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BART train in South San Francisco (Photo from Wikipedia)
I’m even more concerned with Sound Transit’s plans and finances after seeing what is currently happening in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I have family and friends living in the Bay Area that have paid taxes for BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) for 50 years. Livermore, the town I was born in, has had a one percent sales tax to pay for BART since 1976, and the closest the rail transit system has gotten has been the Pleasanton/Dublin Station about ten miles away. It took 20 years of tax payments for Livermore to get this (somewhat distant) access.
Now, because of more work-from-home, BART is thinking of closing this Pleasanton/Dublin station and 14 others, and reducing overall service by more than 60%.
Here is a “Dublin Patch” story with passionate objections about the closures from the former Dublin Mayor, who also chairs the BART board.
The possibility of finally building a station and then closing it a few decades later should be worrisome to everyone who has been waiting for a Sound Transit Link light-rail station. This includes Renton, where we’ve been paying Sound Transit taxes for 30 years, and Sound Transit is supposed to be spending 2-3 million to develop the concept for a future (still unfunded) Renton LINK station. Sound Transit should tell us how they can be sure the same type of rail station closures won’t be threatened in our area. Especially, as they are currently in front of the Legislature seeking approval to issue 75 year bonds.
Here is the official word on the BART financial crisis, directly from the official BART website.
I’ve written many blog posts about Sound Transit’s inequitable treatment of Renton, and what should be done about it. You can find those posts by clicking here.
Renton not having a seat on the Sound Transit board for 30-odd years, when we’ve had higher population growth-percentages than Bellevue, but Sumner has a seat- despite being a tiny blip, makes no sense. We pay but we’re a “bus backwater” as it may be. What’s the deal there?
It may be time to approach Renton and Rail-based Transit a different way. One that allows interoperability, reliability, and addresses the needs of the region-at-large. Renton was once supposed to have “Forward Thrust” rail rapid transit (also the origins of the “Trains on the Floating Bridge” idea), but because of the Initiatives failure, MARTA in Atlanta, Georgia got our Federal money! Any Public Transit fixing solutions- have to fix Seattle’s transit issues- so the cures to the Suburban issues radiate outward. Renton also needs to fix its Transit and Transportation issues, to ensure its own future.
Light Rail to Renton would be nice- especially since it’s been nearly 52 years since we’ve had ANY Electrified Railroads in Renton (the Milwaukee Road de-energized in June 1974), and almost 90 years since the abandonment of the Seattle & Rainer Valley interurban line (once- “briefly” the longest stretch of electrified railway in the world!). Renton once touted 5-railroads- 3 of which were Electrically-powered. One could catch a train anywhere, and now we can’t catch any at all. However, can a Light Rail line be integrated into the current system like the offshoots to the 1-line that have been discussed before? Would they serve Renton- or Rush-Hour commuters to Boeing (for however long they stay!). If Boeing leaves, what guarantee do we have that Renton’s line won’t be “abandoned” like the previous electric railroads?
A kid I mentor was host to a visiting Nishiwaki student. That student said that “Renton is ‘not’ a place to visit. It is a place to live (in).” (Rough translation; she didn’t speak a lot of English). “If” Renton gets Rail Transit again, it needs to serve those who live in this City, and NOT just the commuters in-and-out. Renton IS a place to Live in- most of all. We’re also a “Bus Backwater” because of how discombobulated the whole system is (some areas having half-hour weekday, hourly weekend, and no service on Sundays!). It’s a mess!
So could Renton support Rail-based Transit? Yes- if done wisely and innovatively. Can it stand-up to be “Future-proof” against Economic Shifts that could cause partial-loss of ridership? That’s the Billion-Dollar Question…
Thanks for the highly informative and thoughtful comment Nikolaus. Really good perspective– “Renton once touted 5-railroads- 3 of which were Electrically-powered. One could catch a train anywhere, and now we can’t catch any at all.”
I strongly agree with your sentiments, and hope we can find a way to get Renton a fair share of future rail transit.
Thank you, Sir. It’s nice to see you’re still committed (especially since I lobbied you as a kid at every school function I saw you at to save the Woodinville Sub and the dinner train).
Renton needs better transportation- especially since growth will inevitably head Southeast as the years progress. With improved roads, restored rail, and possibly even restored water transport- we have potential to be a nexus and ease the region’s transportation problems. It’s a matter of political will, the correct tools, and fiscal responsibility- to get everyone aboard. (Pun intended.)