Cascadia High-Speed Rail project may not be the best way to improve rail service in Washington State.

Money being spent to study high speed rail in Western Washington.

The most difficult part of the project would be procuring the right of way through Western Washington's built up environment. High property values, multiple road crossings, lots of neighborhood and environmentalist objections are likely to be deal breakers.

Maybe speed isn't as important as most of mainstream society thinks. When I travel, I enjoy the scenery along the way as well as conversation with other passengers on the train. The trip itself is as much part of the experience as the destination.

I think money would be better spent extending passenger rail service to underserved areas of the state; such as the Yakima Valley. There could be more convenient service to Spokane besides the only train arriving late at night.

Some of those areas already have underutilized right of way for rail such as the double track rail line that carries only an occasional freight train over Stampede Pass from Seattle area to the Ellensburg and Yakima areas. This could connect Yakima Valley to the Tri Cities thus connecting with existing Spokane to Portland passenger route. Money might be better spent to improve service east of the Cascade Mountains.

Double track rail line crossing near Snoqualmie Pass between Seattle and Ellensburg.

There is already a double track rail line over Stampede Pass just south of Snoqualmie Pass. I took this picture during a bike trip along yet another rail right of way crossing Snoqualmie Pass; the old Milwaukie Line now a bicycle trail. Trains can still use the Stampede rail route while bicycles use the old Milwaukie line; now called Cascades to Palouse Trail. No need to take out a bike path.

Around 2004, this below cartoon appeared related to a Highway 9 Transportation Corridor Study. Yes, improvements could help alternative transportation, but I guess residents of the Acme area worry that it comes with more mainstream development and traffic.

On a personal note, someone drew this cartoon for the front page of this little newspaper, while my letter to the editor, holding out hope for improvements along Highway 9, was inside. The Sun is no longer published, but I keep it as a fun keepsake. I like to chuckle thinking about these planning meetings. That Transportation Corridor Study is basically now collecting dust, as far as I know.

Today, much of highway 9 is still a dangerous road with no shoulder along many stretches with increasing volume of truck and car traffic. I now refuse to ride on most of Highway 9 for my own safety.