Seattle Press on Line - Monorail Routes are Being Refined

There From Here

Monorail Routes are Being Refined

By Tara Peattie

Nov 21, 2001 -- The Elevated Transportation Company's monorail planning is gliding along swiftly and smoothly, if not so quietly as an actual monorail would run. While light rail seems to be light years (and billions of dollars) away from serving North Seattle, neighborhoods are queuing up for monorail. The Licton Springs Community Council is working on a possible resolution and coalition to demand (or politely encourage as is the Seattle way) that the monorail proposal extend to Northgate. Council board member Bert Bradley says, "There are no park and rides or other facilities at 15th NW and 85th; why not extend to where there's already a full-scale transit facility?"

Fremont overlord (lady, rather) Suzie Burke wants monorail to take a turn through Fremont, and has offered to partner with the ETC on making available parking facilities. The Magnolia Chamber of Commerce has resolved, in effect, "We won't support it unless we get it too." One could do worse than this kind of criticism. Let's hope the clamoring doesn't quiet down.

I join the Licton Springs Community Council in wondering why monorail is piddling to a halt short of my neighborhood (Northgate). Granted, the ETC has a tall order to fill already. Their full plan for the Crown Hill to West Seattle route, technology and funding must be ready in plenty of time for the November ballot next year. This, with a paid staff of only five individuals, and a highly dedicated but volunteer board of directors. In October, the ETC did 29 community presentations in 31 days, in hopes that community input will help them put together a plan that will meet enough needs to pass the vote next year. While not on a shoestring, the ETC is not rolling in pesos either: they'll spend the same dollar amount in a year that Sound Transit spends in three weeks! The ETC's Community Outreach Coordinator Ed Stone assures me that they haven't forgotten Northgate. The ETC will look first at Holman Road to get to Northgate, when they get to it.

So who's getting it? Are you getting it? Here's the update on route planning.

Ballard

Either: 15th Avenue NW from the Ship Canal to NW 85th Street
Or: Shilshole Avenue NW to 24th Avenue NW to 65th Street to 15th Avenue NW to NW 85th Street.
Or: Shilshole Avenue NW to 24th Avenue NW to 65th Street to 20th Avenue NW to NW 85th Street.

Fremont and Queen Anne

Either: Elliott Avenue W at W Mercer Street to 15th Avenue to the Ship Canal
Or: Dexter Avenue N to Leary Way NW

Downtown and Lower Queen Anne

Either: Alaskan Way from W Mercer to S King Street
Or: W Harrison Street to 1st Avenue W to 2nd Avenue to King Street
Or: Westlake to Virginia to 4th Avenue to King Street
Or: a tunnel from Boren to Dearborn

SoDo

Either 4th Avenue S or 1st Avenue S from King Street. to the West Seattle Bridge

West Seattle

SW Avalon Way to Fauntleroy to SW Morgan Street
SW Admiral Way to California Avenue SW

I've left out some options for smaller segments. For details and maps, look on the ETC's website: www.elevated.org.

According to Ed Stone, the biggest planning challenge thus far is getting through downtown. "There'll need to be many different negotiations, at the same time there's many different possibilities. Also, crossing to West Seattle will be a bigger problem than anticipated. Building a new bridge across that large a span would be quite costly. We may utilize the West Seattle Bridge, by running a single rail down the shoulder, and have trains switch at either end. The Shonen suspended monorail in Japan makes a crossing in this way."

To cross the ship canal, Seattle may need a new monorail-only bridge. The ETC is working with the coast guard to determine how high the bridge would need to be. There is a large cost variable in what grade climb will be necessary to cross.

There are many miles to go in planning such items as financing, and governance structure once the ETC is replaced by a new permanent monorail agency. But the ETC is already eyeballing second phase builds, such as the crosstown no-brainer from Ballard to Fremont to Wallingford to the U. District (from there, why not slip monorail across SR 520? Call it the Microsoft Express...) as well extending from downtown to Boeing Field and Georgetown, or maybe heading up Aurora.

Me, I'll be waiting for a monorail station atop Northgate Mall. We North Seattleites have already been stood up by Sound Transit, when is our train coming in?

The next ETC board meeting is Monday, December 3, 6:30 p.m.; at Seattle City Light, North Service Center Auditorium, 1300 N 97th St. (at Stone Avenue N).

They'll also be making presentations at two meetings in Fremont:

Monday, November 26, 7:30 p.m.
Fremont Neighborhood Council
History House, 790 N 34th (under the Aurora Bridge)
Contact: Dick Selin, 206-547-9697

Tuesday, November 27, 7:30 a.m.
North Seattle Industrial Association
Adobe Office Campus, Fremont
Canal Level, 701 Building, Room 3 (on the first floor)
Contact: John Kane, 206-691-0476

Tara Peattie is a troll who lives under I-5 at Northgate. She can be reached at peattie@drizzle.com.

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