About this Site
Orphan Road is dedicated to anything and everything transportation-related in the Seattle area. Our community is in the process of embarking on a once-in-a-generation infrastructure upgrade. From the Alaskan Way Viaduct to the 520 Bridge to Light Rail, we're making changes, and making them quickly. We'll keep tabs on it and keep you informed.
What is Orphan Road?
From History Link:
From 1884 until mid-1887, the Northern Pacific ran a train from Tacoma to Seattle. When the train began to operate on June 17, 1884, Seattleites were ecstatic. Henry Villard (1835-1900) had acquired the transcontinental railroad, and Seattle had hopes of becoming its terminus. But Villard quickly went bust, and pro-Tacoma, anti-Seattle interests acquired the Northern Pacific. The line between Tacoma and Seattle was called the Orphan Road because of its gross neglect and poor service. Not until 1887 did Seattle become the true terminus of the Northern Pacific's transcontinental route.
Suffice it to say, transportation in Seattle is no longer suffering from "gross neglect." We're paying very close attention, with endless votes, debates, and cocktail party chatter focusing on this next major round of transportation upgrades. And why not? Transportation affects us all: moving goods, moving freight, moving people. And the choices we make impact our way of life for decades. This site is dedicated to ensuring that, whatever choices we make, they're made with the best information we can gather.
Finally, it's important to remember that transportation is a "happy problem." It means our city is growing, it means our economy is strong. There are many rust-belt cities in America who would kill to have our transportation "problem." As it is, they're shuttering factories and bleeding residents. So as impassioned we can get about transportation, it's good to keep it in perspective.
Enjoy!
or [at] orphanroad [dot] com
