My name is Bob Fleming, and I am very interested in seeing a greatly improved transportation system for Seattle and the surrounding region.

Background Information

Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad owns a rail line that runs northward from Renton, Washington, along the east side of Lake Washington through Bellevue, Kirkland, and Woodinville to Snohomish, Washington. The line is seldom used and the railroad wants to sell it.

King County executive Ron Simms wants the county to obtain the southern part of the line, remove the track, and build a recreational trail and bicycle path. A complex deal is being worked out in which the Port of Seattle would buy the corridor from BNSF and lease the southern portion to King County.

However many people want this corridor to be used for a light rail line or other transit purposes and oppose the plan to remove the rails. The main objection of the opponents is that they fear that once the rails are removed and replaced with a trail, there would be no future use for mass transit purposes.

News

COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVES RAILS/TRAILS DEAL (6 May 2008) — The King County Council has approved a three-agreement for use of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks on the east side of Lake Washington (the Eastside Rail Corridor). It is expected that the Port of Seattle will approve the deal in the next few days.

My Opinions

I am very much in favor of building a trail in this corridor. It would be an important link in a regional system of trails and bikeways. However I am equally in favor of use of this corridor for mass transit purposes.

If the right-of-way is wide enough, there could be enough room for a trail and a parallel light rail line. However I believe the best solution is a monorail.

The supporting pylons (columns) for a monorail would only be about four or five feet wide, leaving plenty of space for an adjacent trail. The monorail would also be quieter than railroad trains for the many people that live next to the corridor. The monorail would also be safer because with surface rail trains can kill children and other people that get onto the tracks.

Furthermore, monorail would avoid the problems that result from a surface railway crossing roadways at grade. Of course a railroad can be elevated, but this would cost more than a monorail.