Times “Critical to-do list” Ignores Area’s Transportation Debacle

The Seattle Times January 13^th editorial ,“A critical to-do list for 2019 Legislature” continues their years of failure to recognize the need for legislative action regarding the area’s congestion.  A February 5, 2018 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard ranked Seattle as 9th worst in the country in 2017. They had Seattle as 10^th in 2016.  

For three years a City of Bellevue Survey has reported, “Traffic is the Top Concern”, more than the combined total of the next four concerns.  The congestion on the area’s roadways would likely result in similar poll results throughout the area. Unless something is done it’s only going to get worse.

Sound Transit is spending billions on Prop 1 light rail extensions that do nothing to reduce that congestion.  They don’t increase transit capacity into Seattle so any riders added by the extensions will reduce access for current riders.  They don’t provide the parking needed to access even this limited capacity into the city or the platform space at stations in Seattle needed to access light rail out of the city. They also fail to provide commuters with either added parking or local bus routes with access to express bus routes into Seattle or Bellevue that could reduce congestion.

Sound Transit needs a new audit.  In 2012, an Oct 26th Seattle Times article, “Sound Transit gets mixed reviews in state audit” reported the 125 page audit conducted by State Auditor Brian Sonntag claimed Sound Transit ridership forecasts were “over-optimistic”.   Unfortunately auditors since then have shown no interest in a new audit.  

Thus its up to the legislators to require either the state auditor do so or they commission an outside auditor.   They’ve previously demonstrated their authority to higher outside experts when they commissioned an Independent Review Team in 2008 to evaluate I-90 Floating Bridge structural concerns with light rail.  Yet multiple emails referring House and Senate transportation committee members to posts urging Sound Transit be audited have been ignored.  

This year not only does the Seattle Times legislative priorities list continue the years of not seeing the need for a Sound Transit audit, they fail to recognize the inability of WSDOT 2-HOT lanes to reduce congestion on I-405.   In this case, the legislatures transportation committees, who have responsibility for WSDOT oversight, are allowing them to proceed with extending two HOT lanes from Lynnwood to Renton, despite HOT failure to achieve the required 45 mph average between Bothell and Bellevue during 90% of the peak commute. 

The problem there has been the 2 HOT lanes limits GP to only 3 lanes, increasing congestion to where more drivers are willing to pay the HOT tolls than the lane can accommodate and still achieve 45 mph; typically 2000-vehicles per hour. WSDOT plans to limit GP to only 2 lanes will result in even lower HOT lane velocities on the rest of the route.

The WSDOT should be “persuaded” to limit I-405 HOT to one lane with tolls set to what’s required to limit traffic to achieve 45 mph.  The additional GP lane would reduce congestion for those vehicles, potentially reducing the need for higher HOT fees.  The assured 45 mph HOT velocities would make BRT attractive to thousands more commuters.

Again the House and Senate transportation committees have ignored emails referring them to posts detailing the problem.  The Seattle Times “critical to-do list” could persuade them to both audit Sound Transit and require WSDOT to limit I-405 HOT to one lane with tolls set to maintain 45 mph throughout the commute. 

Their failure to do so this year will not only add another year of billions wasted on light rail extensions and increased congestion on I-405.