Class Action Complaint Against Sound Transit Reserved Parking

(This post is another attempt to use a class action complaint to prevent Sound Transit from adversely impacting large numbers of commuters. Unfortunately, the previous post attempt to garner legal support for filing a class action complaint against Sound Transit for failure to comply with RCW 81.104.100 has been ignored by several local “class action” attorneys   Meanwhile ClassAction.org, who thanked me for inquiring, has gone way beyond the 48 hrs they promised for a response.   Any suggestions?)

Anyone who uses one of the major P&R lots to access Sound Transit express bus routes should be concerned with Sound Transit plan to provide frequent solo drivers with reliable transit parking.  Up to fifty percent of spaces at their highest-demand lots will be reserved for train and bus riders who use parking permits.  They justified the  “new parking management strategy” with the following:

At the most popular transit facilities, people are arriving earlier and earlier to secure a space – which can increase crowding on early buses and trains while seats remain empty on later transit trips.

The latest WSDOT “Park and Ride Inventory” for Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties, Oct-Dec 2016, shows all the major parking facilities were essentially fully “in use” nearly two years ago. It’s not clear how they will choose the “most popular transit facilities” to implement the “parking management strategy”.

What is clear is wherever 50% of the stalls are reserved, 50% of those currently using the P&R will no longer be able to do so.  Those loosing access to public transit will likely be forced to endure the stress and costs of driving into Seattle and paying for parking. 

Sound Transit’s reserved parking plan harms a large number of people in the same way, a clear cause for a class action complaint.  Sound Transit could have resolved the parking management problem years ago by adding parking and bus routes.  In this case, any parking facility slated for reserved parking, could be cause for a class action complaint by those currently using the parking to prevent implementation. 

Law firms may welcome the resultant favorable publicity.  Also the sooner the better since Sound Transit plans to begin implementing the plan in October.