My Candidacy for King County Executive

The November 13th Seattle Times headline “King County executive will not seek reelection” and the accompanying article “Claudia Balducci launches her campaign to succeed Constantine” prompted this early announcement I too intend to file. It’s something I’ve done against both Constantine and Balducci during the past decade.  Not to win, but to use the Voters’ Pamphlet to inform county voters of their failure to address the area’s roadway congestion.

While both may be fine people in many respects their actions as chairs of the Sound Transit Board and Board System Expansion Committee reflect a failure to understand what constitutes effective public transit.  That public transit’s goal should be to attract enough of those who can’t or don’t chose to drive to reduce congestion for those that do.

Neither has recognized that 4-car light rail trains don’t have the capacity to accommodate the riders needed to reduce peak-hour multi-lane roadway congestion. That extending light rail doesn’t increase that capacity and adds to their costing too much to operate off-peak. Thus, light rail should have never been extended beyond UW stadium, across I-90 bridge or beyond SeaTac. 

Constantine selected board members based on their ability to attract support for the extensions and Balducci as the System Expansion Committee chair to expedite them.  He used his position as King County Executive to serve as Board chair with over $230,000 as compensation with compensation averaging over $200,000 for the other18 members he selected, presumably expecting their support..

The previous post detailed how that Sound Transit Board had apparently ignored a September ridership report showing boardings for both Lynnwood and Northgate Stations were far less than projected.  Debunking Sound Transit Board's apparent “Field of Dreams” approach “if we build light rail extensions, riders will come". 

The Line 2 route extensions next year will confirm that revelation, especially the folly of routing it thought DSTT and need for 2nd tunnel. A result that may have influenced Constantine’s decision to retire. However, Balducci apparently doesn't have concerns. Her recent flyer "What's ahead for King County" looks forward to "more light rail" to new stations at Marymoor Park Village and Downtown Redmond in 2025 spring.  That in late 2025, when the "I-90 segment connects Eastside light rail to Mercer Island, Seattle, and the rest of the system".

The bottom line is my King County Candidacy will use the Line 1-to-Lynnwood boarding results to validate concerns in previous Voters’ Pamphlets about light rail trains ability to reduce congestion. To advocate not extending light rail beyond Lynnwood T/C or light rail to Ballard, terminating Line 2 at existing CID, not drilling 2^nd tunnel or spending more than $6 billion on a light rail from Alaska Junction in West Seattle to SODO.  Again, not to win, just to inform voters.