Trains, light-rail co-exists with bike trails in Seattle

Bicyclists and trains seem to co-exist without incident along Seattle's Elliott Bay trail. Similar options are being considered as King County looks to buy the rail corridor from Renton to Snohomish. KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES.

Re the Purple Line "debacle" in Bethesda, the Seattle Times reports, in "Eastside corridor: possible rail/trail combo?," about peaceful train-trail co-existence. From the article:

Commuter trains glide nearly side by side with bicyclists along Seattle's Elliott Bay trail. Freight trains lumber past families ambling on the Burke-Gilman trail near the Ballard Locks. For years, the city's downtown waterfront streetcar rolled a stone's throw from throngs of tourists.

Trains and people increasingly are sharing space on pathways around the region and across the country, separated by fences, shrubs and sometimes nothing at all. The proximity has not posed a significant safety hazard so far, according to a federal study.

Here's an article about the Federal study, "Trails and High Speed Rail: Are they compatible?," the study, "Rails-with-Trails: Lessons Learned: Literature Review, Current Practices, Conclusions," as well as a report from the the Rails to Trails Conservancy, "Rails with Trails: Design, Management, and Operating Characteristics of 61 Trails Along Active Rail Lines ."

Sierra Club image.

Index Keywords: transit