First, there was a note in the Newcastle News that a City Councilman is leading the charge to preserve the 42 miles of BNSF track from Renton to Snohomish. He’s actually serious. As I mentioned before, the most compelling reason BNSF wanted to sell the track is the cost of mitigating the grade crossings. It’s got to be enormous.
The second reason, of course, is the lack of business. The corridor no longer serves bulk customers. For railroads to make money they need to haul bulk cargo. Things like cars, coal, 737 bodies, and passengers. But the eastside cities have gone to office intensive businesses and bedrooms. The other big railroad cargo category is containers. We don’t have any container facilities over here in Bellevue. While I’m advocating using the railroads to carry as many of those annoying big truck trailers as possible I don’t see them being delivered to places between Renton and Snohomish.
There’s a third reason BNSF wants to sell the track: the State DOT is destroying part of it. The I-405 project will remove a section of track that goes over the Wilburton Tunnel right now. They had planned to use chance to do the job. What they were hoping for was a big accident in the tunnel that would require emergency demolition, but they finally gave up on that. The emergency demolition would have been required since major accidents attract about 200 emergency vehicles and they figured demolishing the tunnel would be the only way to find room to park them. But no such luck. They even changed the lane markings at random hoping to trigger a big wreck, but it just made people more alert. This is pretty much typical of DOT ideas – THEY DON’T WORK!
But the point is BNSF wanted to get rid of that 42 miles of right of way because it was no longer an asset. And the Port of Seattle was the designated buyer. The plan was that the Port would trade it to King County for the Boeing Field Airport. This was almost a good solution except that the Port Commission got in trouble with auditors due to some over charging of tax payers for hauling dirt. Hauling dirt is one of our main industries and spending a few minutes along the Maple Valley Highway will confirm that. Dump trucks loaded with dirt are bumper to bumper. Both ways. You’d think a couple of phone calls could cut that in half but what do I know?
Anyway, King County would eventually acquire the 42 mile corridor and they planned to designate it a park and install a bike path. That’s right, a bike path to Renton. Go figure!
But the Light Rail nut farmers, including the Newcastle councilman, want to run commuter trains on that track. And, if you don’t have a practical mind, it seems logical. Here’s an existing rail line relatively parallel to I-405 that could be used to get hundreds of drivers off the freeway every day. It would only cost $200 million to build stations, buy trains, and hire sign wavers to stand of street corners and yell at cars. Except the grade crossing mitigation would cost billions, but we don’t mention that. Sure, building a light rail from scratch costs billions but it’s designed as a light rail and includes flyovers and tunnels. Trying to retrofit this line would cost lots more.
Have I tipped my opinion?
Also, I’m apparently being recalled to active military duty. I got a letter from the Army today with all kind of stuff about what a great bunch of guys the Army is. There’s even a metal pin. I suppose it’s supposed to go on my uniform someplace when I report in. But where do I report?
I’ve decided: I’m going to report to the Newcastle City Council. I’ll tell them I’ve been recalled to active duty and that my first assignment is to clear a corridor for commuter rail between Renton and Snohomish. Poof! I’m done. “Just use the existing rail,” is what I’ll say. Then Honorable Discharge follows. The stunned looks will suffice as concurrence and its back to civilian life for me. Boy, the Army is easy.
Worried yet?
Lastly, I’m pronouncing the Renton Saturn dealer is a bunch of pusillanimous prevaricators. These boneheads recently sent my father-in-law off with his newly serviced Saturn and one of the items marked as “done” was “check outside lights” which they didn’t do. He has a brake light out. They didn’t check. For that they get a mention in the Lake Boren Report. If they goof up again, watch out. I might tell them I’m in the Army now and watch them quake.
Has Duvall Avenue closed yet? I need to go check.
Al
No comments:
Post a Comment