Mitigating the East Link Debacle

 Sooner or later Sound Transit will release Northgate Link ridership levels that were a fraction of their Link website predictions. This post is an attempt to avoid even more serious problems next year when East Link begins operation.  

Countless posts on this blog have detailed reasons Sound Transit’s East Link 2008 DEIS ridership claims were sheer fantasy. They should have never been allowed to confiscate the I-90 Bridge center roadway for half the 15 train-per-hour limit needed to maintain 4 minutes between trains for safe operation in DSTT. The result, both East Link and Central Link south of International District/Chinatown Station lack capacity needed to reduce congestion into Seattle. 

The obvious solution, terminate East Link at the International District Station prior to entering DSTT. Use the station as a transfer point allowing East Link riders transfer to Central Link to continue into tunnel for routes to University Station and beyond. Others could choose to use station to end commute into Seattle.  

Doing so ends potential problems with merging return trains with different route lengths. It also avoids the stupidity of sending twice as many trains to Northgate as to Bellevue and south end commuters losing half their trains when East Link debuts. The existing DSTT capacity could suffice for route to West Seattle, delaying any need for a second tunnel. 

  

East Link operation could match the needs of east side commuters with access to stations and provide access for Seattleites with access to Bellevue and Overlake. Those on I-90 corridor should have direct bus routes into Seattle rather than forced to transfer to and from East Link on Mercer Island as currently planned.  

  

I-90 corridor commuters would have far faster commutes and Mercer Island could avoid having their station inundated with I-90 transit commuters. Bypassing the island would also avoid islanders having to share access with I-90 commuters to whatever capacity remained at East Link's last stop; especially during peak commute. 

  

The bottom line is Sound Transit should never have been allowed to confiscate I-90 Bridge center roadway for light rail. However the East Link operating debacle can be mitigated by terminating it at International District station and continuing I-90 corridor bus routes into Seattle.