The first post on this blog, “The Case Against
East Link” (5/19) explains in some detail how the overwhelming majority of commuters,
both cross-lake as well as those on the eastside, will face increased travel
times because of East Link. All
the money and time ST has spent and will continue to spend over the next 10
years will devastate parts of Bellevue, gridlock I-90 bridge, and do absolutely
nothing to relieve eastside congestion.
The big winners from this debacle are the construction
companies represented by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western
Washington, ABCWW, and their labor unions. Both groups have profited mightily from past light rail
contracts and can look forward to several more years of profits if East Link is
allowed to proceed. The
other benefactors have been the media who have received extensive revenue from
ST for “Ride the Waves” advertisements and other promotions.
It’s not clear what if any actions the ABCWW and unions
have done to garner support for East Link. What is clear is that any competent transportation
consultant would have selected bus rapid transit for the I-90 bridge center
roadway. BRT was far superior to
light rail in terms of capacity, accessibility, cost, and availability. Yet ST never considered BRT as the
“no-build” alternative to light rail in their DEIS.
Equally amazing, the supposed transportation experts, the WSDOT
has been an active partner in East Link, going so far as to lie to a Kittitas
judge about the ability of the 4th lane on the outer roadway to
accommodate all the bus and HOV traffic when the center roadway is closed off
to install light rail (see 7/19 post).
My emails to all the eastside legislators, several of whom
were on the various transportation committees, were essentially ignored except
for Rep. Hunter’s response “Get over it, Sound Transit is going to install
light rail across Lake Washington Bridge come ‘hell or high water”.
My own candidacy was an attempt to attract more public
interest to ST problems. None of
the other eastside candidates in the recent election expressed any concern.
Countless emails to the media including Seattle Times, Bellevue Reporter, King,
Kiro, and Komo TV news, along with several radio commentators were also ignored.
Anyone on this long list could have ended East Link a long
time ago by speaking out about the fact the ST decision to select light rail
for cross-lake public transit was an historic blunder. The fact it hasn’t happened and
that ST apparently believes everyone will continue to turn a “blind eye”
towards East Link problems for several more years does raise questions as to
“why”.
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