Here’s a very interesting video about noise and light rail.

I’d like to point back to our own Brian Bundridge’s video showing just how quiet Link really is:

13 Replies to “Dr. Noise on Light Rail”

    1. It seems that Mary Peters, Bush’s transpo secretary started it, but I’m eager to see what Ray LaHood has to say.

      1. You’re right…I didn’t see that, but you’re right. Andy, maybe you can post a comment with the link to this blog, LOL. We want to start Mr. LaHood off on the right track…

        Maybe you guys already knew about this one, too. Unfortunately, its not interactive…

        http://transportation.nationaljournal.com/

        Alright, I seem to be slipping back into my sleeping habits from grad school. Good Night.

    2. Thanks for the post Zach. As it turns out, I did have something to say to Sec. LaHood.

      “Investment in High Speed Rail is a “Triple Crown Winner” for the USDOT’s upcoming poster child of ecconomic recovery.
      I voted for change! Ecconomic, Oil independence, and climate change. Projects like the NW Cascade HSR corridor from Bellingham to Eugene score high for all three.
      1. Plans sit on the shelf, shovel ready, to increase speed and frequency between Seattle and Portland. These are good paying, local jobs, .. ready to go. Our Talgo tilt trains are capable of 110 mph now, not years from now.
      2. Trains easily beat both cars and planes for fuel ecconomy. Just watch a CSX commercial taunting hundreds of miles per gallon to move a ton a feight. Now think people.
      3. Trains contribute to CO2 emmisions far less than both planes and cars, and can be made much better with off the shelf technology.
      This is an opportunity to tackle all three priorities, with something useful for generations.. just as Mr. Roosevelt visioned the TVA, and Grand Coulee dam in the mid 1930’s.
      I hope you don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to make a real difference.”

      Anyone like to climb aboard the band wagon?

      1. That’s a wagon I could climb aboard. Not only are the ROW upgrades ready to go now the Talgo trains are an investment that’s being wasted without it. The demand for travel between Seattle and Portland is real. A two hour trip (90 mph avg.) is attainable quickly and for relatively little investment and the trains would be full. Once that’s rolling Seattle to Vancouver becomes much more viable.

        Too bad congress would rather encourage people to go farther into debt buying new cars. Very little of the Trillion dollars go to anything even remotely as logical as upgrading the nations railroads; but it’s all a honey of a deal for somebody!

  2. Thanks for the Dr. Noise vid. I met Michael very briefly back in the late 90’s when we were working on separate sections of the Central Link EIS. Good guy. Smooth presenter.

  3. Brian, and anyone else with video — you don’t HAVE to tape Link light rail at an intersection in SODO with the bells ringing and ringing. You can do it mid-block and get a much better idea of the real sound of the cars moving down the track.

      1. actually there’s a new bike/pedestrian path along the busway, to the East of the light rail tracks.

      3. The SODO trail extends from Royal Brougham south to Forest. It’s a much nicer quieter commute compared to any of the roads nearby. I’ve been passed a few times by link in testing and it’s a very low noise level.

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