Light rail between Bellevue and Seattle (trains, design, pools)

[supertexan]

What is the word on the street regarding whether or not there will be a light rail line put in between Bellevue and Seattle? Is this something being considered for the near future?

[tudorjason]

This link provides an article written earlier this year.

Light rail cut from the plan for 520 Bridge

According to it, the Light Rail part of the new 520 Bridge is cut due to technical reasons.

This makes sense to me because every time I heard on the news about light rail on the replaced floating bridge I kept thinking how they were going to make sure it would still float. It may not make a difference and it may not be the technical reason, but I would think having light rail on a floating bridge would cause it to sink.

[Ira500]

Voters will choose this November whether to expand the rail system, including getting rail to Bellevue via I-90. Last year voters defeated a roads and transit package. The ballot proposal this year takes out the roads component and makes the transit component a bit smaller.

Sound Transit System Expansion - What's Proposed (http://future.soundtransit.org/proposed.aspx - broken link)

[allforcats]

So if we get light-rail trains sailing across I-90, do we all stay glued to our TVs around Thanksgiving to watch the whole thing float away in the windstorms? Wouldn't that be a kick! Imagine the betting pools on that!!

[NorthernCalifornia]

Originally Posted by allforcats

So if we get light-rail trains sailing across I-90, do we all stay glued to our TVs around Thanksgiving to watch the whole thing float away in the windstorms? Wouldn't that be a kick! Imagine the betting pools on that!!

Yes, because billion-dollar engineering projects typically fail to take this type of thing into account.

[NorthernCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Voters will choose this November whether to expand the rail system, including getting rail to Bellevue via I-90. Last year voters defeated a roads and transit package. The ballot proposal this year takes out the roads component and makes the transit component a bit smaller.

Sound Transit System Expansion - What's Proposed (http://future.soundtransit.org/proposed.aspx - broken link)

Sound Transit excels at utterly useless maps. I have tried for years to find good maps of their rail system and plans and just can't do it. Clearly this is by design.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by NorthernCalifornia

Yes, because billion-dollar engineering projects typically fail to take this type of thing into account.

On Nov. 25, 1990 over the Thanksgiving break, we watched on TV as the old I-90 floating bridge buckled, broke, and collapsed into Lake Washington. A stunning sight!!

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by allforcats

On Nov. 25, 1990 over the Thanksgiving break, we watched on TV as the old I-90 floating bridge buckled, broke, and collapsed into Lake Washington. A stunning sight!!

Prior to that we had the Hood Canal Bridge sink, and the old Narrows Bridge destroyed in a windstorm!

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by allforcats

On Nov. 25, 1990 over the Thanksgiving break, we watched on TV as the old I-90 floating bridge buckled, broke, and collapsed into Lake Washington. A stunning sight!!

I thought it was the new one that they were building and that they had to start over. It was a long time ago so I might be misremembering. I do remember it had something to do with pontoons filling with water though.

[MaikeerinWA]

November 25, 1990 (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/archives/1990/9011260018.asp - broken link)