Corridor but it doesn’t show any extension of rail service north of Snohomish.
Wouldn’t that be a good idea if we are engineering projects along SR-9 to Arlington? I have argued that we should be developing alternative rail capacity as a back-up to the main line that runs along the water. Since there are frequent landslides during the rainy season, having alternatives for both freight and commuter service might be a good idea. But what do I know?
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:56 am in Snohomish County Political Commentary | RSS feed
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No Loss for Words
How Will Light Rail Come to Snohomish County?
by Steve DanaI had reason to be at SeaTac Airport this week. The landscape there is still evolving with the completion of the light rail station there. It got me thinking about how light rail would wend its way into Snohomish County.
I know light rail is not expected in our county for another decade or more, but I was thinking about land-use decisions we should be making in our county to be ready when our day finally arrives.
The last I heard, the plan was to serve Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood but what does that mean?
Long range planning for a project like this requires that we establish likely routes so we can begin right-of-way acquisition and upgrades to our comprehensive plan that will steer the right kind of development into the vicinity that will increase population density to a point where light rail begins to make sense.
The Urban Center concept would work for the area around a light rail stop; High Rise development that incorporates shopping, professional services, residential units and adequate parking for commuters who live away from transit lines.
Think about a light rail station in the middle of Bellevue Square or the Mall of America.
The Sound Transit – North Link plan calls for an underground station between NE 45th Street and NE 43rd Street on Brooklyn Avenue in the University District; heading north from the U District in a tunnel to a station at 65th NE and Roosevelt Ave then over to the I-5 Freeway and up to the Northgate Transit Station south of the Mall. The train comes out of the tunnel just north of NE 85th Street and runs on the surface a short distance then elevated to the Northgate Station.
The North Link is scheduled to start in 2012 so it would be a good idea for us to start talking about where the line will go when it leaves Northgate.
If the decisions about Sound Transit are made in cooperation with the communities to be served, then I would assume there is a process in place to gather input, I just can’t find it.
The Puget Sound Regional Council’s Transportation 2040 shows light rail in the Alderwood Mall vicinity but is clearly not a priority for them.
Interestingly, PSRC also shows Commuter Rail serving the Woodinville – Snohomish Corridor but it doesn’t show any extension of rail service north of Snohomish.
Wouldn’t that be a good idea if we are engineering projects along SR-9 to Arlington? I have argued that we should be developing alternative rail capacity as a back-up to the main line that runs along the water. Since there are frequent landslides during the rainy season, having alternatives for both freight and commuter service might be a good idea. But what do I know?
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Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:56 am in Snohomish County Political Commentary | RSS feed | Reply | Trackback URL