Eastside Legislators and Mayors Priorities

( I submitted this to the Bellevue Reporter earlier but decided to post it since they’re not likely to print it)

The January 18^th Bellevue Reporter article concerning the eastside legislators and mayors priorities for 2019 suggests their major concern is housing affordability and the need for more infrastructure.   Yet none of the participants suggested lowering the prevailing $60.04 per hour King County carpenters are paid in 2019 as a way to reduce housing costs.   It wasn’t clear what additional infrastructure was needed. 

A recent Bellevue survey has listed traffic as the major concern for 64% of respondents, nearly four times the 17% concern for affordable housing.   Apparently most of the participants were “unaware” of their constituents' concerns.  While “transportation was a primary issue” for Issaquah and Bellevue mayors, they failed to propose any solutions.  

Bellevue mayor Chelminiak’s statement “he wanted to see the state investing money back into the infrastructure” is particularly absurd since he was one of the biggest Bellevue City Council advocates for Sound Transit’s East Link.   That bit of “infrastructure” not only devastated the route into Bellevue, it confiscated the I-90 Bridge center roadway increasing congestion for the vast majority of cross-lake commuters unable to even access light rail. 

Again, as far as transportation is concerned, the area could benefit without adding expensive infrastructure.  The WSDOT could to be “persuaded” to limit HOT to one lane on I-405 with fees set to maintain 45 mph; use the added lane for GP traffic.  Sound Transit needs to be “persuaded” to end their decade-long refusal to add parking and bus service throughout the area.  The area’s mayors and legislature should make rejection of CEO Rogoff 2019 Budget’s plan to continue doing so until 2041 their top priority for transportation.

Their constituents deserve as much.