Mercer Island Should Sue Sound Transit’

The May 27^th MI Weekly article informed Mercer Island residents about their council’s objections to Sound Transit’s 60% design plans for the roundabout they intend to use to terminate I-90 buses on island.  The basic problem being:

Last October, we reiterated our concerns to Sound Transit over pedestrian safety, bus layovers, and a proposal to use the north curb frontage of North Mercer Way to drop off bus riders bound for light rail. 

The council was rightly concerned about  Sound Transit and King County Metro buses dropping riders off on the north side of North Mercer Way, forcing a bus load of riders to cross it every 2 minutes to get access to light rail. (Again assuming they both agree to halve current I-90 corridor bus routes they promised as part of the “bus intercept” program.) 

Sound Transit responded to the October letter with one in April repeating their unwillingness to accept the limitations imposed by the Settlement Agreement on their Bus/Rail Interchange.  However the Settlement Agreement Mercer Island agreed to included the following:

WHEREAS, Sound Transit is a regional transit authority created pursuant to chapters 81.104 and 81.112 RCW, with all powers necessary to implement a high-capacity transit system within its boundaries in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties;

Clearly Mercer Island granted Sound Transit “all powers,” so it’s hard to use the Settlement Agreement to object to where they “drop off riders”.  The Settlement Agreement was a major council blunder.  They attempt to counter the agreement with the following: 

Now is the time for all Islanders to engage in this final stage of light rail planning to ensure the best outcome for the Mercer Island community. Sound Transit needs to hear from our community. The City Council strongly encourages all interested residents to view and comment on these 60% design plans.

What’s really absurd is there would be no bus roundabouts on Mercer Island if the council had paid any attention to the hundreds of Mercer Island residents objecting to Sound Transit “bus intercept” plan.  Thus it’s hard to believe islanders response to roundabout plans will have any impact on Sound Transit.

The Mercer Island council could not only force Sound Transit to adhere to their roundabout concerns they could end their entire “bus intercept” plan.  The reason being Sound Transit’s planning for East Link violated RCW 81.104.100.  It details the code requirement for high capacity transit system planning with the following:

 (2) High capacity transportation system planning is the detailed evaluation of a range of high capacity transportation system options, including: Do nothing, low capital, and ranges of higher capital facilities.  High capacity transportation system planning shall proceed as follows:

 (b) Development of options. Options to be studied shall be developed to ensure an appropriate range of technologies and service policies can be evaluated. A do-nothing option and a low capital option that maximizes the current system shall be developed. 

Sound Transit clearly violated the RCW by never considering the low cost option of implementing two-way BRT on I-90 Bridge center roadway.  It could have had 10 times East Link capacity, at 1/10^th the cost, 10 years sooner.  There would have been no East Link If Sound Transit had complied with RCW.  They surely can't use the RCW to claim they have “all power”.

The bottom line is the Mercer Island city council made a monumental blunder with their Settlement Agreement granting Sound Transit “all power”.   Islanders will pay for the council allowing Sound Transit to use the agreement to use island station to terminate I-90 bus routes.  The entire east side will pay because Sound Transit and King County Metro have agreed to halve current routes in order to do so.  

Again Mercer Island should sue not only to block Sound Transit roundabouts they should sue to stop “bus intercept”.  Islanders deserve it and the entire eastside would benefit.