About this blog

My name is Bill Hirt and I'm a candidate to be a Representative from the 48th district in the Washington State legislature. My candidacy stems from concern the legislature is not properly overseeing the WSDOT and Sound Transit East Link light rail program. I believe East Link will be a disaster for the entire eastside. ST will spend 5-6 billion on a transportation project that will increase, not decrease cross-lake congestion, violates federal environmental laws, devastates a beautiful part of residential Bellevue, creates havoc in Bellevue's central business district, and does absolutely nothing to alleviate congestion on 1-90 and 405. The only winners with East Link are the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington and their labor unions.

This blog is an attempt to get more public awareness of these concerns. Many of the articles are from 3 years of failed efforts to persuade the Bellevue City Council, King County Council, east side legislators, media, and other organizations to stop this debacle. I have no illusions about being elected. My hope is voters from throughout the east side will read of my candidacy and visit this Web site. If they don't find them persuasive I know at least I tried.

Monday, May 15, 2017

County Executive Candidate Voters Pamphlet Confirmation

(As promised I filed as a candidate for King County Executive. I emailed the following confirmation of my Voter's Pamphlet submission to the Seattle Times and other media outlets. I posted it since they will all likely ignore it.)

Dear Bill Hirt:

You have successfully submitted your local voters’ pamphlet information for the 2017 primary election with King County Elections.

Here is the information you submitted:

Ballot information

County, King County, Executive
Bill Hirt

Education and occupation information

Education: BS and MS Engineering Iowa State University

Occupation: Retired after 36 years at Boeing

Statement

My candidacy’s an attempt to attract attention to my blog http://stopeastlinknow.blogspot.com detailing County Executive Constantine’s Sound Transit “Prop 1 and Beyond” light rail debacle. I have no expectation or desire to win and will not seek nor accept any financial support.

Sound Transit violated the RCW when they refused to consider lower cost alternatives to their light rail “spine” along I-5 corridor and across I-90 Bridge. They could have eased congestion years ago attracting thousands more transit riders adding parking with access to BRT routes along limited access lanes on both corridors. A hundred such routes could have added 10,000 riders a day.

Sound Transit could spend ST3 funds expediting light rail extensions to Ballard and West Seattle as a “reward” for their 70% support. Instead they’ll spend it on a “spine” routed through the DSTT; limiting capacity to the point the vast majority of the $54 billion will be spent on Central Link extensions that’ll do absolutely nothing to ease congestion on I-5. On I-90 they’ll spend $3.6B for East Link’s one 4-car train every 8 minutes. Even ST claims, at best, it will “reduce” daily bridge traffic from 160,000 to 159,500 vehicles.

By comparison they could’ve added outer roadway lanes for non-transit HOV and BRT on center roadway years ago. The 100 bus routes there could’ve also replaced 10,000 vehicles, reducing congestion not only on the bridge, but along the entire I-90 corridor. Money spent on East Link could’ve provided thousands of additional P&R stalls. Instead ST will permanently close the bridge center roadway this summer without ever demonstrating outer roadways can accommodate current vehicle traffic let alone future growth; inevitably resulting in gridlock.

While my candidacy “likely” won’t stop ST plans, it’ll tell what to expect and that it didn’t have to happen.

Stop East Link Now