The Sound Transit Light Rail extension to the Eastside ( Bellevue & Redmond, WA ) is in play once again with the election of a new mayor in Seattle. Mike McGinn is not sure he wants to commit local tax monies to the project. Also, Kemper Freeman, a big developer in & de facto mayor of Bellevue, doesn't want light rail on HIS downtown streets; he prefers busses !!!
Technically speaking, the addition of light rail to the Interstate 90 floating bridge has already been OK'ed by the slide rule types. Any new bridge to replace the Hwy. 520 floating bridge a few miles North, was supposed to include light rail in its' design, but Mayor McGinn of Seattle now isn't so sure. These bridges span Lake Washington, a deep freshwater lake with no more than a 12 inch difference in "tide", except in strong winds. The current bridges float on large concrete pontoons anchored to the lake bottom with cables. The Hwy. 520 bridge, 60 years old, will have to be replaced very soon anyways, as its' pontoons are leaking. And Hwy. 520 crosses over the path of the light rail extension from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington & Northgate. Unfortunately, where the 2 routes cross the light rail will be several HUNDRED feet underground.