DBA Presentation

I presented the following one-minute opening and closing statements this morning to the BDA at their 41^st and 48^th District Candidates Forum.  Unfortunately, like all my public appearances, my responses to other questions was largely incoherent so it's unlikely to have swayed many.  

Opening Statement

I want to thank the BDA for this opportunity to explain my candidacy is not to seek votes but to attract viewers to my blog stopeastlinknow.blogspot.com.  Those who do so will learn the following:

1)  East Link closure of I-90 Bridge center roadway will substantially increase outer roadway congestion

2)  East Link construction will disrupt downtown Bellevue and those living or commuting along the route.

3)  East Link operation will further increase not decrease I-90 congestion

4)  East Link operating costs will require Sound Transit provide $285 million annually to cover the shortfall between operating costs and fare box revenue. 

5)  East Link’s purported benefits for this 3 billion $ project have shrunk from the equivalent of ten lanes of freeway to a mere 10,000 more transit riders. 

6)  East Link can be stopped if the Bellevue City Council disallows the 10 permits ST needs to begin construction.

I’m here today to urge the BDA to convince the BCC to do so.

Closing Statement

I’d like to close by explaining there is still time to meet the area’s cross-lake commuting needs. Move non-transit HOV traffic to 4^th lanes on the I-90 Bridge outer roadway and divide the center roadway into two-way bus only lanes.  Both could be done in a year.  The 4^th lanes will ease congestion for all cross-lake commuters, especially reverse commuters.  The bus lanes will allow existing bus routes to be supplemented during peak commute by express bus connections between eastside P&R’s and downtown Seattle.  The costs will be minimal and the additional riders attracted will reduce congestion throughout the eastside.    

Instead ST plans to spend countless millions over the next 9 years on a light rail project that will gridlock I-90, devastate parts of Bellevue, and bankrupt area’s transportation funding.  All in a futile effort to increase transit ridership from 40 to 50,000.  My goal is to stop them.  The details for these concerns are posted on my blog http://stopeastlinknowblogspot.com.  Again, I urge everyone to visit.