Transportation — as in railroads — is one more historical treasure added to our viewing pleasure. Kudos to Clark County Historical Museum executive director Katie Anderson’s collaborative effort with the city of Vancouver and Amtrak to give us a chance to understand the role that the Spokane, Portland and Seattle railway played in developing our area. The train display is housed in our quaint and historic train station that still serves Amtrak passengers.
But to find the Amtrak station is hard. Signage is almost nonexistent. The few signs that do exist are hard to see when it is dark. Does the city have funds to erect driver-friendly signs toward our train station?
Lastly, the view from the train station is so ugly it can make a person weep. A community project should be considered to build a facade and plant trees to muffle the noise from the garbage processing taking place across from the train station. Creative facades are common in most developed cities to camouflage ugliness and utilities. The eyesore that dominates the skyline on the west side of downtown may not offend those who have become used to it, but tourists and newcomers are left with negative impressions that will last.
Lucia Worthington
Washougal
