crosscut.com : Sound Transit

Does Seattle work any more?

Crosscut — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:00:01 PDT

A former mayor takes a critical look at Seattle's political culture, its past triumphs, and why it's so much harder today to make good decisions. One problem: We chew but do not swallow.

Sound Transit did not hear us

Crosscut — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:00:01 PDT

Prop. 1 was soundly defeated, but the leadership of Sound Transit plans to deliver Son of Prop. 1 to the voters this fall. The agency better get used to rejection.

Why governance reform for local transit would not work

Crosscut — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:00:01 PDT

A governor's commission suggests fixing our transportation problems by changing the governing board to a directly elected body, as in Portland. A skeptic says such a reform would be slow, reduce accountability, and probably make our transportation planning worse.

Sound Transit version 2.1

Crosscut — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:19:01 PDT

Imagine this scenario. Sound Transit comes back to ballot this fall with a shortened light rail plan and all three county executives within the voting district oppose it. Wouldn't that make for an interesting campaign season?

It might just happen. Right now, Ron Sims (King), John Ladenburg (Pierce), and Aaron Reardon (Snohomish) have grave reservations about Sound Transit's scaled-back proposal, which would extend the line up to Northgate and across the Interstate 90 floating bridge to the Eastside suburbs.

Politics not as usual

Crosscut — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:00:01 PDT

A seminal campaign speech and a crisis on Wall Street mark a turning point in the national conversation, with implications far and near.

Readers riff on Russell Investments and Tacoma's aroma

Crosscut — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:51:01 PDT

Although finance as a discussion topic tends to get yawns or groans from most people, my profile on Tacoma's Russell Investments, little-known outside the investment world, drew many readers and comments. Here on Crosscut, Scottacoma says this:

Sound Transit survey, take 2

Crosscut — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:34:01 PST

As reported in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sound Transit received complaints about their regional transportation survey, also criticized by some Crosscut readers.

Traffic's so bad, we might actually be willing to pay a toll

Crosscut — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:00:01 PST

Puget Sound policy-makers have been taking the public pulse. Their surveys reveal that people are generally pessimistic about the future, frustrated with traffic, and willing to pay to cross Lake Washington in a car — as long as it's really cheap.

Sound Transit is accused of push-polling

Crosscut — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:46:01 PST

The widely promoted Sound Transit survey has more bugs than bang, say critics. My blog linking to the survey gleaned excellent critiques posted by our Crosscut readers. I just got word that Will Knedlik, state-rep-turned-transportation activist, has asked Sound Transit to shut down the survey, charging that it constitutes push-polling and calling for disciplinary action. This happened at a Sound Transit board meeting on Feb. 28, and you can watch the action here. (It's about 15 minutes in, after a Link safety report.)

New cure for collapsing bridges: state and union pension funds?

Crosscut — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:00:01 PST

With Washington facing mounting costs for roads, transit, and bridges, might the answer lie in tapping union pension funds? It certainly doesn't look like taxpayers are going to do much more. The Legislature is getting more tax averse and Eyman-minded. Bucking the costs down to a regional level, as in the defeated Proposition 1, doesn't seem to work either, as the local politicians load up any proposals with Christmas tree goodies. So if self-discipline won't tame the problem of too many claimants on too little money, maybe an infusion of money will do the trick? Enter America's second-biggest union federation, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), as well as an idea from super-dense Hong Kong.

A rush 'hour' that lasts all day?

Crosscut — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:17:01 PST

The folks at Sound Transit really want you to take an online survey to help them do what voters said shouldn't be done via Proposition 1. To get you into proper survey-taking mood, the entry to the survey page states: "Studies show that by 2030, rush 'hour' could last all day in many places." A startling statistic, no doubt, but one begging several questions: What studies? Which places? How are they defining 'rush hour,' and what does that mean, really, that it would last all day? A few links to more information would go a long way here.

Transportation: Can't we all just get along?

Crosscut — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:00:01 PST

An opponent of Proposition 1 opens the bidding, in hopes of finding a middle ground in the transportation wars. The peace treaty: a little more rail, no new highways, some highway fixes, unclogging arterials, tolls, and no more cute trolleys.

Tim Eyman's great year

Crosscut — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:00:01 PST

You might love to hate him, but the populist initiative king is having a banner year — and even liberals are finding some areas where Eyman's laws are helping. Maybe you should send him a thank-you card.

The Vancouver gambit for building roads and transit in Seattle

Crosscut — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:29:01 PST

When British Columbia announced its $14 billion plans for new transit early this week, it upped the stakes for competition among West Coast cities in the transit Olympics. It also injected itself in what will be a hot debate in Washington — the use of private investment to build the next generation of transit and highways.

The road ahead on federal transportation funding

Crosscut — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:51:01 PST

How is the U.S. going to fund surface transportation improvements in the future? Congress created the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission in 2005 to look at just that question and their report to Congress is due out Tuesday, Jan. 15. But Ken Orski, a Washington, D.C.-based transportation consultant, has a sneak preview. He reports that it includes some fairly controversial recommendations regarding tolling, congestion pricing, public private partnerships, and the future of the gas tax, all front-burner issues here in the Great Nearby. Are you bus and rail commuters ready for a "federal ticket tax?" Or how about a tax on every mile you drive?

A transportation layaway plan

Crosscut — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:00:01 PST

To replace the Highway 520 floating bridge, will the public support the idea of paying now, getting later?

Fare coverage

Crosscut — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:25:01 PST

Let's say you run a business and your front door opens 310,000 times a day to let customers inside. Many are regulars, going in and out a few times daily. They are mostly strangers to each other, and once inside they spend a lot of time crowded together in small spaces. At any given time, some are running late and very cranky; others are lonely or wasted; buried in a tattered copy of The Da Vinci Code; and/or just plain nuts.

If you had just three reports of people being hurt or harassed each day, people would think you were doing a decent job on the safety front, right? Yes, unless you're a public-transit agency.

Score one for Googie

Crosscut — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:00:01 PST

While three charming old Capitol Hill buildings are sentenced to be razed by Sound Transit, two modern buildings get approval from the Seattle landmarks board: a sleek International-style office building and a quirky Ballard diner.

Seattle's transportation malaise is nothing special

Crosscut — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:00:01 PST

Seattle perversely prides itself on its transportation stalemates, as if they're part of our brand. Alas, thinking locally, defying regional scale, and torpedoing big governmental projects is a grand American tradition, widely shared.

Gregoire is taking the lead in recasting transportation plans

Crosscut — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:12:01 PST

Nothing like a close election to focus the mind of political leaders. The best current example is Gov. Chris Gregoire, stung by defeat of Proposition 1 and the still-unresolved Viaduct and 520 decisions. She's suddenly acting courageous and creative about forging some new plans for central Puget Sound transportation. Some interesting minds are also trying to create a package for Dino Rossi, running against the governor. So the new forum for the debate about roads and transit will now shift to the campaigns. That could be progress.