Mayor Don Anderson predicted that a train would derail along the Point Defiance Bypass route. After the fatal crash last year, he says little has been done.
Watch more: Lakewood mayor: Safety concerns regarding train derailment ‘summarily dismissed’ | king5.com
Joseph Boyle says
Mayor Anderson,
I wish to thank you for 3 things:
1. Thank you for keeping Lakewood citizens informed with your updates posted in The Suburban Times.
2. Thank you for your tenacity and follow through on this problem. I know your efforts are intended to save lives..
3. Thank you for your creativity in coming up with the Lakewood train station solution.
If you succeed in bringing a train station to Lakewood, perhaps some thought could be given to creating some kind of remembrance honoring the citizens injured and killed by the railroad bureaucrats.
Joseph Boyle
Fred Willis says
Thanks to you, Joe, for you always positive comments. And thanks to our Mayor for following the path of good governing. There is in addition the flag of overall responsibility to be raised. I have not seen it yet. So here it is. There was public discussion over a long period concerning the safety of using that track for passenger service. Enough that the commander in Chief of our state, our Governor, was aware of the situation. Amtrak and Our own DOT were aware. That means the Governor was aware. He could have, should have, given an order. “Noe passenger travel on that track until I approve it” He alone stands responsible that train wreck.
Marty says
Good luck with that, Fred. My prediction: no one will be charged with a crime (the engineer); no agency will be held accountable (Amtrak and DOT); Amtrak will throw a bunch of money at the injured and family members of the deceased; and the NHSB will congratulate itself on another thorough investigation and call it a day. Now, if you or I were exceeding the speed limit driving on the freeway to the extent that the engineer did, and killed people, we’d be convicted of vehicular homicide and imprisoned.
Oh, and the governor? He’ll win reelection for having saved the orcas of Puget Sound.
Chas. Ames says
Apparently the rest of Lakewood is not too concerned about it.
I was assured by my councilmember that slow-speed tests had been done. They had not.
After the accident, as Chair of the City of Lakewood’s Public Safety Advisory Committee, I recommended that an Amtrak representative appear before the Committee to explain what subsequent steps had been taken. The Committee sat in stone-faced silence and couldn’t be bothered.
Perhaps someday public safety will be a consideration for the Public Safety Advisory Committee.