Why Legislators Should Stop ST3

(The 10/24/17 Seattle Times B1 “Traffic Lab” article, "GOP-led panel: Lawmakers misled by Sound Transit", prompted the following post.)

Why Legislators Should Stop ST3

The Republican lawmakers surely have ample reason to claim Sound Transit “misled” them.  They’re not the only ones.  Sound Transit not only “misled” the entire area with their claims for what ST3 would cost, they “misled” voters about what ST3 would do to reduce congestion.  

To claim Sound Transit merely “misled” legislators and voters doesn’t do justice to their blatant mendacity concerning car tab fees. The article claims legislators were well aware of the  “inflated car valuations” in 2015.  Yet Sound Transit didn’t use the inflated valuations in their own ST3Tax website telling voters what car tabs would cost in 2016.  They later eliminated the website and denied ever "misleading" voters; essentially “lying about lying”.  

They averaged property values from King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties to “estimate” what voters could expect to pay in ST3 property taxes.  Grossly understating what the vast majority of those paying the taxes would have to pay.

However, Sound Transit’s “misleading” what ST3 would "cost" pales in comparison to their mendacity about what it would “do”. Most of the $54 billion, spent extending a light rail spine routed through the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT), will do absolutely nothing to increase transit capacity into Seattle. 

Yet Sound Transit’s “ST3 map” claimed light rail to Everett and Tacoma would add up to 110,000 and 95,000 riders daily respectively by 2040.  The "spines" limited capacity means even a fraction of their predicted riders would fill transit trains before they ever reach Northgate and Angel Lake, ending access for current Central Link riders.  

Sound Transit also ignores the “likelihood” fare-box revenue shortfall from the increased operating costs with the longer routes without increased capacity will either require a huge increase in fares or create a financial “black hole” for the area’s transportation funds.  

Sound Transit not only “misled” legislators and voters about what Sound Transit would cost and do, they violated the Revised Code of Washington regarding planning requirements for high capacity transit.  RCW 81.104.100(2)(b) requires the following: 

High-capacity transportation system planning shall include a study of options to ensure that an appropriate range of technologies and services are evaluated. The law requires the study of a do-nothing option and a low capital cost option, along with higher capital options that consider use of different technologies.

There’s no indication Sound Transit ever considered far lower cost BRT routes along restricted access lanes for I-5 corridor despite claims they had complied with RCW.  Even worse, Sound Transit claimed the RCW didn’t apply to East Link.  As a result they're spending billions constructing East Link, disrupting those who live or commute along the route into Bellevue for years, and inevitably leading to gridlock on I-90 Bridge outer roadways for light rail with less capacity than 50 buses an hour.  (That East Link also halves the capacity of Central Link for south Seattle adds to its absurdity)

The bottom line is legislators are justified in taking legal action forcing Sound Transit to cease using inflated car tab valuations.  Sound Transit’s blatant mendacity concerning costs to voters surely outweighs any claims they’ve already issued bonds based on inflated values.   However, Sound Transit’s failure to comply with RCW and their mendacity about what ST3 would do and what the extensions will cost to operate will have far more impact on the area’s transportation future.  It’s time legislators recognize that reality with legal action to stop them.    

I urge residents tell their legislators to do so.