The Seattle Times Sept 15
edition front-page article concerning the Kent Park and Ride costs and a
subsequent Sept 20th Opinion page supporting the “costly” facility
typify their failure to recognize Sound Transit’s flawed approach to public
transit. The Times asserts the increased costs
for the 550 stalls are “evidence that Sound Transit needs to do a better job at
estimating and controlling costs”.
Neither the Times nor Sound
Transit seem to recognize the 550 stalls causing all the cost concerns are a “drop
in the bucket” when it comes to providing the parking needed to reduce the area’s
congestion. Those commuting into
Seattle have to leave their car somewhere. The way to reduce congestion along the routes into
Seattle is to allow more of them to park near where they live rather than where they
work. One would also think a
park and ride stall near where the live would be far less expensive than one
near where they work. Thus money
spent on Park and Ride lots is money well spent.
Yet neither Sound Transit nor
Seattle Times recognize that reality.
If they had Sound Transit would have used part of the ST2 funds to add
the stalls years ago. It
didn’t happen. The Times
could have made their support for ST3 contingent on adequate park and ride
funding. Instead a November 1st, 2016 Seattle Times front page article
“Parking finds its place in Sound Transit vote” exemplifies their inability to
recognize the problem. The Times
was apparently satisfied with Sound Transit plans to begin spending $698 million in
2024 on 8560 parking stalls over the next 17 years.
The idea that an additional 8560 parking stalls by 2041 can
provide adequate access to their $54 billion light rail extensions is absurd.
Particularly since the same article also reported, "19,488 cars occupied
park-and-ride facilities each weekday in Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties”
with the “51 facilities next to express bus or train stations that were at least
95% full”.
A recent Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) study reported
“We’ve added 350,00 more people in the region in the last six years” and that
“328,000 jobs have been added since 2010”. The added residents, who don’t live within walking
distance of a bus route, a light rail station, or choose to walk or ride a bike
are forced to attempt to find parking at a local P&R or drive to work. Yet the “at least 95% full”
parking lots make that option “problematic”
During those same six years the only significant parking Sound
Transit has added is the 1120 stalls at Angle Lake light rail station. It’s no wonder that a PSRC “Stuck in
traffic: 2015” report showed huge delays for commuters on all the major
roadways in the area since 2010. (And that was for 2014)
The 8560 stalls they intend to add beginning in 2024 are far to
little and far too late. While the
added 550 stalls will help those in Kent, the Seattle Times needs to show more concern
for the tens of thousands throughout the area currently forced to endure hours
of congestion because of inadequate parking.
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