tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5741412946805763929.post2861960659512650102..comments2024-03-19T02:13:34.807-07:00Comments on Shoreline Area News: Korean community members give feedback on new transit stations and developmentCarl Dinsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03741982015985286521noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5741412946805763929.post-26815622210766722232013-09-06T14:11:37.763-07:002013-09-06T14:11:37.763-07:00There are some great ideas in the article. I have ...There are some great ideas in the article. I have some comments that pertain to the first section.<br /><br />I am concerned about bicycle/walking/bus connections to the station at 145th Street, which the City Council has been lobbying hard for. There are some folks that believe people will drive from Woodinville (20 miles away) to get to this station, even though they have frequent bus service - from Woodinville to downtown, and the Lynnwood station is 12 miles away, with triple the parking spaces. "Build it and they will come" applies, and there will be spillover effects in the surrounding neighborhood. I'd expect parking regulations to be introduced in Shoreline shortly after opening. Further, each parking space costs about $40,000 to build and then there's maintenance.<br /><br />It's instructive to see where bus service is offered today. Out of the three prospective station locations, 155th enjoys the most bus routes passing nearby: the #242 (to the eastside), 330 (Shoreline CC/Lake City), 347 (North City, Mountlake Terrace, Northgate), and 373 (Aurora Village, UW). The #347 also goes by the 145th location as well, but goes opposite the peak traffic, i.e. east, on 145th. That's because there's over 30,000 vehicles/day that travel between 5th and 15th NE on that street, second-highest traffic volume to Aurora.<br /> <br />Bicycle lanes already exist to 185th and 155th, but at 145th are only possible from the north. Pedestrian travel is hazardous for all three locations, but especially 145th due to the considerable traffic.<br /><br />Places to visit on foot to 185th include the Shoreline Center, the library at 175th, and possibly North City and Aurora. From 155th, the skateboard park, the Crest Cinema, and possibly Aurora. For 145th, there are incomplete sidewalks and lack of destinations. Another factor is the push to get a station at 130th...guess which freeway exit these folks will use to get to that station when they see 145th is bottled up, as it often is?<br /><br />The reality is that there is no money for transportation these days. We've got great ideas to improve the freeway crossings, for instance, but no money. It's better to ask what would be best under today's infrastructure. A year from now, Metro will begin cutting their service by 17%. When they're through in about a year's time, they will have cut the equivalent of the entire blue and white bus service from Snohomish County.<br /><br />The proponents need to outline their plans - and the cost for - improving 145th, which they have to buy parts of f from Seattle, King County, and the state. They have less than 10 years to "get 'er done."<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com