Seattle to Everett Express
 Motorcycle
Only Expressway Not Far Away
In a quick decision with all parties voting "for" unanimously, motorcyclists may soon see a series of express lanes built just for them
between Seattle and Everett – well almost. Work could begin as early as April 31,
2006.
Faced with exploding maintenance costs involved with
keeping the train tracks between Seattle and Everett maintained, Burlington
Northern has placed a plan before the state that would allow them to build a
road adjacent to the tracks running between the two cities. The road will allow
Burlington Northern greater access to the tracks on a more cost-effective basis.
As part of the deal the state would make that road accessible to motorcycles for
use as an express lane between the two major cities, thus picking up a
percentage of the tab on building the roadway and using motorcycle tab fees to
pay for it.
"This is a home run for both Burlington Northern and
motorcycle commuters in our state," said Christine Gregoire from her office in
Olympia.
The roadway would be built along the waterside of the
tracks providing a spectacular coastal view as riders commute along this scenic
route. With the exception of several million dollar homes in the Richmond Beach
area, the land is available now for construction. In a take it or leave it deal
with the owners, those homes may be moved to higher ground in the Richmond Beach
neighborhood upon the owners acceptance. On certain areas of the route, land
fill will be used to extend the area to the water to make it wide enough for the
additional roadway, particularly through the Blue Ridge and Carkeek Park areas
of Seattle.
Once complete, riders will enter the express lanes at
either Golden Gardens park in Seattle, or just west of the Everett Train
Station. On-ramps and off-ramps will be placed strategically in Shoreline,
Edmonds and Mukilteo.
"I think I’ll enjoy looking out over the water and not
just seeing trains anymore," said Steve Leighty of Kasea Motorsports who lives in
Seattle’s prestigious Blue Ridge neighborhood. "I know some people in the area
will be up in arms, but for me I see this as one more way to promote
motorcycling in the Northwest."
And Leighty is in luck when it comes to his Kasea
scooters. The Expressway will work much like the Autobahn in Germany where no
speed limits will be imposed along the route. The simple rule – slower traffic
keep right.
Burlington Northern has begun talks with Gary Kelsey at
Irbit Motorworks in Redmond, makers of the Ural sidecar. Kelsey sees immediate
applications for the Ural as a utility vehicle along the express route where it
can be utilized for light track maintenance. "A lot of times, all these guys
need to do is go out and pound a few spikes in the ground. The old way was that
they shut the track down and used one of their track retrofitted trucks to get
to the area. Now all they’ll have to do is get in a Ural and ride to the
location with spikes and sledge hammers in tow," comments Kelsey.
"It’s a rare opportunity," comments Gregoire, "This stretch
of track is a slam dunk when it comes to an idea like this, but there’s a lot
more involved if we want to extend the line beyond this initial scope."
For a complete map and an artist rendition of the
expressway click here.
TK/Spring 05
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