Seattle's high-speed rail dream needs your input
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Full speed ahead? Image: Courtesy of WSDOT
A bullet train whisking passengers from Seattle to Portland or Vancouver, B.C., in about an hour may be a distant dream, but Washington transportation officials want your help shaping it.
Why it matters: The proposed high-speed rail system could transform travel along the increasingly congested Interstate 5 corridor, offering an alternative to driving or flying between the Pacific Northwest's largest metro areas.
- The Cascadia region is projected to add 3.4 million residents by 2050, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation, putting more pressure on its transportation network.
Driving the news: WSDOT wants the public's input on its Cascadia High-Speed Rail proposal by Nov. 13.
- The survey asks about transportation needs and priorities as the agency studies potential routes, train speeds, stops and connections to existing transit.
- It also seeks feedback on the separate I-5 Master Plan, which examines future highway improvements.
What they're saying: "We want to know who's going to use it and how," WSDOT spokesperson Steve Peer told Axios. "It's very important to get public input because it really guides us on moving forward."
How it works: The proposed trains would travel at 200 mph or more on new, dedicated tracks, with fewer stops than conventional passenger rail and stations linked to regional transit.
- The project would complement, not replace, Amtrak Cascades.
- WSDOT leads planning in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation, Metro and British Columbia's Ministry of Transportation and Transit.
- The $55.7 million planning effort, largely federally funded, is expected to produce a service development plan by 2028.
Catch up quick: The idea isn't new. Washington was studying it as far back as 1992.
- The effort gained new momentum in 2016, when leaders in Washington and British Columbia championed the idea of a more connected economic megaregion, drawing support from businesses like Microsoft.
Reality check: There's still no preferred route, confirmed station locations, construction funding or opening date.
- WSDOT's 2028 plan won't select a final route or station sites.
- The Cascadia High-Speed Rail advocacy coalition estimates that planning, route analysis and environmental reviews alone could take up to a decade for the 300-plus-mile corridor, with construction still to follow.
The bottom line: Don't expect to board a bullet train anytime soon. Project advocates say big dreams take time, and point to Seattle's waterfront transformation and light rail expansions as projects that took decades to become reality.