Mark Gardner of WhackyNation.com reports that the Burlington Northern rail line on the east side of Seattle is in such disrepair that it will cost many tens of millions of dollars to bring up to speed for commuter rail.

Eastside Trail Advocates had nothing to do with the creation of this video but we find it particularly prescient and entertaining.

Wonder if 12 commuter trains will cause any congestion during rush hour? See what one train does to traffic at 1:00pm on a Friday afternoon. Now imagine this happening at 51 more at-grade crossings (for the entire line, that comes to 624 crossings everyday).

Picture a commuter train whizzing by in Kirkland during the morning commute on its way to Bellevue. The tracks completely separate the Kirkland Highlands neighborhood from Peter Kirk Elementary School and Kirkland Junior High. There’s no other way to walk to school and Peter Kirk is a “walking” school. Picture kids crossing the tracks to visit friends after school hours when there’s no supervision at the crossing.

The following videos show school children crossing the railroad tracks on the way to school from the Kirkland Highlands neighborhood. The entire neighborhood of over 600 homes is separated by the railroad tracks from the school. The kids cross over 110th Ave NE and the railroad tracks behind Peter Kirk Elementary to get to school. As you can see, the kids are walking and running to school.

The crossing guard raised her concern about kids walking down the tracks to get to school in the morning. Someone can come to educate the kids about railroad safety, but having worked with middle school kids for 13 years in the past, I’m familiar with typical teen and “kid” behavior. Kids won’t remember what someone told them three months ago about not walking on the railroad tracks. Walking on the tracks is more of a problem when kids go from neighborhood to neighborhood to see their friends or walk to downtown Kirkland, not just to school. There are no crossing guards watching over them at those times.

From the Highlands neighborhood, kids also cross over the railroad tracks in Cotton Hill Park, a few blocks north, to get to Kirkland Junior High. That crossing is far more concerning because young teens tend to be busy multi-tasking as they walk to school. Picture typical teen behavior and you see teens talking to friends, talking on cell phones, running, and listening to IPods. You do not picture kids paying attention as well as they should to their surroundings. How many teens do you know who think they are invincible and will try to tempt fate by running in front of a train as they are rushing late to school?

If a fence is erected to stop people from walking down the tracks, kids will be cut off from their friends. Walking paths will be cut off to schools. Neighborhoods will be cut off from each other. Not only is the rail line as a commuter line a safety hazard, it will hurt the fabric of the community.

Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani and John Creighton at the BNSF signing. CEO Yoshitani stated at the signing ceremony that “citizens will guide us in developing this entire corridor”.

Port Commissioner Creighton states, “We’re just at the very beginning of a public process. Something we at the Port are committed to going forward with. Having a full robust public process to determine both current and future uses of the corridor and working hand in hand with King County on that public process.”

Executive Sims thanking the Port, the County Council, and his staff for their hard work on the acquisition of the corridor.

King Council member Julia Patterson speaks to the chances for rail on the corridor and says she "feels certain it will happen some day". Also talks about having "one of the most extensive and exciting trail systems in the United States". Thanks members of the King County Council for their involvement. She speaks of perserving the corridor as a strategic freight corridor. Follows with a statement about the public process - "The public will weigh in and tell us what they think and where that trail should go".

King County Council Member Jane Hague states "We're looking at the beginning of another process - a regional process. That will allow the public and the jurisdictions along the corridor to weigh-in on the final vision. And we all agree that final vision, we have to get right the first time".

The Cascade Agenda commits the Cascade Land Conservancy to preserving 1.25 million acres in the Puget Sound Region. The video speaks to maintaining livability in our communities while addressing growth. Find out more at the Cascade Agenda and Cascade Land Conservancy websites.