Sound Transit Central Link Groundbreaking at Link Maintenance Base

Here are some notes from my visit to Sound Transit's Central Link groundbreaking. I always seem distracted by stuff going on at the periphery, unable to focus on the main event.

ST had some revealing photos on display, of WWII newspapers that were dug up - this place has been a big waste bin for a long time. Sidewalks are uncommon, and even if they exist they're obviously used for parking or blocked by loading docks. I'm just a bit worried about the culture clash between SODO's freight and increased peds and bikes from light rail and the new ped/bike path.

This is something I'll be watching closely as light rail and monorail come online.

• Sound Transit's Central Link Ground Breaking, Nov 8 2003.
• At the future maintenance base site, which interestingly includes some city right of way. This street sign was conspicuously in the middle of the parcel.
• I came by bus. Almost everyone else came by car. It's tough to get here by bus, onlyaccessible by spotty service on Airport Way. Any ST workers will probably walk from Lander & Bus Lane (5th) if they bus.
• Big piece of land.
• Politicians and community members spade some dirt, and celebratory confetti is fired. Then fireworks went off fora bit longer than necessary.
• It was a family event. After I took this photo, a professional photographer noticed what I was doing and took the same shot. What a hack.
• Stylized map of Link's route through Seattle.
• I wish I had a strong political statement to go along with this ironic photo. At the time it seemed the monorail might overwhelm the sidewalks.
• The replacement fence will be porous to allow pedestrians to view yard activities. The sidewalk will be replaced on the west side of Airport.
• I decided to walk to Lander & Bus Lane to see what the sidewalk situation is like. This dead crow was a bad sign.
• The north side of Forest, across from the maintenance base. No sidewalks. Just an oily gravel and asphalt shoulder.
• An abandoned truck reflects in a deep puddle on the north side of Forest. There should be a sidewalk here, not a symbol of how little Seattle cares about SODO. I called it in, so it should be long gone.
• Looking back at the maintenance base from the north side of Forest near 6th. ST will install sidewalks on the south side of Forest from 6th to Airport, not just adjacent to their property.
• The north side of Forest will not get new sidewalks, buthopefully will at least no longer be a garbage dump. The saddest thing I saw was trash someone had discarded from the ST event.
• West side of 6th, walking north from Forest. My bet is that this gravel strip is used for parking on weekdays, and isn't walkable.
• Looking south on the west side of 6th, close to Lander. I'm guessing that this 4' asphalt strip represents underground utilities, not the pedestrian space. This is common on 6th Avenue. Again, I bet that trucks are parked over this 'sidewalk' on weekdays, leaving no clear path.
• Approaching the Lander and Bus Lane station. Lander has solid concrete sidewalks, and the crossings at 6th and Bus Lane across Lander are sufficient.
• The gravel area in the chain-linked fence is the future Lander and Bus Lane Link station. The garage belongs to the Post Office, and is underutilized. Presumably it could be used by south end residents without good transit who driver here and then take the train into downtown.