Those familiar with this blog
should be aware of the reasons why Sound Transit’s Prop 1 light rail extensions
will be a disaster for the areas commuters and transportation budgets.
Spending billions on Central Link light rail extensions that largely replace
existing bus routes will do nothing to reduce transit congestion on I-5
corridor. Even worse, the longer routes for the light rail trains
will require huge subsides to cover the shortfall between operating costs and
fare box revenue. Here’s what can be done to fix it.
Rather than extend light rail to
Northgate and beyond, ST should terminate Central Link at a T/C near the
University light rail station. The T/C would attract thousands of transit
riders from both sides of the lake by serving as an interface between 520 buses
and light rail trains. (Doing so may require they reconsider their
decision to drop the 2nd bridge for the Montlake Cut.) The costs of
construction and subsequent operation of any extension beyond SeaTac will far
exceed any potential fare box revenue gains. Unfortunately nothing can be
done about the extension to South 200th.
Stopping East Link would prevent
ST from spending billions confiscating the I-90 Bridge center roadway for a
light rail system with a fraction of the capacity of two-way bus only lanes.
East Link will not only inevitably result in cross-lake gridlock, it will
devastate the area along the route into Bellevue. It should be
replaced with a light rail link to West Seattle, dramatically improving that
area’s access to public transit. The shorter West Link to UW T/C route
would allow 4-car trains to maximize capacity without excessive operating The recent rejection of the monorail makes this extension particularly
important.
All I-90 corridor commuters would
benefit if ST also expedited adding the 4th lanes to the bridge outer roadways.
The added lanes could be used for non-transit HOV, allowing the center roadway
to be divided into two-way bus only lanes. The bus only lanes would
provide sufficient capacity for supplementing existing bus routes with
additional buses and additional routes between P&R lots and downtown
Seattle for future growth. Some P&R lots could merit bus connections
to Bellevue T/C. Attracting additional riders would reduce congestion
throughout east side.
The 2015 ST budget includes
spending nearly $400 million on the Prop 1 extensions. Presumably these
expenditures will escalate in future years to spend the 18-20B voters approved
in 2008. However, the key to reducing congestion throughout the
area is to attract more commuters to buses. ST should use Prop 1
funds to survey the major employment centers in Seattle and Bellevue to
determine what additional bus service is needed to attract more riders and
where additional parking is required to allow them to do so. Use the
results to expedite additional parking and to supplement existing bus routes
with additional buses and provide direct routes connecting P&R lots with
dedicated drop-off and pickup points in Seattle.
In conclusion, it’s way past time
for the ST Board of Directors to recognize the following needs to be done to
reduce the area's congestion:
1) Cancel Central Link light
rail extensions aimed primarily at replacing existing bus routes, do nothing to
reduce I-5 congestion, and will require a huge subsidy to cover the shortfall
between operating costs and fare box revenue.
2) Replace the Northgate
extension with a T/C near the University light rail station that will attract
thousands of 520 commuters from both sides of the lake.
3) Expedite the 4th lane on the I-90 Bridge outer
roadway for non-transit HOV and initiate two-way bus only lanes on the center
roadway to increase cross-lake capacity
4) Use East Link funds to
create a West Link light rail connection between West Seattle and UW T/C
allowing 4-car trains to maximize capacity without excessive operating costs.
If they fail to do so, others
need to “convince” them. This post continues the blog’s effort to make
that happen. Commuters will pay a heavy price for a very long time if it
doesn't
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