Background

Sound Transit has completed a 15.7-mile light rail line, called “Central Link” from Downtown Seattle through the Rainier Valley neighborhood to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It opened to passenger service on 18 July 2009 as far as Tukwila, and the final segment from Tukwila to the Airport was opened on 19 December 2009.

In November 2008 voters approved a plan to build a new light rail line from Seattle across Lake Washington to Bellevue and Redmond, and to extend the new Central Link line north to Lynnwood and south to Federal Way. These lines are scheduled to open in the 2020s.

News

INITIAL REPORT BLAMES OPERATOR FOR DERAILMENT (Tuesday, 22 December 2009) — A preliminary report issued today reports that operator error was partially repsonsible for a derailment on 15 November. Nobody was injured in that derailment but train operations were disrupted and there was $75,000 in damage to the train, tracks, and other equipement. The operator was entering the main line but failed to stop at a signal. The switches were still be moved into the correct position. After moving part way onto the main line, the operator attempted to back up, but by this time the seitch was in a different position and the front wheels of the train went on a different track from the rest of the train, resulting in the derailment. The report also said there should be better coordination between various people, and some further changes in equipment to avoid similar problems.

LIGHT RAIL BEGINS SERVICE TO AIRPORT (Saturday, 19 December 2009) — This morning at 10:00 a.m. a ribbon-cutting ceremony introduced the first passenger-carrying Link light rail train trip to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The line now provides regular, frequent service from downtown Seattle to the airport, with a one-way adult fare of $2.75 for the entire trip.

LINK TRAIN DERAILS, NOBODY INJURED (Monday, 15 November 2009) — This afternoon a light rail train derailed and disrupted rail traffic for a few hours, but the train had no passengers and nobody was injured. The Link train was just leaving the maintenance base in Seattle to begin service, and derailed just as it was about to enter the main line. The train was on the track leading from the base and when the front of the train was in or near the switch to enter the main line, the front wheels left the rails and moved sideways onto one of the mainline tracks, sitting at an angle and blocking the track. Only one track was still clear and trains in service had to alternate between northbound and southbound trains using the same track.

MAN DIES AFTER JUMPING IN FRONT OF LIGHT RAIL TRAIN (Wednesday, 29 Jul 2009) — The King County medical examiner’s office reports that a man that jumped in front of a light rail train Monday night committed suicide. Shortly before midnight Monday a man climbed over a Jersey barrier onto light rail tracks and was struck and killed by an oncoming train.

LINK LIGHT RAIL OPENS (Saturday, 18 Jul 2009) — Today the 14-mile Central Link light rail line opened from Downtown Seattle to Tukwila about two miles short of reaching Sea-Tac Airport. About 45,000 people rode the trains during the opening day. Rides are free today and tomorrow. The final segment to the airport opens in December.

Most people were happy, even ecstatic, about the beginning of service. Most of the riders commented on the quiet and smooth ride. A few residents complained about noise, concern about crossing the tracks, lack of parking, and other things.

TRAIN TESTING BEGINS IN DOWNTOWN TUNNEL (20 May 2009) — Today Link light rail trains began test runs in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel during regular hours for bus operations. This is the first time that trains and passenger-carrying buses have operated in the tunnel at the same time.

PEDESTRIAN RUNS INTO TRAIN, SUFFERS INJURIES (24 April 2009) — This afternoon a woman suffered facial injuries when she ran into a Link light rail train in motion on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South. It has been reported that the train had a green light at the time. This is the second accident since the lrains began testing. MY OPINION: If they had built monorail instead of light rail, trains and pedestrians could not collide.

18 JULY SET FOR LIGHT RAIL OPENING (22 April 2009) — Sound Transit announced yesterday that the opening date for Central Link light rail in Seattle and Tukwila will be Saturday, 18 July. There will be some ceremonies and celebrations with music and other activities. The first two days of service (Saturday and Sunday) will be free.

LINK LIGHT RAIL HAS ITS FIRST AUTO COLLISION (15 April 2009) — Today a car allegedly making an illegal left turn collided with a Link light rail train on Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. The damage appears to be relatively minor. The driver of the car was injured but it is believed not to be serious. Service on the line doesn't begin service for almost three more months and already it has a collision! Sound Transit is currently conducting test runs with the trains. MY OPINION: If they had built monorail instead of light rail, trains and cars could not collide.

LINK LIGHT RAIL FARES SET (Thursday, March 26, 2009) — Today the Sound Transit board decided that fares on the new light rail line from Seattle to SeaTac Airport will be distance-based, with an adult base fare of $1.75 plus five cents per mile, rounded to the nearest 25 cents. This will mean the lowest fare will be $1.75, and the highest fare from downtown to the airport will be $2.50. Youth fares will start at $1.25 and senior fares at 75 cents. Fare collection will be by tickets sold outside of the trains with spot checks on board.

BEACON HILL STATION WORK SPEEDED UP (Tuesday, March 24, 2009) — Work on completion of Link Light Rail’s Beacon Hill Station has been speeded up to a 24-hour-per-day schedule in an effort to meet the construction schedule. If everything goes well, the line should still open on time in early July.

POTENTIAL DELAY IN OPENING DATE (Monday, March 16, 2009) — Sound Transit reports that there is now some risk that the Central Link Rail line from Seattle to Tukwila may open later than the planned opening of July 3, 2009. A cushion of 180 days built into the construction schedule has been used up, but Sound Transit officials believe the line can still open on schedule. The cushion has been used up by construction delays, snow, and other events.

GROUND BROKEN FOR UNIVERSITY LINK LIGHT RAIL (6 March 2009) — Today there was a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on the University Link light rail line between downtown Seattle and the southeast part of the University of Washington campus. The ceremony was outside of Husky Stadium, to initiate work on a 3-mile-long pair of tunnels that will go south of there under Capitol Hill to the Convention Center Station of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

The Convention Center Station is the north terminus of the Central Link light rail line between downtown Seattle and Tukwila that is scheduled to open in July of this year, with an extension to SeaTac Airport that should open about five months later. The University Link will extend Central Link north to the University of Washington and is scheduled to open in 2016.

TESTING BEGINS WITH TRAINS ALONG ROUTE (Friday, August 15, 2008) — Sound Transit is beginning testing with light rail trains along the Link light rail route from downtown Seattle to Tukwila. The trains initially are being run at a very low speed to check the various systems. The speed of the trains will gradually be increased over the next few months. The line is expected to open to Tukwila in July 2009, with the segment to SeaTac Airport to open a few months later.

U.S. SENATE OKs $128.8 MILLIONS FOR LINK LIGHT RAIL (Friday, July 11, 2008) — This week the appropriations totalling $128.8 million for construction of Link light rail moved forward in the United States Senate.

The measure includes a final $28.8 million payment of a grant to help finance the Link line from downtown Seattle to SeaTac Airport, and an initial $100 million for Link light rail from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington.

The measure must next be approved by the full House and Senate and then signed into law by President Bush.

SECOND TUNNEL BORING FINISHED (Wednesday, March 5, 2008) — The huge tunnel boring machine that has been boring a pair of tunnels under Beacon Hill for Link light rail broke through the east side of the hill, completing the second of the two tunnels. Next comes finishing — laying of tracks, etc.

My Opinions

I was opposed to Link light rail because I felt monorail would be a better choice for that route, however now that it is a “done deal” I can only accept it. Actually the light rail line will be popular and a big help in our regional transportation crisis. However I still believe that a monorail along a similar route would have been better for several reasons, and would have been even more popular. My reasons for fighting to get monorail follow:

In today's environment light rail is just not the best transportation alternative. It is too slow over longer distances, it is too damaging to neighborhoods, it is not safe enough, and it costs too much.

I strongly believe that monorail is superior to light rail because it is safer, faster, quieter, less disruptive to neighborhoods, avoids surface traffic, will have greater ridership, will have more impact on reducing highway traffic, and costs less than light rail.

If the funding allocated to build Link light rail from Downtown Seattle to SeaTac Airport had instead been applied to monorail construction over a similar route, I believe that the route could not only have also served Southcenter Mall, but could most likely have been extended a considerable distance beyond SeaTac Airport into Federal Way or beyond.

NOTE: Many of my arguments above are based on surface light rail down the middle of Martin Luther King Way South. There are other portions of Link that are elevated or otherwise grade separated. Many of my arguments due not apply in those cases, however the elevated portions are probably more expensive than monorail because the elevated light rail structures are more massive than monorail structures.

Now that Link light rail is running trains along the track, I am going to devote a page to noting incidents that support my arguments in favor of monorail. Click here for my “Link vs. Monorail” page.