Seattle Monorail
This project sadly was terminated by the voters last November. What killed it is what has killed or limited so many other Seattle, and statewide, projects:
- Cost: it was becoming VERY expensive to build even a stripped-down line
- Mission Compression: Due to the growing cost, the line was being stripped down and cut back.
- Will: Nobody had the political or financial will to build the line
- Need: The line, while ambitious, wasn't seen as the cure to the problem
Unfortunately, to return money to the voters and rescind the tax, the property purchased for the line is being sold off. This means, when this project is revisited in 5, 10, 15 years it will be even that much more expensive to build.
In related news, repairs should commence shortly on the original Seattle Monorail, to repair damage from when the two trains collided last Fall.
Seattle Light Rail (Seattle Link)
Major construction progress continues on the Seattle Link project. Placement of elevated track sections is well underway along SR 518. The Seattle Bus Tunnel retrofit is about halfway done. Track and station construction in the SODO district is substantially complete. Tunnel boring through Beacon Hill has begun. Most of the prep work is complete in the Rainier Valley.
In related projects, groundbreaking on the Airport Extension will take place this summer. A draft EIS was released covering the Northgate extension, with planning well underway.
Sound Transit Seattle Link site
Downtown Seattle Transit
Tunnel
Tacoma Link
Tacoma Link continues to run without problem. Discussions have begun on extensions: North to join with Seattle Link, and West to Tacoma Community College. While the vote hasn't come up yet, I think the Westside extension is a strong possibility. The Downtown Tacoma Renaissance continues, with Link being a large part of it.
King County Monorail
No progress as of yet. The failure of the Seattle Monorail Project puts this project in question, but it still has a possibility of happening.
SkyTrain
The new SkyTrain extension, Canada Line, that will run from downtown Vancouver out to Richmond and the airport, is well underway. Tunnel construction has started downtown and utility moves along the route are well underway.
The original line, Expo Line, and the Millenium Line extension continue to operate and serve the Greater Vancouver region well.
Portland Metropolitan Area eXpress
All Portland MAX lines, yellow, red and blue, continue to operate and serve the Portland area. Planning is well underway on the Green Line extension down I-205, and for retrofits to the Portland Transit Mall. Discussion is also beginning on the Orange Line extension to Milwaukee.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge
While this project faced some setbacks this Fall and Winter, related to rusting on some of the cable that was to be used for spinning the main cable, and a shutdown of the old bridge when a crane tipped over, construction still continues. Spinning is complete and the first deck sections are enroute, to be placed later this summer. The project open date has slipped to July from April 2007 however.
In related project news, the toll center is complete and information about the tolling system is already available (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/goodtogo/). SR 16 expansion work on the Gig Harbor side appears complete. On the Tacoma side, much progress is being made in the segment between Union Avenue and the bridge. New bridges are approaching completion, and traffic has already moved onto the new curve at Cheney Stadium.