If you live along the route being bored for Capitol Hill’s new light rail line, be careful about judging the unlucky victims of the Montlake Murmur.
“When I first read that article, I thought the Montlake people were just being complainers,” Candice tells CHS. But here’s what Candice posted in the CHS comments after a sleepless night in her home near Volunteer Park:
No Sleep for this Volunteer Park Family!!
We live right next to Volunteer Park and we were up all last night and this morning – about 8 hours . It started around 9:00/9:30 and didn’t stop until after 5:30am. The Montlake residents were not exaggerating. And Sound Transit either are clueless or full of bullshit when they say residents of VP shouldn’t be affected by the drilling.
The vibrations grew harder, stronger and louder as the night went on. It rattled our beds and we could actually feel it in our bodies. Even when they paused momentarily I could feel reverberations in my head. They might as well have been digging to China in our basement. Kids couldnt sleep or stay asleep so school is off today (just one day back into it from the holiday break!), and we feel like zombies. And we know from lack of sleep as we have a young baby. This is truly horrible and I can’t imagine another night of it.
CHS talked to a sleepy Candice today. She’s a credible complainant — even though right now it appears she’s mostly alone in hearing and feeling the 21-foot diameter tunnel being dug some 300 feet below her neighborhood. Here’s the note Sound Transit sent in response to her email notifying the agency of the vibrations:
We are very sorry for the disturbance to your sleep last night and this morning, especially for your children. The tunnel boring machine is due west of your home under Volunteer Park. We estimate the horizontal distance at about 300 feet, and at that location the machine is about 300 feet underground.
It is very unusual for ground borne noise and vibration to travel such a distance at a level that is disturbing. We have had only one other complaint from a Capitol Hill resident about noise or vibration during this tunnel boring activity. You note the issues we have down in the Montlake neighborhood, but there the tunnels are only about 80 – 120 feet below the surface.
The machine under Volunteer Park is on a path headed south-southwest, away from your home, and it’s currently progressing at the rate of about 100 feet per day. The noise and vibration should diminish over the next day or two and then be gone.
Candice says that unlike the neighbors down in Montlake who are hearing and feeling vibrations from the supply trains traveling the bored tunnel route, she believes her 1906 home is experiencing a stronger shaking — “like a jackhammer almost” — that would correlate more with the operations of the massive tunnel boring machine digging some 300 feet below.
As CHS has previously reported, noise and vibration at the surface isn’t completely unexpected. The final 2006 Environmental Impact Statement for the project predicted issues and even called out a few locations where the vibrations were most likely. Issues around Volunteer Park where the tunnel runs deepest would be a more significant surprise:
Construction for all Segment B route tunnels, vent shafts/TPSS, and stations would involve the vibration-causing factors and impacts described above. Locations in Segment B where tunnel vibration could be an issue because of tunnel depth include the University of Washington Station on Montlake Boulevard; residences along E Hamlin in the Montlake Neighborhood; within 300 feet north and south of Boyer Avenue; and near the Capitol Hill Station along Broadways Avenue between E Thomas Street and E Howell Street. Vibration is also likely to be noticeable near the cut-and-cover construction area along Eastlake Avenue.
But one complication in the Montlake noise problems is also an issue on Capitol Hill. While Sound Transit has equipment in place to monitor ground movement that would indicate serious structural problems as the tunnel is bored, it says it doesn’t have noise or vibration monitors along the route. That leaves documenting the problems in the hands of residents.
Another segment of the light rail tunnels was recently completed between Broadway and downtown without any significant surface vibration issues, apparently.
Candice is not looking to shut down operations — mostly she’s looking for a quiet night for her family and to find out if there are others in the neighborhood who are suddenly experiencing the disturbance. “[Sound Transit] should let people know this might happen,” Candice said. She said she also might be interested in help from Sound Transit with finding a place to stay if the noise is truly only a one or two night issue.
If you’re experiencing the vibrations and want to contact Candice, let us know and we’ll connect you. You can also report issues to Sound Transit’s community outreach supervisor, Jeff Munnoch (phone: 206-398-5131, cell: 206-713-8677, mail: [email protected])
Candice isn’t full of malarkey, it sounds like a plane flying overhead at times, then a low rumble. Shakes the while house, if my 100 year old brick foundation cracks, i’m lawyering up.
The noise doesn’t particularly bother me, m a heavy sleeper. The dog barks though, and the others in the house aren’t as lucky.
We live in the apartments across the street from Volunteer Park on 15th. The tunnel goes directly under our building according to the plans. I haven’t noticed any vibrations or noise issues.
However I can’t say it is impossible for Candice – the foundation for the apartments might be quite different than that of the 1906 home.
Since the tunnel is going right under 15th, why isn’t there a station at volunteer park/15th? At least give the residents some reward for their taking one for the UW.
DO NOT TRUST SOUND TRANSIT! That is the #1 lesson learned from our Montlake friends. They got the same initial responses from Sound Transit, e.g. “it shouldn’t be that loud” and “you shouldn’t feel it much longer” — they denied and denied and did nothing until everyone complained. We in Cap Hill should learn from that lesson and complain frequent and loudly — Sound Transit dragging their heels for months and are only recently taking steps to help (e.g. slowing down the loud supply trains during sleep hours, adding rubber under the tracks, etc). They will wait as long as possible to do anything for us. Do not assume that if your neighbor complains that Sound Transit will be aware of the problem at your house. In Montlake, they assumed every house that didn’t complain was sound/vibration free. In Montlake it was the supply trains that made the most noise — and those pass through repeatedly until construction is done. The two tunnels are just making there way up to Volunteer Park from Montlake so those further south and may hear it soon. Sound Transit’s early engineer reports showed that Cap Hill soil is a better conductor of sound & vibration than Montlake’s so it may still be an issue even at the great elevation, unfortunately.
Sympathies to Candice and others left awake all night while the TBM drills homes and apartments. Tunnel noise has impacted us in Montlake in weird and unpredictable ways. We’ve learned that vagaries in soil types under our homes can disturb homes hundreds of feet from the tunnel while others very close to it or right on top might not be disturbed at all. It seems to defy common sense.
The good news is that the disturbance should recede as the TBM moves away from affected houses (it moves ~50-75 feet per day). Beware though of the coming supply train rumblings that will follow in a couple of weeks as the tunnel progresses. Sound Transit has recently installed rubber pads under the tracks in affected areas in Montlake and initial impressions of the fix are good. Not sure if ST is installing rubber pads along new tracks at the head of the tunnel (guessing not).
Good luck!
Maybe it wasn’t the tunnel machine but commenter CapHillMax gnawing his troll teeth on the walls of his underground cave.
I’m so glad that CHS has determined Candice to be a “credible complainant”. All I can say is, of course she is. Does anyone really believe a person would bother to write and complain about something like this just for the hell of it? The reality is that the impact from this project and how it’s felt in one persons home may not even be noticed in the house next door. So to any nay-sayers, please remember the geological make-up of our area and cut the people who are bothered by these operations some slack.
I live in the area and I have not had a problem, or at least I have not had the problem Candice is describing. But I’ve heard from MANY people about the vibration problems, so I have no idea how Sound Transit can claim this is an isolated issue. But OK, let’s pretend it is an isolated issue. I think Candice has every right to ask Sound Transit for other accommodations if this is an ongoing problem for her and her family.
If there were a constant noticeable noise going for 9 hours throughout the night, I would be knocking on neighbors’ doors (or at least calling) to make sure I wasn’t nuts (or alone).
Why haven’t others come forward to complain? And what has happened since (assuming that was Monday night)?
Because our light rail is a joke. It’s not even good for getting to the airport, drops you off 1/2 mile from the terminal outside, and is slower and more expensive than taking the bus.
People used to real mass transit, NY, SF, most of Europe, will wonder wtf we were thinking about when the system was designed.
It’s actually quite loud right now. It’s a low frequency rumble, I’m @ 16th and highland in my attic. Maybe it’s houses with a full basement that feel the rumble most? Windows are shaking, dog is growling.
Sounds like the low frequency of a big HVAC unit in a commercial building.
The fact that it’s a real problem doesn’t mean those involved aren’t whinging their privileged heads off.
The problem is unfortunate but we live in a major city where public transportation is crucial to everyone’s welfare. Get some earplugs, spend a day or two with a friend, check into a hotel, take a pill, have a screaming hissy fit, or some combination of the above, but whatever you do, do it privately and stop whining.
The world doesn’t revolve around your need for a good night’s sleep (or your children’s). Despite the fact that integrity, generosity, and a real concern for the greater good are no longer valued in America, they’re still marks of character.
I wonder if this is just for a day or two (as Togo passes) and then a repeat in a month or so (when Balto passes). I’d be curious as to your experiences as time passes.
“I think Candice has every right to ask Sound Transit for other accommodations…”
At 100 feet per day, I think she should graciously accept that the inconvenience is for the greater good, suck it up, and show humor and character rather than looking for scapegoats and recompense.
Uh huh. And telling stressed-out, sleep-deprived people how they should behave is also a mark of character.
@ A neighbor
1/2 mile from the terminal. Which terminal? Aren’t there like 5+ sections to SEA? Do you mean 1/2 mile from the security checkpoint, because that’s just plain exaggeration. I’ve taken Link to the airport about 10 times now and every time it takes me maybe 4 minutes to walk from the station to the security area max. Don’t like how long it takes you? Don’t walk slowly.
Yeah, it’s no Schipol (station under the airport) but don’t blame ST for that, blame the FAA or maybe the DHS for freaking out about people and airports. Original ideas included a station in the airport, but that was shot down by the feds.
Also, if it makes you feel better, try taking a train to the airport in San Jose (a city with over a million people and a much larger metro region). You can’t. Their airport station is far enough away from the airport (period) that they have a shuttle running in between. Their light rail is older and no plans are being made to bring it closer to the airport. We didn’t do as bad as you think.
What people don’t get is that Link is regional. Think BART in the bay area (BART services all parts around the bay. Muni Metro serves San Francisco. BART has limited stops and costs more. Muni has more stops and covers a broader area), or inter-city trains in Europe, or the Metro in Amsterdam. No one takes the Metro in Amsterdam. Everyone in Amsterdam takes the trams. People from the suburbs take inter-city trains or the Metro. Regional rail = for the suburbs. It services major points of interestt, i.e. the Center City, nightlife/cultural areas, Universities, Stadiums,…
read more
c.
You want better rail in Seattle? Get behind the Seattle Streetcar. Personally, I’d love to see the Seattle Streetcar network look something like Muni Metro meets the trams of Amsterdam, but it will never happen because too many people hate paying to improve transit.
All of that being said, I’d love a rail station at 15th someday.
Funny that absolutely no one complained about Brenda and she was way closer to the surface and near many older buildings for her entire first leg trip. Brenda even caused that weird water spout thing, but still no vibration complains. Hmmmm….makes you think, eh?
….or are us poor apartment dwellers just hard of hearing?
Is he THAT Jeff Parke?
That would be sort of hilarious.
Sounder defender AND crazed vibration recorder.
I suspect there will never again be a public transit system that gets approved (new) that will go right into an airport anymore. Our light rail isn’t bad at all.
As for “it takes longer now”, speak for yourself. I used to have to take a bus downtown then catch the 194. Now I can take a shorter bus to the Mount Baker station then right onto the rail. It might be longer for you but it’s shorter for a lot of people. And it’s FEASIBLE now for a lot of people, that couldn’t do it before.
Too bad. Deal with a minor inconvenience while we UPDATE OUR CITY FOR EVERYONE you NIMBY hack.
I completely agree. North Capitol Hill gets shafted by this plan. I’ve written before so won’t repeat myself, but no way does the northward expansion benefit me if I have to backtrack to the only station for all Capitol Hill in order to get on it.
As for the airport light rail link, well it all depends. If you are unlucky and there is gridlock on I-5, like bad weather or rush hour, then HOORAY for the light rail option, even if it does take 50 minutes to get there from Westlake.
But I also agree that during off hours it is easier to take a bus or shuttle, saves about 25 minutes potentially, and that is a shame. The thing is like a “milk run”, it stops every few hundred yards, it seems, and barely ever gets over 40 miles per hour. Dumb.
I agree. [Ooops, I mean I agree with Janet above]
People downplay the impact of noise pollution (and light pollution).
Loud noise causes me anxiety and distress. (Light when it should be dark makes it hard to sleep).
Just because many people are immune to the increasingly noisy world we live in, does not mean some people do not experience a genuine discomfort from unwanted noise.
I read a book about Victorian times, and one thing that stuck in my head: all they ever really heard was clip-clop from horse hooves, and a variety of mostly natural sounds like thunder, or birds or whatever — this world of cacophony of mechanical and loud noises is a modern phenomenon.
In the 19th Century they called it Hysteria. Vibrations are the cure, not the cause.
Progress for those who just love tunnels and trains. For those of us who’s prefer buses, parks, more resources for law enforcement, public support of the arts, higher eduction for all, a bit of a flat tire. We’re in a sort of negative economic pattern, if you haven’t noticed, and so we have less public money, while we build very expensive tunnels. Trains would be lovely if they didn’t cost quite so many billions of dollars; as it is, we’ll have this amazing tunnel from Hec Ed to downtown, one stop in between (but with a big elevator ride to get down to the train). Wow! Now we’re a world-class city with a subway, and all those other aspects of public life be damned.
Har-de-har-har, ain’t you clever, adding a little sexist snottiness to the blog, there, “neighbor”. I hope you’re not my neighbor.
I am at 16th E between Aloha and Prospect. I too heard a lot of noise last night, but figured it was coming from the trains at the Port of Seattle. Every once in a while I can hear some train commotion if the wind is blowing in the right direction. At around 2:30 or so I heard a loud noise that sounded like a shipping container had been dropped in the distance! My dog was quite upset too. Not sure if I heard the Sound Transit machine, but maybe my neighbors heard a combination of the two noises last night? Just a thought. I felt no vibrations though.
lol you have got to be kidding me. Your argument is a hackneyed neo luddite pollution loving ‘thems were the days’ screed?
Tough luck, pal. Progress marches on.
I can’t take a poke at your love tunnel?
Thumping and rumbling on 15th and Prospect tonight. Not disturbing but noticeable.
Um, in response to Bryan. I did not ask for anything special, except a little heads up that they were coming our way. I have three young children and they were unable to sleep for over 8 hours from around 9:30pm until 5;30 am. It was THAT freaking loud and vibrational in our house. Our beds (and crib) were vibrating. Headboards were rhythmically hitting the walls – the entire time. I have lived in major cities for over half my life so I know that loud noises during the day and night come with the territory and what accepting the greater good means. But should we say nothing and let them continue to keep affected citizens out of the loop? Moreover, I was told by Sound Transit that its highly unusual we would feel anything and that only one other Capitol Hill household has complained. Maybe no one else knows that they SHOULD speak up or who to contact. If Sound Transit is making predictions about who should and should be affected by reports, charts, diagrams maybe they need to amend them to reflect real life data from what’s actually occurring.
Rumble is pretty consistent right now, like an old car is idling in my basement.
It’s funny to assume to know one’s financial status or to know if someone is a homeowner or renter.
I live in a 1907 house that rumbles from the bus on a pretty regular basis. My house is still here. It’s not that big of a deal. Just saying.
I’m honestly not sure what complaining is going to do for her or anyone else in the neighborhood.
They’re recording vibrations and holding meetings for what reason? (I’m actually curious, not being snarky.)
Very mature of you, kind sir.
Whine about everything, name drop about the places you’ve traveled to, and bloviate on how it should have been done.
If you don’t want to live in a city, move to Lynnwood. In the meantime, please feel free to take a bus or shuttle to the airport. I don’t want to be stuck on the train with a bunch of self-important brainiacs whining about how THEY would have done it.
I’m guessing we were the “one other complaint” referenced by Jeff Munnoch in his response to Candice. I called Sound Transit after a night of vibrations (mirrors bouncing on walls, bed shaking). Half an hour later, Jeff called me back. He was incredibly helpful, pleasant, and forthright on the phone. He even offered to take measurements if the noise continued. But, as the tunnel boring machine moved away, the vibrations tapered off and stopped. 72 hours max, with only 1 night of disturbed sleep. If you have problems, give him a call. He’s a nice guy doing a good job.
@oiseau: “Original ideas included a station in the airport, but that was shot down by the feds.”
That would have been a good time to reevaluate the entire plan. I mean, we’re talking about spending billions of dollars. I’m a big fan of expanding public transit, but I don’t see the point in spending billions to get it wrong.
By the way, it doesn’t really matter to me what San Jose has. We had nothing, then we got something that was incomplete. ST built the thing knowing it’d be incomplete. This could have been avoided.
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network just installed one seismometer in Montlake, and could install another near Volunteer Park or further along the path near Broadway. It only takes a couple of hours with one of our technicians.
If you have power and internet accessible, and a couple of square feet of floor space near the foundation, respond to the volunteer link below. If we install it (which takes just two bolts into the foundation), we’d want to leave it in as part of our regular network. A benefit is that whenever your house shakes enough, you could go online to see the ground motion.
It is a part of the city that could use better coverage, and may as well measure the problem, rather than rely on people’s impressions.
Here’s our station map http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/netquakes/map/pacnw/
Here’s info on the sensors http://www.pnsn.org/network/netquakes
Here’s the website to volunteer, with some technical requirements https://sslearthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/netquakes/signup/p
John Vidale [email protected]
Pacific Northwest Seismic Network Director
You’re missing the point. It isn’t incomplete. It takes you TO the airport. Yes, it is a tiny bit of a walk (it doesn’t drop you off on the tarmac, but it does drop you off at the airport and you have a skybridge to walk across. The end.) and us fat Americans hate walking, but it isn’t bad. If you take transit on a daily basis, you will see that it is actually quite good. Plenty, if not all, new light rail lines in America that have airport service aren’t any better than ours. Seriously, blame the feds. Don’t blame ST. Why would you scrap a plan that works?
Also, Rosswell, it’s apparent that you’ve ridden Link maybe within the first month of service. The ride has been smooth for a long time now. It stops at stations. Stoplights in Rainier Valley give Link the right-of-way. It takes 36 minutes, not 50. It costs 10% of a cab ride to the airport. If you drive (which a lot of people don’t), then you also don’t have to worry about paying for parking in an airport lot while you travel. Just because you don’t like the idea of Link doesn’t mean it’s exaggeration time up here in the CHS comments.
Also, again, regional rail is meant to connect the region. Coincidentally, it does pass through city neighborhoods outside of the Center City of any given city, but only because it has to to get to other cities. Want better rail in the city? Petition for rail that ONLY connects Seattle neighborhoods, and connects to Link at select stations. That’s literally how it’s done everywhere else.
I’m assuming my own status as a poor apartment dweller. It’s funny to sidestep a legitimate statement though, isn’t it? No one complained about noise from Brenda. Brenda was/will be closer to the surface for the entire trip. Brenda passes under many older buildings that house many people. No complaints about noise/vibrations from anyone. That’s all I’m saying.
We are updating and producing parks. If you lived in the city in 2008, you probably voted on a parks package, along with light rail extension. Remember? Since then, there have been 4 (+?) parks added to the Hill alone.
Higher Ed for all, support for the arts, et all come from taxes (arts especially comes from those evil tourist/stadium/hotel taxes). Want more resources devoted to that? Pay more. Link, being a transportation project, has a massive amount of money coming in from the federal level. Yeah, we still pay, but not nearly in the billions. Also, we are building to improve our city. You can’t do it all at once. It’s a one step at a time process. Yes, I know you want it all now, but it takes time.
This isn’t you for people who like tunnels and trains (silly phrase). It’s for people who may want the option of getting from downtown to the U District in 5 minutes, or maybe for people on Capitol Hill to get to Beacon Hill easily, or for people from Rainier Valley to commute to Redmond. That’s why we are building regional light rail. We are connecting a region. We are getting an option besides being stuck in traffic, or paying out the ass to own a car, etc.
I’ve taken it to the airport many times and been quite satisfied with it. It takes you directly to the parking garage… This may be a surprise to some, but the parking garage is where your car will also take you, if you choose to drive.
The distance from the light rail terminal at the airport to the check-in area is way less than “1/2 mile.” It’s just a few minute’s walk.
Regarding the options in getting from Capitol Hill to the airport, the light rail is a huge improvement over paying the inflated costs of ShuttleExpress (started out at $8, now something like $28!) or a taxi ($35 one-way). You can take a cab to Westlake for a few bucks and light rail from there to the airport. And when the Capitol Hill station is completed, it will be even more convenient and inexpensive.
It is awful from center of bridge a mile or more away and WSDOT won’t fix the jjoints where bridge opens. Last night on the average of one per minute big ( some double) trucks taking ST diggings away (we are guessing) from 8-to pm sent sonic boom thuds into our living room and bedroom. With less traffic on 520 bridge trucks go even faster and faster means more friction and noise in general. Ugh! Buses do it all day, too.
So I greatly sympathize!
Oiseau — Noise and vibrations are more a function of soil type than linear distance. In Montlake, there are people who live right on top of the tunnel that don’t feel a thing while others hundreds of feet away are kept awake all night by rattling walls and windows.
Letting ST know about noise and vibration issues gives them a chance to do something about it. In Montlake they put rubber pads under their supply train tracks – and it’s working! It also shows them that this is a serious problem for those affected and something that needs to be mitigated against in future projects. The last thing ST wants is an angry and sleep-deprived mob making noises about light rail. As a “disturbed” Montlake resident, I think ST has done a pretty good job responding to our concerns and feedback.
Go light rail!
I must be the neighbor of the person referenced in this article as I too hear the tunnel boring happening underneath my building. Interestingly enough, I hear it only in one room of my apartment. It’s actually cool to hear it and know there is a machine boring it’s way 200-300 below the building. I suck it up in the name of transit progress – let’s get his done! The rumbling was not enough to keep me awake, but earplugs took care of the noise though.
Well, I suppose I’d be interested in seeing a map of the soil distribution then, becuase it was my understanding that it’s so hectic under our feet that a certain type of soil doesn’t last for more than a few hundred feet or something of that nature. That’s why the tunneling is taking so long also, I believe.
That being said, I am sure somewhere in Brenda’s path, there is the same type of soil that would be found under the feet of some of our Montlake neighbors.
All in all though, you’ve got to feel pretty lucky. No sink holes. Also, construction noise and vibrations are always pretty loud with any project. The trains are electric, and pretty darn slient. At least it’s a temporary nuisance, if it really is a nuisance.
By the time everyone is done blogging, holding public meetings and installing seismometers the tunneling will be done.
Don’t forget that wherever the tunnel goes, so can future stations. A VP station is possible if the neighborhood wants it and accepts more density.
Complaining on Capitol Hill knows no timeline.
oops, see below.
Jack is absolutely right. I hate to beat the bay area horse even more, but that’s what they plan on doing with BART within city/county limits over the coming years. I think they plan on adding 2-3 stations over the next 10 years or less.
For no other reason than helping cover the city well for earthquakes, I suggest someone should take John Vidale up on the offer to install a NetQuakes seismograph on Capitol Hill. I know from 8 weeks of experience that this device has helped me separate imaginings from reality with regard to Sound Transit generated earth vibrations.
I’m pretty sure the complaints referenced in this article are the boring machine. There was one night when one of them hit a large rock down here in Montlake that caused a HUGE racket. I believe this sort of stuff, while unfortunate if you have a house full of awake children, is what we all expect of a giant mole gnawing it’s way underneath us.
The real ongoing issue is that mole’s supply train system. It just doesn’t seem like the contractor doing the U-Link tunnel has paid as much money or attention to building the temporary track system as did the different contractors who Sound Transit hired to do the Beacon Hill or Capitol Hill-Downtown tunnel projects. The unfortunate consequence is dozens of people complaining, resulting, through a tedious process, in Sound Transit needing to work with the contractor to “mitigate” areas of track or try to run the trains slower. Even more unfortunate is Sound Transit’s unwillingness to simply monitor this stuff themselves and shorten the feedback loop between excessive vibration levels and contractor directives. Being unwilling to do anything unless enough people on the surface complain in ever-escalating ways is irresponsible at this point.
Hopefully the supply trains that will soon be barreling along under the Volunteer Park area won’t have the energies to penetrate that 300 feet of soil. Yet, I am about 300 feet of soil from the tunnel, and one of the NetQuakes devices routinely shows vibrations at my location.
Best place for ongoing monitoring is NOT directly over either of the tunnels! Sound Transit knows this is the least likely area to be impacted by train wheels that emit their greatest energy downwards. It seems off to the sides is more likely to be impacted.
There are at least two of us locally named Jeff Parke. I’m the veterinarian, not the soccer player.
-Jeff Parke
We do have a sensor and a friendly technician available, should a well-qualified volunteer surface.
When the tunnel is done, the temporary supply trains causing noise and vibration at 12mph will be replaced with permanent light rail passenger trains running at 50mph.
Sound Transit needs to act now to ensure their final track design can handle the noise and vibration issues, especially since these construction train issues weren’t anticipated. If affected residents speak up now, ST will know where the problem areas are and can possibly do something about it.
Act now or forever hold your peace.
A thought experiment: what if the light rail construction disturbed people in the Volunteer Park cafe……
I should make clear that the technician does all the work.
Candice admitted she is taking money from Tim Eyman to stir up trouble for Sound Transit.
Andrew K…. Why are you so whinny? You sound like a spoiled child. Man up! And deal with the noise and vibrations for a few months. I don’t want Sound Transit spending extra money to reduce noise and vibration to placate you, you will just find something else to complaint about! The residents in North Capitol Hill could have a station in with the money it costs to mitigate sound and noise for a few month. You live in a city you should expect some noise and vibration.
Really Candice!
“I did not ask for anything special, except a little heads up that they were coming our way. I have three young children and they were unable to sleep for over 8 hours from around 9:30pm until 5;30 am. It was THAT freaking loud and vibrational in our house. Our beds (and crib) were vibrating. Headboards were rhythmically hitting the walls -the entire time.“
Do you live under a rock? Sound Transit is a Public Agency and thus all their plans and activities are open to the public. Sound Transit spends millions of dollars on community outreach and holding public hearing to alert the public to their plans and to get community feedback. Did you just ignore all of this? As a citizen to our great city is your responsibly to keep yourself informed of what is going on around you. Are you really asking Sound Transit to spoon feed you personally? Rather than blaming others for your problems maybe you should look at yourself and say “Why didn’t I keep myself informed?”
SF has terrible public transit. Muni sucks. BART is so limited in scope at servicing SF. How you could even throw them in there with NYC is mind boggling.
as this unreasonable post, and the one up top accusing Candice of taking money from Eyman appeared at about the same time, I’m assuming a troll is loose.
Did anyone throw them in with NYC?
There’s no reason to do that. SF and Seattle are similarly sized. SF and Seattle have similar topography. NYC is over ten times larger than Seattle. NYC is flat. NYC has been building subways for about 100 years. A majority of NYC residents ride transit to work. Why bother comparing NYC to anything but Paris or London? In the same vein I could say “Why bother lumping in NYC’s transit system with that of Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Shanghai?” because, camparitively, it sucks.
SFMTA isn’t great with bus service in my opinion (reliability sucks), but Muni Metro does a good job of covering the city and connecting with buses. Muni in general has a bus or metro stop within 2 blocks of 90% of San Francisco residents. That’s not too shabby. Again, BART is regional. It hit’s major points in the East Bay and the Penninsula. It will also be going to San Jose soon. It’s just another alternative to commuter rail (Sounder is definitely greater than CalTrain). So, of course it’s scope sucks.
You’re right though. DC Metro is awesome, but again, flat open spaces wiith little topographic constraints make for easy subway construction.
Admittedly, no transit system on this coast is that great. Vancouver’s bus system is nice enough. Skytrain is frequent as all hell, but it services a small portion of the area. Portland has MAX, but again, it’s only truly awesome downtown. Their bus service is terrible. LA is just terrible in general. Etc etc etc. The east had a jump start with constructing things. When Chicago was building the El we were still hosting gold miners. You know what I mean? Out of scale comparisons are just useless.
No worries, John. Troll Hunter is on it! I’ll go root them out of their holes. Starting from the top.
What if, Spend Money Wisely, Bryan, Waambulance — you are all TROLLS! Even the seismologist agrees. I’m going to crawl down into this here tunnel, take control of that tunnel machine and bore right through your caves. We gotta root these trolls out from under our hill. Watch out Roosevelt!
Neighbor — you’re not a troll. Just a creep.
I think the Eyman whining machine is in full force. I’m thinking we’ve got more than a few sock puppets going on.
Bottom line, if you don’t include you full name in your post, there’s a better than 50% chance you’re not a real person.
Please stop complaining about the noise. These workers are trying to improve everyone’s city life and to use your “young baby” as an excuse to whine is just so much nonsense.
This is a great time to show your children that you can stand tall and do what it takes to help the city make life better for everyone instead of complaining and whining…Set and example for your children by telling them this is inconvienient but TEMPORARY and we can deal with it because we are Americans and we won’t break down and whine whine whine. It’s just some temporary noise for a good cause….like temporary pain at the dentist..for a good cause.
Try that approach next time.
To those who are nattering about a light rail station on 15th/Volunteer Park: Where exactly do you propose that this go? There is zero open space surrounding VP, and surely you are not saying a station should be built inside park boundaries?
This is not to mention the huge cost of another station. Totally unrealistic. And there is already public transit along 15th with multiple stops…it’s called a bus.
yeah – you can leave off your parenting advice, thank you very much. call me a whiny elitest stroller pusher if you want – but don’t tell me what or how to teach my kids.
Why don’t you just try the “JFO” approach next time.
We live in a 1906 house north of Galer on 16th Ave N. For about three weeks, I have heard and felt the tunnel in the evenings. I only notice it in the basement. It took me a few days to figure out what it was, as I thought it was our boiler starting or maybe the planes overhead. I slept in the basement last week and at around 11pm and then every 10 minutes, I could hear what sounds like a train. It last’s about 20 seconds each time. It’s a low, grinding, rumble. It’s disconcerting is all I can really say about it. I’m glad I’m not alone.
Now some commentary. What is wrong with all of the cynics that think Candice, and now me, are whiners? I spent $750k for my dream house 10 years ago. I support light rail and voted for it. When Sound Transit showed up in my neighborhood to drill, I was assured that we would not hear it. So now when I hear a “supply train” how do I know that I won’t hear the real trains when the tunnel opens for operation? If I do, the value of my house will drop – probably by quite a lot. It’s all “what if” right now, but what else am I to think? Can some train expert tell me if a supply train weight less or more than the real trains?
Sorry, but it pisses me off to read the comments here. This is a real issue and it’s your fricking neighborhood as well. If this becomes more of a problem than it is now, we will all be hurt by it. So to all the cynics, try being a good neighbor and put yourselves in the situation of those going through the experience and worrying abou thte future. Thanks!
No, Candice, you are not alone.
We live on Mercer and Roy and began noticing very strong vibrations, along with the rumble, about three weeks ago. It started as a sound only, similar to a strong bass, and became an increasingly strong vibration over the next few days. I feel increasingly like a zombie as the vibration wakes me up at night.
Like so many above, we were and continue to be excited about the new light rail. I just hope this isn’t a permanent new way of life. I will be writing Sound Transit in the morning and attending the next community meeting. Speaking of all this, there it is again. Great.