Candidate's Statement

(I submitted the following in hopes of being on general election ballot)

Candidate's Statement

My candidacy is to attract attention to my blog http://stopeastlinknow.blogspot.com exposing Dow Constantine’s Sound Transit Board plan to spend $54B on “Prop 1 and Beyond” light rail extensions that will do absolutely nothing to ease area’s congestion. 

They made a monumental blunder when they chose to route the extensions through a DSTT, limiting capacity to 8880 riders per hour rather than a second tunnel.  Whatever riders the extensions attract along I-5 will reduce current transit ridership.  Their increased operating cost with no increase in capacity is a recipe for a financial “black hole” from fare-box revenue shortfall

They compounded that blunder by choosing to use half the capacity to confiscate the I-90 Bridge center roadway rather than an extension to West Seattle.  They did so despite FHWA stipulation they maintain the center roadway for vehicles with R-8A lanes added to outer roadways, inevitably creating future gridlock. 

They plan to spend $3.6B, having closed P&R lots ending transit access for many, devastating the route into Bellevue and doing nothing to ease I-90 corridor congestion, for light rail with less capacity than 50 buses.

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.  On I-90 they could’ve added outer roadway lanes for non-transit HOV and BRT on center roadway. The 10,000 vehicles an additional 100 bus routes could’ve replaced on both corridors would only be the beginning. 

They could’ve added thousands of parking stalls each year for access to BRT for a fraction of what they’ll spend on light rail.  It would’ve increased transit riders, they only way to reduce congestion. 

My goal is to convince those with the power to “persuade” Sound Transit to do what could’ve happened do so.