Overview
We have been able this past year to help advance public and leadership commitment to the future of freight and passenger rail on the Eastside, in Washington State and along the Seattle-Vancouver, B.C., corridor. Expansion of rail investment has been a hallmark issue for our Cascadia Center since 1992. Our role is to bring passenger rail, neighborhoods and freight interests together to agree on win-win scenarios.
Eastside Commuter Rail Corridor
On the Eastside of Lake Washington, we are slowly gaining support from elected officials for our position on the concept of "rails and trails" (instead of only trails) along the Renton-to-Snohomish corridor. Cascadia has had success in preventing the immediate loss of a valuable rail line used by the Spirit of Washington dinner train and freight rail. Our efforts have helped prevent - so far - the permanent loss of the line for future suburban rail service.
After the adoption of a plan by the Puget Sound Regional Council (which Cascadia helped sponsor) for continued public ownership and development of a "rails and trails" program only in some sections of the 42-mile long corridor from Renton to Snohomish, King County Executive Ron Sims came forward with a proposal announcing a tentative deal with BNSF and the Port of Seattle to transfer King County Airport to the Port. Under terms of that proposal, the Port would buy the rail corridor and state funding would be made available for some major rail freight investments.
While Cascadia supports freight rail investments, we were greatly troubled with part of the proposal that would tear up 31 miles of track from Renton to Woodinville for development of a hiking and biking trail only. We testified before the state House and Senate transportation committees that a rail and trail system could be developed simultaneously. We pointed out that a new type of low-impact, self-propelled rail car called a DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) could operate almost immediately along the corridor with sufficient room to spare for a trail.
Cascadia has commissioned nearly a dozen renderings of potential stations along the Eastside line through our artist, J. Craig Thorpe. We are commissioning the former director of Northwest operations for BNSF to do an independent analysis of the exact condition of the tracks.
Currently, the track can handle the aforementioned dinner train and regular freight operations at 25 to 30 miles per hour. Our independent study will see how much it would cost to upgrade the track to 40 miles per hour and will be included in an overall business plan for the financing and governance of the "Eastside Interurban" that will highlight community-based oversight of the "rail and trail" line and public-private partnerships with developers for funding.
As a result of our efforts and questions about the three-way deal from Seattle Port Commissioners and members of the King County Council, the agreement has been pushed back from a June 30, signing to the end of the year. In addition, Sound Transit has agreed to explore future high capacity transit options for the corridor, and King County Executive Ron Sims has modified his position from a "trail only" proposal for the Renton to Woodinville section to a position that supports trails and a potential future transit corridor.
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Eastside Rail Corridor Could Serve Bicyclists And Commuters," Larry Phillips & Jane Hague (King County Council), John Creighton (Port of Seattle Commission), Seattle Times, 8/8/07.
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Is It Rail Time Or Trail Time?," Jeanette Knutson, Woodinville Weekly, Aug. 6, 2007.
"...Bruce Agnew, director of the Cascadia Center, said, "When the public is presented with facts about the 100-foot-wide rail corridor they say, 'Well, of course it should be rails and trails...Agnew said their proposal would involve the use of DMUs, Diesel Multiple Units, "self-propelled commuter railcars with the capacity to pull coaches"....The cars are low-impact, said Agnew. They run on biodiesel and can be maintained by diesel mechanics at community colleges, he said. They carry 90 people per car and can be double stacked. They already operate in North America, Europe, Asia and India. The development of an Eastside rails and trails plan as a community partnership, with buy-in from all the communities along the line, would not compete with Sound Transit's light rail plan, said Agnew.....Agnew thought they could run a DMU from Snohomish to Bellevue as a demonstration project. They could run it for a couple years, maybe use leased equipment, and see how successful it was. "I suspect it will be very popular," said Agnew. "I-405 construction is going to be a nightmare. Having extra trains at this time makes sense."
"Eastside Needs Rail, Not Trail," Jim O'Farrell, Talisma Corporation - Bellevue WA, Seattle Times, 7/17/07
Rethink Eastside Rail-Corridor Deal," Larry Phillips (King County Council), Seattle Times, 3/6/07
"BNSF Corridor Preservation Study, Puget Sound Regional Council, 2/27/07
"Waiting For The DMU, James Vesely, Seattle Times, 2/12/07.
Cascadia Passenger, Commuter & Freight Rail
After seven years of negotiations with successive governments, the Province of British Columbia announced an agreement to partner with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) and Amtrak in the construction of an important railroad siding near White Rock, B.C. The project will allow the second Amtrak train that had stopped in Bellingham to continue to Vancouver. B.C., and represents the first direct connection between Oregon and Canada.
In north Puget Sound we have encouraged the planning and launching of a regional rail system between Bellingham and Everett to supplement Amtrak and Sound Transit's Sounder train. Cascadia continues to make progress on a Bellingham to Everett "regional rail" proposal. Under the auspices of the "Farmhouse Gang," there are negotiations with BNSF on track improvements, for example, and other discussions with local elected officials on a North Sound taxing district that would use a $20 MVET (motor vehicle excise tax) add-on approved by the Legislature in 2007. The effort is funded by a $104,000 federal grant.
Additionally, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, the state legislature, ports, shipping and rail companies have united around a plan to significantly increase future investments in freight and passenger rail. A major breakthrough for investment in freight and passenger rail occurred when Washington state released its report on rail capacity - indicating that the number of containers coming into the ports of Seattle and Tacoma will double by 2025 and that major public and private investments in rail are needed to keep the region globally competitive.
"Amtrak Deal A Key Link In Burgeoning Cascadia Travel," Tom Till, Bruce Agnew, Cascadia Center For Regional Development, Vancouver Sun, 3/20/07
"Toot, Toot, The Region Goes To B.C., Too," James Vesely, Seattle Times, 3/4/07.
Statewide Rail Capacity and System Needs Study, Washington State Transportation Commission, 12/06.
"Statement of Tom Till to Washington Transportation Commission On Amtrak & Related Issues, Including Availability of Federal Funding," 1/18/06.
