Amazon Should Sue to stop Ballard to Sodo Link

The previous post regarding an External Consultant assumed that Sound Transit wanted advice from someone other than the Transit Advisory Group (TAG) and the private consultant they’d already spent 2 years and $2M funding.  The hope was the “External Consultants” would recognize the folly of spending more the $12B and 9 years disrupting South Lake Union when the area already had far more accessible bus routes to far more convenient destinations.  

I emailed the post to the board for their “Public Comment” period at the beginning of the meeting. The meeting included notice that letters with hundreds of cosigners objecting to either the 5th or 7th alternative.  However, my “Comment” was the only letter that objected to both claiming existing KCM bus routes provided a far better public transit option. Those comments were followed by 30 minutes of commentators concerned with the impact of both Preferred Options for SLU station locations and the lack of additional studies for Near CID station. 

The “External Consultant” who followed “Public Comments” turned out to be David Peters, the private consultant they’ve funded for two years.  Thus, while independent, Peters was hardly “external”.  He recommended Sound Transit continue with the prior Preferred Alternative “Denny Shifted North + SLU 7^th/Harrison  as the Board's version of, “if we build it riders will come” approach.

However, the fact that Ballard to Sodo “riders can’t come until 2039” would seem to merit further discussions. Of particular interest was a spokesman for Amazon who had previously objected to the impact of the SLU 7^th/Harrison route.  Again, claiming plans to close Westlake Avenue and portions of the surrounding streets would adversely affect Amazon's 50,000 employees and 100 small businesses in the area.

Amazon would seem to have the option to use legal procedures to avoid the adverse effects of the Sound Transit decision.  File a class action suit on behalf of its own employees and the 100 small businesses to stop the Link. Not only would they benefit, current transit riders would also benefit. Streetcar riders could continue to do so.  KCM bus riders would continue to have options for egress and access along routes on streets into downtown.  Far more convenient than what they'll have at the new Westlake station with Ballard to Sodo link.  

East Link and West Seattle extension operation could also benefit from being terminated at existing CID station. Commuters needing to go beyond CID could use DSTT and Line 1 access for South Seattle. Chinatown residents would have the existing location, the "near CID" location, they’ve wanted rather than North and South stations they’ve objected to for 2 years.  The Line 1 Link wouldn’t lose trains to East Link and capacity to West Seattle until 2039 when 2^nd tunnel would debut.

The bottom line is Sound Transit continues to use their current consultants to support their Ballard to Sodo extension. However, continuing with the existing transit options for riders avoids all the disruption and $12B expenditure.  Sound Transit needs to consider whether the benefits are worth the resulting cost and disruption.  

An Amazon class action suit could force that review.