A Decade of Sound Transit Fraud is Enough

  

   (This  “Special to the Times” will undoubtedly be ignored)

In two short months the area will “celebrate” the 10^th anniversary of what will inevitably be considered one of the biggest public works fraud in history, Sound Transits passage of the Prop 1 light rail extensions.   

Prior to Prop 1, Sound Transit’s light rail was limited to a Central Link route between the UW and SeaTac. They routed it through the existing Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) to avoid congestion on Seattle’s streets.  However the DSTT limited Central Link’s capacity. 

A 2004 Puget Sound Regional High Capacity Transit Corridor Assessment concluded station lengths in the tunnel limited light rail trains to four cars, that safe operation required 4 minutes between trains, and that each 74-seat can reasonably accommodate 148 riders.   Thus total light rail capacity in Seattle was limited to a total of 8880 riders per hour (rph) in each direction.

Part of Sound Transit’s Central Link projections for more than 100,000 daily riders was based on a T/C near the UW Stadium.  It provided an interface between SR 520 BRT and light rail, benefiting commuters from both sides of the lake.  A second bridge across the Montlake Cut was planned to facilitate access to UW T/C.

Without Prop 1, Central Link’s 8880 rph could have provided Seattleites with added transit capacity into city center, UW, and access to potential SR 520 BRT routes to Microsoft and Bellevue.   East side commuters could have used return SR 520 BRT routes to T/C at UW with Central Link connections into Seattle.   Part of the tunnel capacity could have eventually been used for a Central Link route to West Seattle.

Prop 1 changed all that. Sound Transit dropped plans for the 2^nd bridge and UW T/C, promising voters light rail extensions to Mill Creek, Federal Way, and across I-90 Bridge to Redmond: all routed through the DSTT.  Prop 1, which was heralded by Sound Transit as “A gift to our Grandchildren” did nothing to increase light rail transit capacity into the city.  Instead diverting half the DSTT capacity across I-90 reduced Central Link capacity to SeaTac.  Clearly, Prop 1 failed any rational cost/benefit capacity analysis.

Sound Transit’s planning for Prop 1 also violated the Revised Code of Washington. RCW 81.104.100 stipulated any HCT planning consider a “do nothing option and a low capital option that maximizes the current system”.  Yet there is no indication Sound Transit ever considered additional bus routes along a limited access HOV lane on I-5 or 2-way bus only lanes on I-90 Bridge center roadway.

Even a cursory planning study would have concluded Sound Transit could have increased transit capacity on all the major roadways into Seattle with the added bus service without spending a dime on Prop I extensions. Sound Transit disdain for increased bus public transit once Prop 1 passed is exemplified by quarterly ridership reports showing revenue vehicle miles operated in 2008 prior to Prop 1, 10,450,000, were budgeted to increase to only 12,118,429 in 2018. 

During those same ten years Sound Transit refused to add any significant parking with access to bus routes despite the fact that many of the major P&R lots have been full for years.  Again, they recently typified disdain for added transit capacity with plans to reserve stalls at existing parking for “late arriving commuters” rather than adding bus routes and parking. 

Prop 1 passage has been especially onerous for east side residents. Their failure to comply with RCW allowed them to avoid the conclusion they could've implemented 2-way BRT on the bridge center roadway 10 years sooner than light rail, with 10 times light rail capacity at 1/10^th the cost.  Cross lake BRT rather than light rail would have eliminated the need to devastate the route into Bellevue. 

Much of the 2008 DEIS promoting East Link was sheer fantasy, claiming capacity for up to 24,000 rph despite the fact it was limited to half of what the PSRC concluded for DSTT, or 4440 rph in each direction.   Even worse, they intend to use East Link’s limited capacity to replace I-90 Bridge bus routes, apparently unaware reducing the number of buses on the bridge HOV lanes does nothing to reduce bridge GP lane congestion.  They could have not only added the 4440 capacity with 50 buses, they could have continued to add capacity with additional buses to meet future growth.  East Link will always be limited to 4440 rph. 

The DEIS also claimed “Travel times across I-90 for vehicles and trucks would also improve or remain similar with East Link".  Sound Transit ignored a September 2004 FHA, Record of Decision, "I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations Project".  It concluded, even with added lanes on I-90 Bridge outer roadways for HOV, the center roadway was still needed for vehicles.  

Sound Transit’s Prop 1 has failed to increase bus capacity has already forced commuters throughout the area to endure years of needless congestion.  It’s East Link extension halves Central Link capacity fro SeaTac, has devastated the route into Bellevue, done nothing to ease congestion on I-90 corridor, and will inevitably lead to gridlock on I-90 Bridge outer roadway.  

Clearly, East Link epitomizes the fact that Prop 1 passage was the beginning of 10 years of actions that go way beyond “malfeasant” or “incompetent”.  Sound Transit has already spent billions extending Central Link to Northgate and Angel Lake. They’re currently spending millions on Lynnwood and Federal Way extensions as part of their light rail spine to Everett and Tacoma.

None of the extensions will increase transit capacity, so any riders added will simply reduce access for current Central Link commuters.  They longer routes will increase operating costs requiring an increase in tolls or a large subsidy to cover fare box revenue shortfall. 

While nothing can be done about East Link, Northgate, or Angel Lake extensions, much of the $54 billion ST3 funds remain to be spent.  They should be spent expediting light rail to West Seattle and Ballard. Sound Transit’s decade of fraud since Prop 1 passed is enough!