Washington Rail News February/March 2016

www.AllAboardWashington.org

Publication of All Aboard Washington A Not-for-profit Consumer Organization “Moving forward...On Rail."

Advancing Northwest Corridor infrastructure King Street Station passengers want to know… projects point to new Cascades runs in 2017 All Aboard Washington recently re- David Smelser, WSDOT Cascades HSR Mudslide mitigation: Four additional ceived the following letter from Don Program Manager, updated All Aboard projects were constructed in 2015 be- Campton, a member from Longview: Washington on the capital investment pro- tween Mukilteo and Everett. The first two Can you advocate for an electronic jects on BNSF’s Northwest Corridor main- projects were done in 2013. The work in- message board at the Seattle Amtrak line between the Canadian border and the cludes retaining walls to catch debris, slide station? I have traveled to/from/ Columbia River during a Jan. 6 interview. detections fences to provide advance through Seattle on Amtrak several The work is mostly funded by $767 mill. in warning, improved drainage and erosion times since the outstanding restora- federal money. control. The Legislature’s 2015 transporta- tion of King Street Station, and I have Corridor Reliability Upgrades: These tion package includes additional mitigation found the absence of any public dis- projects improve the tracks between funding; $1 million is available in the 2015- play showing scheduled arrival/ Nisqually Jct and Vancouver, WA, and be- 17 budget to continue developing addi- departures of trains a real defi- tween Everett and the Canadian border. tional practical solutions. WSDOT is also ciency. I have seen some of the other WSDOT’s funding adds to annual mainte- supporting local storm water management recommendations for the King nance funds programed by BNSF, resulting projects. Sound Transit is working to refine Street Station (e.g., food vendors, in improved track quality for faster travel slide prediction technology. gift shop), but the need for an elec- times and increased passenger comfort. King St. Station Track Improvements: tronic message board is so funda- Work being performed this year include This project completes station track up- mental that it should have been part new ties and ballast, track resurfacing and grades to the south by adding new auto- of the restoration plan. Thank you. replacements of rail joints at movable mated signals and interlockings, and re- It's not just All Aboard Washington’s bridges. building the tracks, including the west leaders that think it is unacceptable that Advanced Wayside Signal System: This track which is currently used only for stor- the beautifully restored King Street Sta- project provides the backbone for an up- age or private cars. The project provides tion, which will have been reopened for graded digital signal system at all control increased capacity and flexibility at the three years in April, still has no passenger points, sidings, turnouts and other loca- station. All station tracks will have access information display system (PIDS). The tions between Blaine and Vancouver, WA. to all mainline tracks leaving and entering over 600,000 Amtrak passengers passing The work supports Positive Train Control the station. Amtrak has completed the de- through the station each year think so, deployment. PTC is in final testing and sign and will manage the construction. The too. awaits Federal Railroad Administration ap- plans are awaiting FRA approval. Construc- Amtrak has been long on promises and proval before being implemented in the (See Infrastructure, page 5) short on results. We have heard a variety corridor. of reasons:  No money was budgeted when the station reopened. But Amtrak found money for electronic displays in re- cently restored stations such as at Grand Forks and St. Paul Union De- pot, as well to upgrade the existing system at Portland Union Station.  Amtrak and the station owner, the Left: The Kelso to Longview Jct. third main track project requires an additional bridge over City of Seattle, have not signed a the Coweeman River near Longview Jct. Construction is just starting on the bridge. Right: In lease so Amtrak cannot install an in- Vancouver, WA, construction of the yard bypass track (in the foreground) is nearing comple- formation display. We find it puzzling tion. This track will allow freight trains moving between the Columbia Gorge line and the they are still negotiating a lease after Northwest Corridor towards Seattle to bypass the yard and the current slow connection be- tween the two lines. This will improve traffic flow on the north-south mains and allow nearly three years of efforts. The lease Amtrak trains to more easily move through the Vancouver Station. Photos by Jim Hamre (See Passengers, page 5) page 2 passing. conditions. But we also push the some- From the desk of I trust that the $200.000 from St Louis’s times bogged-down bureaucracies who of- the Executive purchase of the three remaining cars will ten proceed, as my late North Dakota-born Director be used for the required adaptations of mother would say, “like molasses in by the two Seattle cars so they can reenter January.” Lloyd H. Flem regular service. Mr. Tom Gibbs, the dedi- Think, the absence of essential passen- cated leader of Seattle’s retaining and put- ger improvements at King Street Station Thanks Talgo; Benson Trolleys; ting to use the Benson Trolleys, will lead nearly three years after the restoration the public campaign for added funds was completed. Or, for past examples, the AAWA Task Forces; Eastside Rail; needed for the adaptations. “won’t work, cost too much, something At the Capitol  might go wrong” incantations we heard: A) Talgo has again shown its support for There is still room for you to volunteer Concerning the development of Olympia- All Aboard Washington and the work we to serve on a number of AAWA’s task Lacey’s Centennial Station or B) The return do with their extraordinary act of buying forces (see last issue for a list), designed to of Amtrak service to Vancouver, BC. Both AAWA Holiday gift memberships for all make tangible and measurable gains to- of these became successes, contradicting their US-based employees. This continues ward goals we set to accomplish in 2016. the nay-sayers. the Talgo tradition of support for After these thirty years, you might AAWA. as they acknowledge our long- notice, “Praise and Push, but Old time and distinctive efforts on behalf With only some restraint, I’ll growl Coach Lloyd is gettin’ a bit more of the development and growth of in- growly at times.” tercity passenger rail service in Wash- a bit now about what is happening With only some restraint, I’ll growl ington State. Talgo is already a corpo- to the Eastside RAIL Corridor… a bit now about what is happening to rate AAWA member. Other AAWA the Eastside RAIL Corridor: While the members might also consider AAWA AAWA Board was holding its January 9 gift memberships for relatives or friends. President Karen Keller is holding a meeting in Tukwila, a couple of our people We are biased, of course, but feel an meeting of the “Outreach” group at the attended what was essentially a pep rally AAWA gift membership just might be more Starbucks near the King Street Station at on the Eastside celebrating the continued valued by the recipient than a trinket from about 12:30 PM on Saturday Jan 30. destruction of that irreplaceable a big box store! Chairs of other task forces should be transportation corridor. We heard of the  gathering their people in the next few gleeful announcement of a “reverse weeks to constructively proceed. It seems two of the five “Benson Trol- golden spike” ceremony, with tracks “Trains for the Yakima Valley,” one of leys,” which served Seattle’s very popular destroyed, reversing indeed the cel- AAWA’s goals, has people from that part and successful Waterfront Streetcar be- ebrating of the vital joining together by of the state sufficiently interested that we fore they were removed from service iron rails the American west and east at have made four presentations in recent years before reconstruction on the Water- Promontory, Utah. months, one in Kittitas County and three in front began, will be saved and put into use Hopefully we all can finally learn that Yakima County. The latest was in Top- as a practical and delightful form of trans- when the business philosophy of a Class penish on January 20. Seventy people, portation in downtown Seattle. One railroad, in this case BNSF, becomes mostly leaders of cities of the lower The five streetcars were named for the near-totally very long hauls on very long, Yakima valley, heard Loren Herrigstad and late George Benson, who was a personal often-unit trains, it does NOT mean the my presentation. While pleased with the friend, as he served as a Board member of “abandoned” rail infrastructure that once response, we emphasized that returning WashARP (AAWA’s “old” name) and was a served local customers, freight and pas- regular intercity rail service via Stampede fellow UW grad and active member of the senger, with shorter trains and shorter Pass will probably be a long, tough Husky Alumni Band. Mr. Benson was a re- distances, somehow has no value. (Except process. But with persistence and spected and beloved Seattle City Council- to be given to adjacent property owners or particularly with support from state legis- man for many years. He personally ar- be permanently converted, at high cost, to lators and members of Congress serving ranged for securing the five cars from Mel- ONLY recreational uses?!) the area, it can be done. bourne and physically assisted in their AAWA has always supported the preparation for use on the Waterfront line.  shared use of the Eastside Rail Corridor, Many consid- After thirty years as executive director rail and trail. And we concede the existing ered it an of WashARP/AAWA (as of December 1, tracks and ties are not in sufficient repair affront to 2015), I still believe and practice our long- to accommodate rail use as is. And we la- George’s established, and nationally-copied motto, ment that some Eastside communities and memory Praise and Push … most of the time. We WSDOT have already removed some rail when the rightly praise the good work done by those infrastructure. (The claim that “saving the cars were who administer, partially-fund, and oper- taxpayers money” by not replacing the removed not ate our intercity passenger trains, often Wilburton track crossing as part of a multi- Photo from KING 5 TV. long after his under difficult institutional and physical (See Flem, page 5) page 3 E3) for light rail would keep costs down on commute)? that section of the corridor by keeping it at Is there something else that’s with grade, and since it won’t share the ROW getting me down, pal? Jim with anyone, it should be able to perform King County is another fun bunch, who, Cusick fairly well without the expense of an ele- amazingly, with the bicycling community vated line. It will operate slower though, are actually celebrating the removal of the than if it were fully grade separated. rails in the county’s portion. And I quote: “There are no active or However, grade separation doesn’t mean the rail line must be the one going currently anticipated uses of the existing Gloom of Night over or under. The tracks could operate rail infrastructure.” without any crossings by taking the minor Really? REALLY? Well, I’m sorry to say I’m in a dark phil- roads that are now at-grade and having I mean, osophical mood. It’s time to put on an old them go over or under the tracks. A much REALLY?? Is that bothering me, Bunkie? Ozzy Osborne record, maybe followed by more affordable option than elevating the To show you how local politics is subtly some Alice Cooper. whole line. changing history there are those who keep Is it because someone is building a However, it seems what’s really hap- parroting the line “BRT was selected for ginormous road project in my front yard pening is that the well-heeled neighbors and I’ll have to pick apples from my the corridor over rail because of su- own trees from the shoulder of the perior numbers.” highway? Am I feeling bad because Kirkland From a Bothell Reporter article in Is it? 2008: You might ask “is that tore up the tracks for their Cross “This resolution will be shared what's troubling you, Kirkland Corridor, and I don’t believe with the Sound Transit Board, the Bunkie?” they’ll ever put them back? lead agency on the development of Surprisingly, the road project, a new regional transit-enhancement whilst not my preferable mode of plan for the central Puget Sound Re- transport, is actually not as bad as it that live along the right of way will make gion. The significance of this resolu- would seem, since it isn’t a massive road sure NOTHING offends their faux-environ- tion is to ensure that the Sound Transit widening project, but an intersection mental sensibilities. Board considers all viable transportation- upgrade on a state highway. They’ve One man who spoke against transit on improvement options in addressing the chosen a roundabout for the preferred the corridor during the public comment Eastside-area transportation mobility in all traffic control method … with very section at the city of Kirkland’s Jan. 5 directions. By implementing a Bus Rapid pedestrian friendly additions. meeting told the council that “we are very Transit plan along the I-405 Corridor, area It’s still a road project, but at least organized and we are ready to take this commuters are expected to experience they’re not celebrating the tearing up of a fight to the next level.” traffic-congestion relief between Bothell perfectly viable rail line. I wonder what ‘The Next Level’ means? and Renton, as BRT can effectively move Here’s what’s got me down, What they really want is for everyone commuters faster and improve overall friend: to stay out of their backyard. level of service. “ The news … And Stay On 405!! The Puget Sound Regional Council/ (I will only name names if they’re al- Is that what’s getting to me, Sound Transit study on commuter rail was ready a public figure. I will include the cousin? completed in 2009. quotes, but will let you decide who said it, And now we’ve got a Republican sena- And yet there are still those, some on since my point of contention would be the tor, of all things, looking to repeal the tolls local transit and bike blogs even, who keep statement, not the person who said it.) on I-405. repeating this. Am I feeling bad because Kirkland tore Why? A toll is a perfect example of in- Does all this darkness get me up the tracks for their Cross Kirkland Corri- frastructure that ‘Pays for Itself.’ down, cousin? dor, and I don’t believe they’ll ever put It’s the same as a fare that’s paid on Well, there is one really dark thing that them back? transit. gets to me: OIL, as in Oil Trains!! I’ll have to admit, I was actually sur- I’ve even suggested (during my I-405 Edmonds is going through a process of prised to hear that the Kirkland City Coun- Corridor Program Citizens Committee ten- what to do about the horror of having cil “authorized $250,000 to develop con- ure) that buses should also pay a toll (dur- trains along the waterfront. cepts for bus rapid transit (BRT) on the ing commute hours), and the fare (which Of course the fact that they’ve been [right of way] that would be more in keep- would be based on the idea of it being one here over 100 years is of no importance. ing with Kirkland’s quality of life.” vehicle, and maybe I’d even go with a Oh, they are especially concerned They say that if they have to deal with slight weight surcharge) would be split about oil trains, with the faux-environmen- Sound Transit’s easement on the corridor amongst all the riders. talism that everyone professes, while that somehow bus rapid transit is the pre- I mean, is this senator expecting to driving … of course … to their anti-oil train ferred alternative to light rail. raise taxes on the rest of us to pay for the meetings. Sound Transit’s detailed plans (Option privileged few (who demand an unfettered (See Cusick, page 4) page 4 Amtrak 2015 ridership flat ‘14-’15 Station 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Nationwide Amtrak ridership in % Change fiscal year 2015 (ending Sept. 30) was Bellingham 62,562 59,490 64,091 55,325 54,888 51,915 -5.4 30.88 mill., a slight 0.1% dip from 2014. Revenue was $2.19 bill., also Bingen 3,253 2,420 3,147 3,629 2,867 3,081 +7.5 down 0.1%. Much of the flat ridership Centralia 23,270 21,998 23,331 25,132 25,525 24,791 -2.9 can be attributed to lower gas prices. Edmonds 31,845 30,472 32,896 29,250 29,604 30,012 +1.4 Amtrak Cascades ridership con- Ephrata 3,574 3,063 3,874 3,750 3,576 3,443 -3.7 tinues to drop as both gas prices and Everett 44,103 42,288 44,576 43,115 42,225 40,693 -3.6 on-time performance affect service, much of which results from all the in- Kelso-Longview 28,603 26,972 26,560 28,892 30,326 31,017 +2.3 frastructure construction in progress. Leavenworth 9,149 8,028 12,751 9,231 11,307 7,538 -33.3 The Cascades carried 751,148 pas- Mt. Vernon 18,662 18,747 18,561 16,719 18,225 18,193 -0.2 senger in FY 2015, down 4.0% from Olympia-Lacey 60,415 58,094 61,322 63,065 62,828 61,535 -2.1 2014. Ticket revenue was $28.51 mill. Pasco 24,992 22,598 25,535 25,423 22,393 22,471 +0.3 which was actually up 0.2%. AAWA looks to a return to positive ridership Seattle 655,036 672,485 672,351 640,054 626,623 604,832 -3.5 growth in 2017 when the infrastruc- Spokane 49,058 46,798 62,773 63,975 53,500 50,365 -5.9 ture projects finish and the additional Stanwood 4,639 4,134 4,237 4,255 4,674 4,499 -3.7 two Cascades round-trips start be- Tacoma 124,451 124,252 123,063 126,027 125,984 118,223 -6.2 tween Seattle and Portland. Tukwila 24,892 26,549 26,759 29,434 28,636 28,503 -0.5 Empire Builder ridership has started to stabilize after on time per- Vancouver 98,395 99,001 99,363 98,473 96,330 93,433 -3.0 formance plunged to near zero in late Wenatchee 16,062 13,664 15,895 14,420 13,480 12,696 -5.8 2013 and in 2014 because of severe Wishram 1,570 2,128 1,567 1,570 1,512 1,300 -14.0 freight congestion and billions of dol- TOTALS 1,284,531 1,283,781 1,322,652 1,281,739 1,254,503 1,208,540 -3.7 lars in BNSF infrastructure construc- tion. It was 438,376 in 2015, down only 2.8% from 2014. Revenue was $50.54 mill., down 7.3 %. Trains Serving Washington State Coast Starlight ridership has re- Six Year Totals mained fairly steady in recent years. In (federal fiscal year) 2015, 455,845 passengers boarded the 900000 train, down only 0.8% from a year ear- lier. Revenue was $41.11 mill., down 800000 2.5%. 700000 2010

600000 2011 Cusick, from page 3 500000 Plus the fact that all those homes on 2012 400000 the bluffs overlooking Puget Sound 2013 (whose bad drainage is at least partly Ridership 300000 responsible for the numerous mudslides 200000 2014 that have plagued passenger service be- 100000 2015 tween Seattle and Everett) would be in the Sound by now since it is the railroad 0 causeway that keeps the waves away Cascades Empire Builder Coast Starlight from those bluffs. The fact that the oil trains that go by now jor pass shutdowns last December: “With worked very well this season; for all the (remember, they haven’t built any shipping bus service also shut down and flights downpours we’ve had, no mudslides have terminals yet), are all going to Anacortes/ packed, the Seattle Times coverage of the occurred in the areas that have been up- Bellingham area refineries to supply us cheap closures noted that one Amtrak ticket across graded. (As late January, only two 48-hour gas, so that we can be our hypocritical the Cascades to Spokane was available, a moratoriums have been needed in other selves. $750 bedroom on the Empire Builder. Which areas.) If our weather wasn’t as rainy and windy is a shame, because Amtrak’s Empire Builder Why I even spoke with a traveler the as it is, the air pollution would have us look- ran flawlessly through the storms.” other day that actually was taking the train ing like Los Angeles. Amtrak can run flawlessly all the time if to Vancouver, BC because he calculated But I’m not giving up. we can get Congress to invest enough in (correctly) the cost of driving and came to Right now, the highways over the passes keeping the equipment in a state of good re- the conclusion that the train was cheaper for are closed, but guess what … the trains are pair so that there are enough seats to sell. two people. still going through. Isn’t it interesting how just that little bit I’ll never give up! From the Seattle Transit Blog during ma- of money to mitigate the mudslides has page 5

All Aboard Washington Officers Important Addresses and Phone Numbers Karen Keller, Lacey - President ...... 360 918.8234 .. [email protected] U. S. House of Representatives: Jim Hamre, Puyallup - Vice President ...... 253 848-2473 .. [email protected] Washington, DC 20515 Harvey Bowen, Seattle - Vice President .... 206 322-2729 .. [email protected] U. S. Senate: Washington, DC 20510 Rocky Shay, Federal Way - Secretary ...... 253 925-2085 .. [email protected] Capitol Switchboard (all members): 202 224-3121 John Carlin, Edmonds - Treasurer ...... 425 778-4529 .. [email protected] Zack Willhoite, Puyallup - Membership & IT Director ...... [email protected] State Legislature: State Capitol, Olympia 98504 Lloyd Flem, Olympia.. Executive Director .. 360 943-8333 Hotline for leaving messages: 800 562-6000 [email protected] Amtrak Reservations/Information: 800 872-7245 620 Boundary St SE, Olympia 98501 All Aboard Washington: AllAboardWashington.org Jim Hamre, Puyallup - Newsletter Editor ... 253 848-2473 .. [email protected] NARP: www.narprail.org Warren Yee, Seattle - E-newsletter ...... 206 300-6918 .. [email protected] NARP Hotline: www.narprail.org/news/hotline/ Amtrak: www.amtrak.com Amtrak Cascades: www.amtrakcascades.com All are evening numbers, except Lloyd's, which is available 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. Sound Transit: www.soundtransit.org

project includes a second platform on the push Amtrak to provide interim visual train from page 1 Infrastructure, south side to provide improved operational information, even if it’s the old stick-on let- tion is expected to begin soon. flexibility. ter board that was once in the station or a Pt. Defiance Bypass: This project builds Kelso to Longview Jct: Construction has shiny new white board. The PIDS for KSS is on what Sound Transit constructed to extend started on this 3-mile project to construct a supposed to go in this year but we cannot Sounder service from Tacoma Dome Station third main track. This project will relieve con- get a timeline from Amtrak. -JH to Lakewood. There are several parts: gestion at a major chokepoint at Longview  BNSF rebuilt Nisqually Jct where the Jct where freight traffic moves to and from bypass reconnects to the mainline. This the Port of Longview. project is complete. Flem, from page 2 Kalama – New Sidings: One project add a billion dollar I-405 project is a caricature of  Track and signal upgrades between 4-mile siding by shifting the mainline to east Lakewood and Nisqually are underway. ”penny-wise, pound foolish”!) But in re- and a second project extends the Toteff sid- cent decades when railroad tracks have New rail and ties have been delivered ing by 7400 feet. Construction is well under- been totally removed and replaced by and the track laying machine will be on way and ahead of schedule. The projects other uses, rail will almost never be re- site this spring. eliminate conflicts between mainline trains turned. NIMBYs and trail-only advocates  A second main track will be installed and trains entering the Port of Kalama. th have successfully prevented it, nationwide. from 66 St in Tacoma to Bridgeport Vancouver Yard: Several projects to in- In some cases, surely in this one, it is an ap- Way in Lakewood. crease yard efficiency and improve Port of palling misallocation of scarce resources.  A project by Sound Transit will replace Vancouver access have been completed. The This entire scenario is so baffling, as the the 0.65 mile long wooden trestle east 12,500-foot long yard bypass track for traffic Eastside suburbs continue to agonize over from the Tacoma Dome Sounder Sta- from the Columbia Gorge going north is the severe and increasing traffic congestion tion with a double track concrete scheduled to be operational in March. plaguing their fast-growing and prosperous bridge. Included is a platform exten- New Amtrak Cascades Locomotives: communities. AAWA will continue to at- sion onto the new bridge to accommo- Eight of these Siemens Charger high perfor- tempt to save and restore rail, along with date Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. Con- mance locomotives are under construction in trail, on the Eastside Rail Corridor. End of struction is expected to start in late Sacramento for WSDOT. Delivery of the first growl for now. Stayed tuned. 2016. locomotive for testing is Nov. 2016. New Tacoma Amtrak Station: The bypass For more information on these projects,  project requires the Tacoma Amtrak Station visit WSDOT’s High Speed Rail Projects page For my office this is the busy season. The be relocated to Freighthouse Square. The through www.wsdot.wa.gov. 2016 Legislature underway. I’ll be spending new station will be in the west-central part parts of every weekday at our Capitol of the historic 100 year old Milwaukee Road through mid-March. Freight House. Final design plans have been Passengers, from page 1 Our annual “February” receptions with submitted to Was finally approved by Amtrak last the Legislative Rail Caucus (LRC) were held Drawings courtesy WSDOT FRA for ap- fall. The city council has being mulling Jan. 21 at the Capitol at noon and Mercato’s proval and it since November. We keep getting Ristorante in the evening. The events were construction promises that it will “soon” be seen by AAWA members and others attend- is expected approved. ing as a success. Bruce Agnew did much of to start this  Amtrak is designing a new integrated the planning. Special guests were leaders of spring. The nationwide PIDS that is ADA compliant the Association of Independent Passenger and they don’t want to install a system Rail Operators. Rail labor; the Washington that would then have to be upgraded. Public Ports Association and other rail But they’ve done this elsewhere. (See stakeholders were joined by the four chairs bullet number one.) of the LRC, WSDOT and other legislators who All Aboard Washington feels this issue has had to jockey among a half dozen competing dragged on far too long and continues to events! All Aboard Washington NONPROFIT P. O. Box 70381 ORGANIZATION Seattle, WA 98127 U. S. POSTAGE PAID PUYALLUP WA 98371 Return Service Requested PERMIT NO. 468

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All Aboard Washington recently welcomed Gary Young, Red- All Aboard News the following new members: Larry Yok, Seat- mond. (Talgo’s An- tle; Hendrik de Kock, Seattle; and, from Talgo tonio Perez and All Aboard Washington’s annual “February” Seattle generously providing all their em- Joshua Coran are reception for the Legislative Rail Caucus ployees with a membership, Natalie Craw- already AAWA happened on January 21. See Lloyd Flem’s ford, Seattle; Diana Duong, Renton; Christo- members.) column for a report. pher Massie, Olympia; Curtis John Anton, All Aboard Bremerton; Jose-Antonio Barrera-Rios, Ren- March 5: Northwest Rail Advocates meet- Washington ing from noon-5:15 at Basil’s Kitchen, ton; Allen Burt, Bremerton; Chad Bylsma. members contrib- Embassy Suites Hotel, 15920 W Valley Hwy, Seattle; Julia Camacho, Orlando, FL; Fer- uting to this newsletter include Mark Meyer, nando & Gemma Canals Figueras, Seattle; Tukwila, WA, adjacent to the Tukwila Kirk Fredrickson, Warren Yee, Zack Willhoite, Mariana Cardozo, Seattle; Javier Chavez, Ar- Sounder/Amtrak Station. Registration in- Karen Keller, Lloyd Flem and Jim Cusick. lington; Christopher Crist, Brier; Donald formation has been sent via postal mail or Yamat Dove, Kirkland; Martin Frazier-Fouts, At the Jan. 9 board meeting All Aboard email. To register (required) online or print Vancouver; Scott Geerdes, Tacoma; Jeffery Washington reelected the current officers: a mail in form and participate in our great Hart, Des Moines; George Hlebechuk, Seat- Karen Keller, president; Harvey Bowen and program, go to http://allaboardwashing tle; Daniel Jackson, Renton; Richard Lindsay, Jim Hamre, vice presidents; Rocky Shay, sec- ton.org/springrail/. For more information, Bremerton; Yolanda Martinez, SeaTac; Curt retary; John Carlin, treasurer, and Zack contact Jim Hamre or Lloyd Flem (see page Massie, Tumwater; John Miller, Woodinville; Willhoite, membership and IT director. 5). Use the Amtrak Cascades to and from Andy Pardee, Bothell; Raul Pelayo, Everett; the meeting. Ketsada Phanivong, Seattle; Robert Rich- Thank You! ards, Federal Way; Victor Sanchez Artigas, April 9: All Aboard Washington meeting Your contributions in 2015 are Seattle; Phillip Shuman, Auburn; Kristen from noon-4:00 at Basil’s Kitchen, Embassy making a difference in Washington Smithey, Seattle; Corey Stacy, Milwaukee, Suites Hotel, 15920 W Valley Hwy, Tukwila. WI; Namgyal Tsedup, Seattle; Hilario Valdez, State This will be a board meeting and reports Seattle; Ricardo Vila-Guillen, Sumner; In 2016 All Aboard Washington will from our task forces working to implement Joshua Vonhagel, Everett; Larry Westling, continue building on our successes from our goals for 2016. Everyone is welcome. Mukilteo; Mason Worley, Seattle; Michael 2015 as we work in implement our goals Yee, Renton; Wilfredo Yee, Everett; and and improve passenger rail service.