See image below.

Maybe it can be done. 

Neighbors in the Roosevelt neighborhood show up with signs reading, "yes in my backyard" for a proposed light rail station.

Community, rather than selfishness might prevail, but it's been a difficult road for Sound Transit's light rail plans.

Real estate too expensive. 

A $20,000 (1970s prices) home now approaching 1 million! 

Land for stations? 

Tunneling?

Can a new transportation corridor be pushed through an existing city?  Especially Seattle, the "Queen City" with an hour glass figure. 

Her mid section is so tight and pricey. 

Some say

"Get over it."

"You're too late, honey."  "Forget it, world class city."

San Francisco and Portland:

They started light rail long ago when homes could still be condemned for $50,000.  Health care costs, for unionized labor, were less then.   How about liability  and lawyer fees?

There was a day when Seattle was less pretentious. 

Easier to deal with.

Long time ago, Denny Regrade was accomplished. 

They just blasted out the hill with fire hoses.  Didn't even bother to fill out environmental impact statements.  

Homeowners saw their houses tumble. 

Maybe they did get compensated, but pennies compared to now.

Can large public works projects still be built in this day of high property value, environmental concern, Tim Eymans (the local anti tax man) and skyrocketing health care premiums?  

That is a very important question. 

More important than whether King County Executive Ron Sims lied, undersold, or...

Did the best he could under the circumstances. 

Have property values and environmental concerns made the "mega public works project" less feasible?

Can people still build the infrastructure to make their cities work?

Remember; Sound Transit is a lot cheaper than adding more lanes to the freeway.

Did Seattle wait too long for light rail? 

Maybe she can't do anything; even freeway lanes. 

Just sit and watch traffic grow? 

Or, can she somehow still manage?

Maybe she can still innovate?

Telecummuting on the information highway, rather than even having to leave the home? 

The south segment of the line is now, finally, under construction.   North Segment, through Roosevelt, must probably await vote on the taxes.

See a wonderful rail trail opportunity

Another public works project, finished in early 1990s.  The Metro Bus Tunnel.

Here is a picture taken in the bus tunnel under downtown Seattle.  It has some beautiful underground stations.

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