Unfortunately it wouldn’t solve the problems in this case because of crossings between the East Link/South Link junction point and the tunnel entrance (in other words, SODO). That area needs to lose all its level crossings.

You could run it east on, under or alongside the West Seattle Bridge, under or on the Spokane Street Viaduct, with some kind of stop serving the south industrial area en route (a major employment base).

From there you could hook into existing trackage at the to-be-expanded-anyway maintenance base that gets you onto trackage heading north with no capacity constraints in this stretch. (The capacity constraint starts in the International District Station area when East Link merges in.)

Both Central Link and West Seattle to Bellevue/Redmond lines would serve Sodo (the transfer stop.) Only Central Link would serve International District Station and downtown.

Now all you need is one more ramp to hook into the existing busway that will become East Link.

This would introduce a transfer for many West Seattle residents that does not exist today. That is certainly a flaw of any plan that has a transfer at Sodo to get downtown.

Were a line ever built to West Seattle, as Richard Conlin suggests, you could have a transfer at Sodo… and then just through-route those trains onto East Link, once built. This would create a West Seattle to Bellevue/Redmond line via I-90.

In any case, why is the system planned to be expanded to Redmond, Everett and Tacoma in ST3? If it will really be at crush load 24,000 passengers per hour through the tunnel in 2030, how can they even contemplate extending the system? They won’t even be able to keep up with population growth along the Alderwood to Star Lake and Overlake.

It doesn’t add up. Either the ST planners don’t really believe the projections for 2030 or they’re doing a bait and switch.

If West Seattle can get ten years of direct downtown service out of some otherwise non-revenue but necessary trackage (the systems have to be linked somewhere and where better than the MF?) seems like a good thing to me.

About half:
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asystem/routedesc.php?rted=N

My dream has always been to see the Waterfront Streetcar restored and extended to Pier 91 and the Ballard Locks. Why? It would connect some of the great touristy stuff to do in our region. The WF line will never been a good commuter line but it is a wonderful way to connect the Waterfront to other communities. Getting to the Locks for example would be fairly easy, especially if the single track with passing sidings is maintained a practice. During the Summer with the connection to the cruise ships, it would be a huge boon to these folks visiting.

There are a ton of reasons to restore the Waterfront Streetcar. We have 6 vehicles in hand, we will still have all of the track after the Viaduct is gone (all of it is reusable still, along with the concrete ties) and we have the Overhead Contact System. An extension to T91 would be fairly cheap, same with an extension to the Locks.

So what are we waiting for besides a new Viaduct and Seawall? We have everything required except for a maintenance facility.

Did you read the long post in response to Ben at 13:21 yesterday? I don’t think we need to do the transfer. Just use a connection to Central Link at the Maintenance Facility and run trains to UW. I’m sure that West Seattle won’t be completed before University Link is so there should be no problem with too many turnbacks.

The Duwamish crossing is a huge issue. It would likely require a new, separate bridge with all of the environmental issues that would entail. Crossing of the railroad tracks in SODO would be another bridge. Avalon is a possibility for climbing the hill, but a short tunnel would likely be needed to get up to the Alaska Junction. California would be a tight fit for elevated or at grade light rail. They may need to cut-and-cover a tunnel.

Conlin does us a disservice by floating wild guesses like this. Perhaps he should pay more attention at Sound Transit board meetings. I am guessing they are shuddering to hear his estimate.