Skip to main content Skip main menu and go to secondary menu
King County
Executive Office
Ron Sims, King County Executive 701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-4040 Fax: 206-296-0194 TTY Relay: 711

Featured speeches given by County Executive, Ron Sims

Connections for our future
Monday, Feb. 26 at 9 a.m.
Bel Harbor International Conference Center
Marina Conference Room
2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66

Welcome everybody, and thank you Mic for your warm introduction. Thank you everybody for coming today. I see a lot of friendly faces.

I am truly pleased to be here alongside Mic Dinsmore and BNSF CEO Matt Rose, as well as Senator Patty Murray as we tell you about a major step forward in our “Connections for our Future” partnership. Today we will be signing two memoranda of understanding that lay out the terms of the partnership and formally commit all three involved parties to seeing it through to conclusion. Today the concept we told you about a few months ago is becoming a reality.

This project is of crucial importance for the future economic vibrancy of our region. It will invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the economic future of the region. When completed, it will impact billions of dollars of economic activity in King County.

It has as its center the acquisition by the Port of Seattle of BNSF’s East Side Rail Corridor, a hugely important asset that is under threat of being broken up and sold off piecemeal for private development. By bringing it into public ownership we preserve that corridor in perpetuity, for recreational use now and – likely in the not too distant future – for use as a transportation corridor.

Currently, the corridor is underutilized. The rail line on it is in bad shape – a recently released study found the existing rails need to be torn out and replaced for future transportation use. It is no longer viable as a freight corridor. In fact, it only carries 900 cars a year. By comparison the main Seattle line carries 500,000.

But it has tremendous public value as a trail and as a critical transportation corridor – and we intend to preserve it for both uses.

Upon purchase from BNSF, the Port will then transfer the Eastside Corridor and $66 million in development funding to King County in exchange for Boeing Field. Remember, Boeing Field is going to remain in public ownership. It makes sense for the airport people to run the airport, and no major changes are likely to happen there until SeaTac hits capacity more than 15 years from now.
Aside from a different logo on the sign, neighbors and users will not notice the switch.

The corridor-airport swap has gotten a lot of attention, but this agreement involves far more.

The County, the Port and BNSF are signing a second MOU in which we pledge to work together in siting and establishing a major new intermodal rail yard. This facility is of tremendous importance in making our Port much more efficient and effective. As Matt will tell you, it will also cement BNSF’s commitment to the region.

When a viable intermodal yard is identified, King County will sell the Fisher Flour Mill on Harbor Island to the Port. This will enable the Port to consolidate its holdings and leverage over 400 million dollars they have invested in making the Port a shipping container destination second to none.

Furthermore, we support Governor Gregoire’s proposed 25 million dollar investment to help renovate Stampede Pass to allow double-stacked rail cars through the tunnel there.
Stampede Pass is now a rail choke point. Improving it will dramatically increasing this region’s ability to move freight to the rest of the country.

And we will accomplish all of this without raising taxes on the public or on the business community! Is it any wonder that on Friday the Seattle Chamber Executive Board unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed the proposal?

I have often stated that in this new century, governments need to look at new approaches to maximize the value and impact of taxpayer dollars. That is why I approached Mic with the idea of trading Boeing Field for the East Side Rail Corridor. When Mic and I began to talk that initial concept grew into a larger vision for our region’s future economic progress. In no time we were talking about all the things we had long knew were needed but had never found a way to achieve before.

We decided to stop competing and start connecting.

Connections acquisition of the East Side Rail corridor will unite the nation’s best urban regional trail system with a coveted potential transportation backbone.
It prevents a priceless 100-year old corridor from being lost forever. I know some worry about the ultimate disposition of the corridor, that by putting a trail there we will preclude its future use for transportation.

Not true. King County is excited about the possibility of dual use. The corridor will allow that, and we will construct the trail in such a way that will keep the possibility of transportation use open. This will not be a Burke-Gilman-type situation. We say we are rail banking this corridor, and we mean it.

Connections will enhance the economic foundation of our region. Goods will flow seamlessly from our ports to our roads and railways to our markets overseas and across the country. In a few months these MOUs will lead to a purchase and sale agreement, which we will then transmit to the County Council and the Port Commission for approval. I am sure that as they learn of the many benefits it provides they will be as enthusiastic as we are.

Now I would like to introduce my friend, United States Senator Patty Murray. She is a true leader who has done more to preserve and strengthen the economic infrastructure of this region than anyone. Her strong support for this project means the world to me.


  To top
  Updated: Feb. 6, 2006