Lakewood has engaged in a war of words with the DOT since 2007, when the state obtained a “categorical exclusion” for the project from the Federal Highway Administration. That allowed bypass planning to move forward without a detailed environmental assessment.Lakewood has been taking things as far as they can so far. Back in January, the City Council unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the Point Defiance Bypass project. A copy of that resolution can be found here (pdf). The news tribune has ran a few stories about Lakewood's growing concern here and here. Also worth a read is a Lakewood councilmember's blog which posts about the Point Defiance Bypass here, here and here.
Following this resolution, the city attorney began appealing this project to the state Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC). Although this is the first time I've ever heard of this organization, after a quick browse through their website, it seems that their organization is the agency tasked with ensuring railroad safety for the state. It is not immediately clear whether the WUTC could require grade separation along the corridor if it found the proposed crossings to be unsafe. A hearing has been scheduled for June 7th.
For the record with Lakewood, they do support the Sounder to Lakewood extension. The reasoning is that there won't be as many trains and they will be traveling slower and won't reach Tilicum which is only accessible by crossing the tracks. However, the Amtrak trains are going to reach higher speeds of up to 79 mph and impose what Lakewood and DuPont believe to be a threat to safety given the proposed design. Problem is when the nitty grity details are examined, Lakewood wants WSDOT to re-examine all railroad crossings in Lakewood that the Sounder would use. This is because in their own words:
...the city supported Sounder service but not Amtrak high-speed rail service.We'll see what happens with this issue at the WUTC.
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The Lakewood resolution says nothing - it only says that there are "concerns" with the design.
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't appear to be anything particularly unsafe about the project. We'll see what the UTC decides, but there just isn't the justification for grade-separated crossings in Lakewood. There's no grade separation in Nalley Valley where it crosses at S. 35th or Wilkeson.
The Lakewood Councilmember cites the area as "dense" and "urban." The densest it gets is the intersection of Bridgeport and Pacific Highway - next to the Uhaul and KFC.
Watch the WSDOT simulation of traffic impacts as it takes an agonizing 3 seconds for the trains to pass.
YouTube: WSDOT PT Defiance Bypass Traffic Simulation
I read that story too. Sounds like a little bit of politics to me. I wish that the TNT would actually investigate these stories just a little bit.
ReplyDeleteMy thinking is that infrequent train service is more dangerous than frequent train service. If everyone knows to expect a train, then everyone knows to stay off the tracks.
And then, these Mayors seem to think that the horn, lights, and crossing gates provide enough safety at 55 mph (Sounder) but not at 79 mph (Amtrak). Why? Do they have any studies to show that there is a safety difference? I'm thinking that Amtrak would have the expertise here, not the Mayors.
Plus the tracks and trains will be easily capable of 110 mph, the 79 mph is already a huge compromise. I know when I'm on the train, I'd like to see triple digits.
btw - If I where the Lakewood Mayor, instead of whining about the the RR crossings, I'd be negotiating hard, for an Amtrak stop in exchange for no whining about silly stuff. Providing the citizens convenient access to rail travel is the best thing he could do for their safety.
ReplyDeleteThat's what it looks like to the insiders. Lakewood is vying for a stop to have it's stamp of approval.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I guess you can't expect a politician to say what they mean. The real reason is rarely the given reason. Just wish they would publicly embrace transit rather than publicly bash it.
ReplyDeleteA stop in Lakewood would wipe out the six minute time savings which is the justification for the project. Not likely.
ReplyDeleteActually, the justification for the project is vastly increased reliability (due to getting out of the single-track tunnels shared with freight); the six minute time savings is just a bonus. So a Cascades stop in Lakewood might be OK. It also wouldn't take six minutes off the trip -- probably about three.
ReplyDeleteThere is an argument for a grade separation at the entrance to the military base. There's also an argument for a Sounder station there! The other intersections *definitely* do not need grade separation.