Car Storage Not Sound Transit’s Real Problem

The March 9^th Seattle Times Traffic Lab article concerning storing light rail cars raises all sorts of questions.  The most obvious being, “Why did Sound Transit choose to use a Bellevue facility to maintain the Lynnwood extension trains?”  Using a facility along the route would’ve saved the need to route the trains across I-90, disrupting those along the route through Bellevue to reach the facility after midnight and return in the early hours of the morning.  

The other article prediction, the storing was needed to avoid the following:

 “packed trains this fall, when the new Lynnwood light rail extension brings thousands of new passengers”

The “thousands of new passengers” is presumably based on Sound Transit latest projection the Lynnwood Link Extension (LLE) would add 25,300 to 34,200 riders. (They had earlier predicted 37,000 to 57,000) An earlier Traffic Lab projection had parroted Sound Transit claims the Northgate Link Extension (NLE) was “Transit Transformed” with 42,000 to 49,000 added by 3 stations.  While Sound Transit stopped providing their quarterly service provided reports that would’ve provided the data, the best indication available is NLE ridership was less than a third of that level.  

The problem with NLE was it did nothing to increase Line 1 train capacity. Access was limited by the number of commuters living within walking distance of stations or having access to parking near stations, dropped off at stations, or to bus routes to stations.  Rather than add access with more parking, Sound Transit used the NLE to replace bus routes for those using existing parking for commute into and out of Seattle. Forcing bus riders to transfer to and from light rail for the commutes likely “dissuaded” commuters from using transit. 

The result being Sound Transit decision to NLE to replace bus routes into reduced both transit capacity and likely transit ridership into Seattle. It did nothing to reduce I-5 GP congestion and reduced access for those riding Light Rail 1 from UW station, all for very few commuters who were “new passengers”.

The 8.5-mile LLE exacerbates the NLE problems.  It does nothing to increase light rail capacity.  Sound Transit added access with parking was limited to 500 stalls at Lynnwood T/C and at North and South Shoreline Stations. Their concern over “packed trains at Lynnwood” prompted a new bus route, ST515, from Lynnwood and a stop for current ST510 route at Lynnwood for commutes into and out of Seattle during peak commute.  ST 512 will be terminated at Lynnwood rather than Northgate and all those riding Snohomish Community Transit SCT 400 buses will be required to transfer to LLE or NLE for the commutes. 

Again, like the NLE, LLE will reduce transit capacity into Seattle, do nothing to reduce I-5 GP congestion, reduce access for current Line 1 Link riders: all for very few commuters who were “new passengers”.  That any “packed trains” will be those from UW station, forced to share access with former I-5 bus riders, especially during peak commutes.  During off-peak operation three-or-four-car LLE train costs will dwarf those of the bus routes it replaces, slashing fare box recovery.

The bottom line is the light rail car storage issue pales in comparison to the problem from Sound Transit ignoring the NLE results. That like the NLE, the LLE lacks access for “new passengers”. That using light rail to replace bus routes reduces transit capacity into and out of Seattle and nothing to reduce I-5 GP congestion. That it adds to the NLE riders displacing Line 1 Link riders at a cost per rider that dwarfs fare box revenue, especially off peak.