NASCAR To Bridge Sound Transit Gaps?
Sound Transit will add the finance costs for the NASCAR track to the transportation initiative they put in front of voters in the fall.
“The NASCAR speedway fits very well into the Sound Transit master plan. We believe we can adapt the uses of the track for our needs when NASCAR isn’t using it,” said CEO Joni Earl.
The Sound Transit proposal would bring the track from its proposed location in Kitsap County to Pierce County where it will straddle two municipalities. Half in Fife and half in Tacoma, Earl says the mega sports complex will fit perfectly between the Tacoma Dome Light Rail station and the proposed southern terminus of the “Pierce County—SeaTac Airport” light rail line. The speedway will close the gap between the two light rail lines.
Earl said, “This joint venture will allow Sound Transit to connect the Tacoma Link and Central Link not with more light rail, but with more NASCAR. The track becomes the so-called “Golden Spike” if you will. It is the final piece.”
Under the proposed plan, a fleet of stock cars will ferry commuters between the two light rail stations on non-race days. To make the trip, the cars will use the track as if it were a large roundabout. Sound Transit officials expect that the incredibly fast speeds of the stock cars ferrying passengers between Tacoma and Fife will actually make the trip slightly quicker for commuters than if the agency used light rail to make the connection.
NASCAR officials also said that young drivers entering the sport would be encouraged to take shifts ferrying the passengers to get a feel for driving. “We could turn the Tacoma/Fife International Speedway into a training center that would produce the best and the fastest drivers in the world,” a spokesperson said.
There are of course many roadblocks in the way of such a proposal actually coming to fruition, one of the biggest being the Puyallup River, which would have to flow under the new track. But Sound Transit is quick to point out the upsides of the deal.
“It’s a win/win/win/win scenario,” said Earl. “The proposed new garage Tacoma wants to build would be financed through this option, Kitsap County could remain pristine because we’d be bulldozing … you know, Fife, which is no big loss. And we would be adding a new transportation option to an already growing transit hub: stock cars. Sure critics will say that the stock cars just go round and round, back and forth, back and forth over a short track that doesn’t go anywhere. But let’s not forget Sound Transit created the Tacoma Link, which means we’ve got experience building things like that.”
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9 comments
B bob October 2, 2008
I’m hoping they reopen to make breakfast and that they didn’t sell the building!
T Thorax O'Tool October 3, 2008
I saw people there last weekend.
Didn’t know it was closed; the patrons lounging outside with drinks in hand don’t say “closed” to me
M michael g. October 3, 2008
I hope somebody here provides a solid update … I heard a while ago that they were planning to remodel in order to serve food and I think have a stage for bands.
J Justin October 3, 2008
I hope they maintain the intimate setting, but add just a touch more space. It’s pretty tight in there, especially when a DJ is set up.
O onbroadway October 3, 2008
Yeah I think I heard the same few things from some industy-types, but I’m not sayin.’
J Jake October 3, 2008
From what I heard the owner did not switch the liquor license over to her name and it was still under an old investors name.
They also stopped having djs..
There website went down a while back, probably didn’t renew the domain name.
Seems like the owner just wasn’t on top of things and was causing a lot of issues with the place and employees.
M michael g. October 3, 2008
I hope Jake@6 has good evidence for that post — the owner has always seemed like a nice, responsible person to me, and I didn’t pick up on any bad vibes there as recently as last week. Given that there’s been talk of a remodel for a while, why expect the worst?
J Jake October 3, 2008
Like I said that is what I heard. I like the Monsoon Room a lot and it is one of my favorite places. I haven’t had a bad experience with the owner but again I have heard there were issues with how things were being run.
O onbroadway October 6, 2008
Yeah, what I was told by industry types (with a “Like duh” inflection in their voice) mirrors what you said, Jake. I like the place, too. Though if they no longer have the DJ that would be a loss for me. He had some great, obscure oldies and classics.