The critical path is here.

http://soundtransit.org/Documents/pdf/projects/regional/apr/200806/Link%20Light%20Rail%20APR%20June%202008%20Final.pdf

Check out page 9, it shows the project management graph of critical path.

http://soundtransit.org/Documents/pdf/projects/regional/apr/200806/Link%20Light%20Rail%20APR%20June%202008%20Final.pdf

That’s June, the progress report on Link. They come out quarterly, with the report usually delayed about a month from actual work. It should give you a good idea of where each project stands.

Realistically in my opinion, this could be finished (construction and general testing) by April/May 2009. This will leave spacing for operator training, control training, maintenance training and get the rest of the safety training completed. Remember, the last 3 months before opening day, ST will be running simulated scheduled runs 24/7. We’ll see anything from 1 car to 4 car consists, every six minutes for 24 hours a day. If I was in ST’s shoes, I would highly recommend using 3-4 car trains the first week in opening of the system. We all saw the delays with Charlotte… upwards of 3-5 hours of WAITING @ 2 car trains each.

The biggest item I see that might cause any idea would be installation of the elevators in the nice big hole. I’m sure that is going to be a challenge all of it’s own. I haven’t seen the big round hole in person but it would be interesting to see just how things will be put together.

We also have to note that while all of this is going on, Sound Transit is also ramping up to start construction on the U-Link line by the end of the year/early 2009. ST has a lot of great pressure right now, politically and physically.

~ Brian – Not the voice of ST.

Live wire testing between Henderson Street Station and South Walden Street

Stringing wire 2000 feet just Northeast of South 154th Street into the station.

Stringing wire from South Walden Street to Airport Way (through the tunnel)

Install elevators, electrical, fan/vent systems at Beacon Hill Station.

Install TVM’s at all stations.

Install CCTV cameras at Mt. Baker Station and complete glass installation.

Complete dead and live wire testing through Beacon Hill Tunnels.

Train operators and complete burn in of LRV’s 125-135.

Train mechanical team.

Construct Maintenance of Way (MoW) building at O&M site after tunnel construction is completed.

What remains is the following: Airport Extension (S 154th to STIAS)

Install OCS (Overhead Contact System) and signal system.

Finish installing track from station cross over into station. False work is nearly finished.

Complete walkways to International Blvd and parking garage/terminal.

Install CCTV cameras at station and walkways.

Dead/Live wire testing between S 154th Street and Sea-Tac Airport.

I am also curious about the remaining construction on the central link line. Does anyone know if there is anything left aside from the completion of the airport station?

I especially like the one of the LRT centered on the bridge over the Duwamish. Well done!

Completely non-plussed, the “PR” guy drily recounted the rules against goverment agencies using their resources for campaigning. I could have been talking to Ben Stein.

Look, I’m one of the biggest good-government liberals around, but throw me a frickin’ bone here. So maybe you don’t have the pols on board, maybe you just have them “checking the tires” during a stop at each station. Work with me.

While there is a large minority in King County that is either pro-rail or very receptive to it, the anti-rail forces, fractured as they may be, seem better organized, better funded, and operate year-round. Few politicians take ownership of the issue. Only Transportaion Choices actively lobbies for rail, mostly with the legislature. And that leaves a large minority with little voice.

I want someo good ol’ fashioned civic boosterism! I want a champion for the cause, LOL.

And a little rant: But does anybody else find those little pictographs representing each station on the Link map very childish and annoying? It makes the map look unnecessarily busy and adds an extra layer of confusion with all the pictures.

What’s really interesting to think about is that there are tens of thousands of people who just don’t care about following transit — bless ‘em, they got more important things in their lives — who in a year’s time are going to be daily commuters on Link. Our fetish is going to turn into their reality.

David