Monday, November 13, 2006
Getting railroaded
Been hearing rumors for awhile but the official word is finally here from a briefing to the council tonight. The Washington Dept of Transportation wants to spend 60 million to run Amtrak passenger trains on existing and new lines in Lakewood. The route would replace the current Steilacoom-Point Defiance line.
It would mean ... Get this ... At least 16 times a day traffic on seven Lakewood streets like Steilacoom Boulevard, Bridgeport and Thorne would be stopped for trains.
All to save Seattle to Portland travelers 6 minutes.
Yes, that comes out to 10 million per minute saved.
This is what makes me sick about government in Olympia. Stay tuned for ways to fight this travesty. I don't know if state government will want to become responsible, but we can try. There will be more public discussion and supposedly study and consideration of noise and traffic effects next spring or summer, with construction in a year or two.
I hope our locally elected state lawmakers will try to intercept this 60 million boondoggle in the upcoming governor's budget. It may be our only hope. You should ask your state lawmakers about this if you happen to see or meet any.
