Seattle Instances enterprise columnist Jon Talton envisions excessive pace rail as a viable, eco-sensitive various to establishing a serious new Puget Sound-area airport [“Another airport isn’t the answer to the region’s transportation needs,” Nov. 20, Business].
Excessive pace rail is nice and one might lay lots of observe for the value of a greenfield airport. However the issue within the Pacific Northwest is our geographic isolation from most main markets served primarily by air. Excessive pace rail might work between Seattle and Portland, Spokane, and Boise however any farther, e.g., Los Angeles, through a 10-hour excessive pace rail journey, will get fairly doubtful.
Portland/Boise/Spokane flights account for under 12% of flights and an excellent smaller proportion of Seattle’s passengers. Their elimination would forestall the necessity for brand new airport capability by at most a pair years.
Higher, sooner and dramatically cheaper would-be additional growth of Paine Subject. (Snohomish County NIMBYs have largely had conversion experiences and now “love” Everett-area air service entry.) Or do the political heavy lifting to wrest McChord Air Power Base from the army.
Excessive pace rail might displace some quick hop airline flights, however it’s not the elixir that’ll remedy our impending airport capability deficiency.
Dave Carlstrom, Seattle
