The March 28th post opined Sound Transit’s biggest problem was a Board of Directors made up of elected officials who don’t understand the basics of effective public transit. That their goal should be to provide transit for those who can’t or don’t choose to drive in sufficient numbers to reduce congestion for those who do. And to do so in a cost-effective way . Instead, Dow Constantine’s board consists of those who've approved implementing light rail on I-90 Bridge center roadway for light rail and are willing to approve a light rail “spine” that doesn’t attract the riders needed and cost too much to operate.
A March 29th Seattle Times Traffic Lab announcement,” Megaproject leader hired by Sound Transit with $600k salary”. indicated the paper had similar Sound Transit Board concerns. Calling the hiring the result of “the immediate need by 18 “nonspecialist” members” of the transit board capable of steering the nation’s biggest transit expansion that’s already running years late”. That their finance plan had soared to $145 billion (from $54 billion voters approved in 2016 with ST3) and “projects “currently trending two to five years late”.
A major reason for increased spending is that since 2016 the board’s Sound Transit System Expansion Committee has approved every Sound Transit request for additional funding without seriously questioning the need. The most egregious example being the $499 million request for a bus base north the ST3 had stipulated was not included. That all the expansion committee’s recommendations had been approved by full board, again with minimal discussion of costs or merit.
However, the Megaproject hiring was probably not the result of Constantine finally conceding his board appointments had been nonspecialists. It was more likely the result of the Constantine board following the advice from a $2 million Transit Advisor Group (TAG) study. The hiring was one of six TAG recommendations to improve how Sound Transit process for implementing their planned transit expansion.
However, the TAG never advised Sound Transit their problem was not the process it was the product, the light rail spine. Four-car light rail rains don’t have the capacity needed to reduce multilane freeway peak hour congestion and cost too much to operate off peak”. That the light rail “spine” won’t reduce I-5 congestion into or out of Seattle. That using light rail trains to replace bus routes into the city reduces transit capacity, nothing to reduce GP lane congestion, and reduces access for current riders into Seattle. The increased operating costs for the extensions will dwarf any fare box funds, especially during off-peak.
The Traffic Lab raised concerned with “the toughest route ahead, the $11.2 billion Ballard-to-Sodo connector. It included a second tunnel under Seattle that won’t be available until 2039. Apparently, like the board and TAG, not recognizing there would be no need for a second tunnel if the Ballard link were terminated at existing Westlake station. That the East Link and West Seattle Links could be terminated at the existing CID station. That those going beyond could use the existing DSTT.
That doing so would expedite Ballard link operation and end the Line 1 link losing half the DSTT tunnel capacity to East Link and sharing its remaining capacity with West Seattle commuters until 1939 when second tunnel begins operation. That operating schedules for all three links could be matched to meet local demand.
The bottom line is the Sound Transit Board biggest problem is not the cost increases or the years of delay. Its that the money and time spent implementing their transit expansion will result in a product that doesn't reduce congestion. That funding the bonds required and operating the extensions will be a financial strain for far beyond 2046. Thus what they needed was someone who would recognize the folly of extending the light rail spine and using the extensions to replace buses. That Seattle didn’t need the years of disruption and the cost involved with a second tunnel.
The question remains whether Terri Mestas, “someone outside transportation” is the one to do it.
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