The 14-mile corridor along state Highway 305 between Poulsbo and the Washington State Ferries terminal on Bainbridge Island is heavily congested and is only projected to get worse.
But Magna Force founder Karl “Jerry” Lamb of Port Angeles thinks he has the solution — an elevated, dual-track passenger train system using his LEVX magnetic-levitation technology.
“I’ve been preparing for four years and now I’ve got a customer. Customers are great,” Lamb said last week from his office on West 16th Street in Port Angeles.
Lamb said it felt good to get into a pair of jeans Thursday after being in meetings all day Wednesday about his proposed project.
“It’s still a proposal. It’s in its infancy, but I’m hopeful,” he said.
Customer with big problem
Lamb said he is seeking a customer with a big problem and a good ratio of customers to distance, and one that is close to his Port Angeles home so he could fix any problems with the system.
At a recent Kitsap Economic Development Council meeting, Lamb met Poulsbo City Councilman Jim Henry — who has become a convert — along with fellow Councilwoman Kathryn Quade.
“I gave him my card and said, ‘Let’s talk,’ Henry recalled last week.
“Then I became enthused, and I’ve been working with him since then.
“Highway 305 is the only way to get to the ferry, so everything bottlenecks at the Agate Pass Bridge.
“We hadn’t even thought about LEVX, but Lamb was looking for a test project,” Henry said.
“It is a work in progress. We are getting information and questions from the public and staff.”