Seattle is just now setting foot on a path Portland began traveling in the1980s. The light-rail line, known as Link, will mesh with two other components the Sounder commuter rail line between Everett and Lakewood, and Regional Express bus service throughout the region. Although its primary mission is to relieve the congestion that chokes the region's freeways, the system has the potential to stimulate economic growth and steer future development to areas around major stations. The key word is potential. It may take many years just as it has in Portland before the iron horses become economic work horses.
Nothing sells like success.
The popularity of MAX's first phase, which stretches15 miles east to Gresham, spurred a second phase. Completed last year, it runs 18 miles west to Hillsboro. Although MAX remains heavily subsidized, it runs at capacity during rush hour and carries 50,000 passengers a day 10,000 more than projected, said Arrington. In a sense, the Gresham leg paid some dues for the Hillsboro line, which received a much more enthusiastic welcome from neighborhoods and developers. They didn't have to imagine what light rail would look like.