Rail

05/18/2005

King County Executive Ron Sims calls it ‘the granddaddy of regional trails.’ But critics call a plan to convert 47 miles of rail into a bike trail on Seattle’s Eastside a job-killer. KUOW’s Cathy Duchamp reports.

ONE OF THE PEOPLE MOST AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSAL WAS THE LAST TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

TEMPLE: I’m surprised. I would expect if Mr. Sims was going to eliminate 80 jobs that he’d pick up the phone and give me a call.

ERIC TEMPLE OWNS THE WASHINGTON DINNER TRAIN. HE READ IN THE MORNING PAPER YESTERDAY (MON) THAT THE COUNTY WANTS TO BUY THE SECTION OF RAIL HE USES. TEMPLE FIGURES THE DINNER TRAIN HAS PUMPED 140-MILLION INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY OVER THE PAST 13 YEARS. SO HE AND HIS WORKERS CAME TO EXECUTIVE SIMS' PRESS CONFERENCE TO LET THEIR FEELINGS BE KNOWN.

CROWD: save the train

SIMS: if you let me finish you’ll hear your answer.

EXECUTIVE SIMS SAYS HE HAS NOTHING AGAINST TRAINS. HE LOVES THEM IN FACT. HAS A LIONEL TRAIN SET--- METAL, NOT PLASTIC. BUT SIMS SAYS THIS WAS A DEAL HE COULDN'T PASS UP.

SIMS: BNSF has made it very clear that its to dispose of this property. If they dispose of this property it’s going to be broken up and held by private parties who have no obligation at all to keep it in rail format for anyone.

SIMS SAYS BOTH A BIKE TRAIL AND A RAIL LINE COULD FIT ON THE CORRIDOR. ITS 100 FEET WIDE. THIS IS THE COUNTY'S SECOND AMBITIOUS RAILS-TO-TRAILS PLAN. IT TOOK TEN YEARS TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES ON THE FIRST--- A BIKE TRAIL ALONG LAKE SAMMAMISH. GENE DUVERNOY IS WITH THE CASCADE LAND CONSERVANCY. HE SAYS THE COUNTY NEEDS TO ACT NOW, TO GIVE A GROWING COMMUNITY THE GREEN SPACE IT NEEDS.

DUVERNOY: If we don’t take bold actions today to save these kind of corridors they won’t be here for our kids or grandkids. None of us want that, we want these corridors however they’re used down the road to benefit our children and grandchildren.

KING COUNTY HAS FOUR MONTHS TO NEGOTIATE A FINAL PRICE TAG ON THE PROJECT. IF THE DEAL GOES THROUGH, MONTHS, PERHAPS YEARS, OF PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL FOLLOW. CD KUOW NEWS.