Archive for the ‘Transportation’ Category
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Oct
28
Posted by James Lupori
Boeing Is Going to Leave Seattle – Deal with It!
Here is my thoughtful prediction about the future of the Boeing Company in Seattle/Puget Sound. I am not an aerospace expert, engineer, economist, pilot, air steward or employee of Boeing. Simply put, I’m one of the two million people in the area whose life has been inexorably connected to Boeing for many years. Boeing’s successes and failures have a direct and powerful impact on everyone around here. This was forever made clear by two Realtors in 1971 when Boeing tanked and Seattle almost died:
Two Realtors put this sign up!
“WE NEED TO FACE FACTS. BOEING IS GOING TO LEAVE IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT FUTURE”
OK, there, I said it. I would love to hear some other opinions, but to me, current events strongly suggest that there’s going to be an ugly divorce in Puget Sound: One of the spouses is leaving for a younger “thang,” taking the income, the furniture, the kids and is leaving town…….The other spouse is going to be left with an empty house and bitter memories.
Ever since my wife and I moved to Seattle in the mid-1980’s, the “relationship” between Boeing, the State of Washington, the Unions and the the local population has always seemed dysfunctional at best and downright nasty a lot of the time. Boeing’s announcement today to open a 2nd manufacturing line in South Carolina for the 787 jetliner, is the REAL beginning of the end of this this relationship.
And here’s what’s so disturbing to me: I’ve observed that people in this area (especially Boeing employees) live in a perpetual state of denial about this inevitability. It was the same situation with the automobile, steel and clothing industries. To this day there are a lot of people still wondering where all the jobs went once the clothing mills left New England for the Carolinas and Texas. I have friends who live in New England that still harbor ugly resentments toward the South over this.
Let’s Get Past the Blame Game
Do yourself a favor: Read the comments to the Seattle Times article “Boeing Picks Charleston for new 787 line.” There you will find the same mind-numbing arguments about the Unions, Labor, Greed…blah, blah, blah….It’s business-as-usual. IT’S THE BLAME GAME. Well, my friends, instead of arguing about who is to blame for the departure of Boeing here’s what we and our leaders need to do:
LET’S CREATE A NEW ECONOMIC BASE OF GREEN AND HIGH TECH MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES!
Instead of bemoaning the loss of Boeing, we should be looking far into the future. We have the material and human capital here in Puget Sound literally to reinvent our economic base. Let’s take the experiences (successes and failures) with Boeing, learn from them and build our economics around smaller, more resilient business models.
It’s time for all of us to quit living in denial about Boeing. It’s going away. Planes will be manufactured somewhere else. Deal with it. If the Seattle area is to survive, we need to put our minds to work on 21st Century industries and innovative technologies.
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Jun
27
Posted by James Lupori
KING COUNTY Ferry District E-News
Water Taxi Demonstration Route Between Kenmore and the UW
This last March I wrote about the proposed water taxi that may someday sail between Kenmore, WA and the University of Washington: A Passenger Ferry in Kenmore? There was a lot of enthusiasm for the project at that town meeting and I’ve wondered how things have been progressing. Well, yesterday my curiosity was satisfied when I received an informative E-Newsletter from the King County Ferry District:
This newsletter is packed with interesting information about the current water taxis, funding issues and the demonstration routes being considered this September (Kenmore being one of them). Sign up for this E-Newsletter by clicking on the photo below:
Click on this photo to sign up for the monthly E-news
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May
18
Posted by James Lupori
I Had Fun This Weekend!
My wife’s mom, brother and sister-in-law were in town this weekend, so I spent the last several days entertaining family, cooking, enjoying some libations and soaking in some of the soul-warming sunshine that blessed us over the last couple of days. We also celebrated my brother-in-law’s 60th birthday. The best of times! So I wanted to share a few of our adventures with you:
The 12th Annual UW Research Symposium
Each year the University of Washington hosts an incredibly interesting symposium of undergraduate research projects that exhibit the work done by students under the supervision of faculty mentors. The scale and scope of these projects is truly impressive. This year approximately 700 students participated and literally thousands of visitors had an opportunity to see what college students are up to these days. It’s always a humbling experience as the students discuss chemistry, physics, cultural studies, environmental sciences, linguistics….you name it, they know more than you do!
The Symposium at Mary Gates Hall
Cultural Studies - Women's issues in Iran
Diagnostic tools related to pancreatic cancer
Woodinville Wine Country
Click on the map for a larger view
On Saturday we rented a limousine (Shuttle Express was quite reasonable) and spent the afternoon sampling a few (I won’t say how many) wines from a number of Woodinville, WA wineries. It’s actually quite amazing that we live here in Kenmore, WA which is only a short ride to almost 40 wineries. My brother-in-law and his wife live near the Napa Valley in California and they were impressed with many of the wines we sampled which is quite a compliment to the local producers. If you enjoy wine and want to spend a relaxing day away from the hustle and bustle of Seattle, I highly recommend you head up to Woodinville Wine Country:
Click on the picture to learn more about Woodinville Wine Country
A highlight for me was stopping in at Soft Tail Spirits which is the area’s new craft distillery and producer of a wonderful grappa. If you want to learn more about it, check out my blog post: Celebrating a New Craft Distillery.
The University of Washington Street Fair
The UW Street Fair is always fun
This was the second year in a row that the weather was simply perfect for the UW Street Fair. This year I was really impressed by many of the vendors. There were a lot of high-quality jewelers, leather crafts and a myriad of other artsy/practical items to choose from. One of my favorite characters of the day was the “garbage bag girl.” She must have been dying under all that plastic:
It was nice to take a couple of days off with my family. We often forget that there is a lot going on here in and around Kenmore. The best part of the weekend was enjoying time with loved-ones, conversation at the dinner table and celebrating Coach Terry’s 60th Birthday. I sincerely hope you had a chance to get out and enjoy the wonderful weather.
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Apr
17
Posted by James Lupori
It’s Time to Join the 21st Century
Click on the map to see a larger image
The Obama Administration announced yesterday something I never thought I’d hear from an American President in my lifetime: Let’s create a nationwide, high-speed rail system. According to the NY Times the President said:
“What we need, then, is a smart transportation system equal to the needs of the 21st century,” he said, “a system that reduces travel times and increases mobility, a system that reduces congestion and boosts productivity, a system that reduces destructive emissions and creates jobs.”
And he added, “There’s no reason why we can’t do this.”
What’s in It for Us in the NW?
The Administration intends to develop 10 corridors around the country, each from 100 to 600 miles long. What I’ve noticed on the map are two major railway corridors in Washington State: the current commuter route in Western Washington (running from Vancouver, BC to Portland, OR) and a route running from Seattle to Spokane (and then on to Chicago).
I’ve always believed that Washington State would benefit greatly from a high-speed rail system running from Seattle to Spokane. I believe we are a state divided not only by geography (the Cascade Mountains and long distances) but also culturally. We refer to this chasm poetically as the Cascade Curtain but we operate, in reality,as two separate states. A train, linking East & West would go a long way in helping our state become more integrated and livable.
Consider this possibility: what if you could utilize a high-speed train to work in the Seattle area and then have a home nestled in a quite town such as Cle Elum or even Ellensburg only an hour away? There are literally millions of Europeans who are already doing this and have been doing so for decades.
Transportation issues will continue to challenge us into the distant future. Even here in Kenmore, we are debating the costs and benefits of a water taxi sailing from here to the University of Washington. The long term advantages will be fewer cars on the road, more economic activity that might raise real estate values and an influx of new ideas. Just think what a nice, 180 mph bullet train could do for the whole region!
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Jul
29
Posted by James Lupori
Here is an artist’s concept of the new Evergreen Floating Bridge which is scheduled to open in 2014. It’s going to be a stunning structure with commuter lanes, 2 regular lanes, extra space on both sides for emergencies and (this is my favorite part) a lane for pedestrians and bicycles. Some estimates for it’s construction run in the $4 Billion range. It’s going to be one expensive project and the state legislature is asking the public how best to pay for it. It’s very likely that commuters will have to pay a toll to cross the bridge. The current 520 bridge was paid for with traditional tollbooths starting in 1963. The last toll was paid in 1979 and the tollbooths were removed. Quite a success story in it’s day. When the last toll was collected, four times as many vehicles were crossing the bridge each day, compared to when it first opened.
Fast forward to 2008. Things are far more complicated today. As the region has grown, the 520 Bridge has become a critical gateway for a huge number of commuters. Will these motorists gladly pay the proposed toll and continue to use the bridge? One negative outcome of the toll may be increased traffic through Kenmore as motorists attempt to avoid paying the toll. Anyone familiar with the 522 corridor through Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park (Bothell Way) knows that traffic is already a mess. The prospect of even more traffic congestion should be a wake-up call to us all.
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Jun
28
Posted by James Lupori
My wife and I did our weekly 1/2 Lake Washington bicycle ride this morning and ended at the official opening of the new Burke-Gilman Trail underpass in Kenmore. The event was actually quite a surprise. In attendance were: Kenmore’s Mayor, David Baker; King Co. Executive, Ron Sims; 32nd District’s Representative, Maralyn Chase; King County Councilman Bob Ferguson and Steve Gorcester of the WA State Transportation Improvement Board.
It was a perfect day for the “grand opening.”
There was a small yet enthusiastic group of cyclists and residents for the celebration and ribbon cutting:
Representative Maralyn Chase & King County Executive Ron Sims
The real highlight for me was meeting King Co. Executive, Ron Sims. I had an opportunity to chat briefly with him regarding the Brighwater Project, the new underpass and the importance of government and the private sector working together to help modernize and improve our communities.
My wife, Virginia, Ron Sims and the author!
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Jun
22
Posted by James Lupori
My wife and I rode our tandem bicycle through the new Burke-Gilman Trail underpass at NE Bothell Way and 73rd Ave NE yesterday. I can’t even begin to tell you how thrilled we were. Now, you may wonder why this is such a big deal so I’ll tell you: this particular intersection in Kenmore has been a point of irritation between bicyclists and motorists for years. It’s as if the transportation gods got together and said, “Where can we create a focal point for anger, frustration and ill will? Oh, that’s easy, just stick bicyclists and cars together at a dangerous intersection and there you go!”
The official opening of the underpass will be next Saturday, June 28th. My wife (pictured above with our tandem) and I will be there and we hope to see all of you trail enthusiasts.
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May
02
Posted by James Lupori
My wife and I are avid bicyclists. We’ve been riding on the Burke Gilman Trail for over 20 years and I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled the bicycle community is about the new trail underpass at Bothell Way and 73rd Ave. NE in Kenmore. Just click on the map above for a more detailed description of the location.
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May
02
Posted by James Lupori
The new Burke Gilman Trail underpass is truly amazing. Over the past several months it’s been fascinating to watch the progress of the project. I’m not an engineering-type, but this is a thing of beauty……..really!
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May
02
Posted by James Lupori
For all of you bicyclists, walkers, joggers, etc. this is really cool!
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