About this blog

My name is Bill Hirt and I'm a candidate to be a Representative from the 48th district in the Washington State legislature. My candidacy stems from concern the legislature is not properly overseeing the WSDOT and Sound Transit East Link light rail program. I believe East Link will be a disaster for the entire eastside. ST will spend 5-6 billion on a transportation project that will increase, not decrease cross-lake congestion, violates federal environmental laws, devastates a beautiful part of residential Bellevue, creates havoc in Bellevue's central business district, and does absolutely nothing to alleviate congestion on 1-90 and 405. The only winners with East Link are the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington and their labor unions.

This blog is an attempt to get more public awareness of these concerns. Many of the articles are from 3 years of failed efforts to persuade the Bellevue City Council, King County Council, east side legislators, media, and other organizations to stop this debacle. I have no illusions about being elected. My hope is voters from throughout the east side will read of my candidacy and visit this Web site. If they don't find them persuasive I know at least I tried.

Monday, May 25, 2026

Sound Transit’s UW Support?

 

The May 28th Sound Transit Board Meeting “Consent Agenda” included the following:

Motion No. M2026-19: Authorizing the chief executive officer to execute a Master Research Agreement with the University of Washington on behalf of its Mobility Innovation Center to perform research across a wide variety of areas and topics to support Sound Transit’s planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. – Recommended by the Rider Experience

and Operations Committee

 

Although the statement did not address cost or timeline, it demonstrated that Sound Transit had acknowledged the necessity of collaborating with the university to address public transit issues in the area.  It’s something they should have done 10 years ago when Prop 1 funding was approved. 

It's not clear what Sound Transit is expecting since the recommendation came from their Rider Experience and Operations Committee rather than their System Expansion Committee.  Especially since the Board meeting agenda also listed the following as "Business Item," 

Resolution No. R2026-11: Updating the Sound Transit 3 System Plan to be affordable within available and projected financial capacity.– Requires a supermajority vote

The resolution detailed plans for the foreseeable future as to what Sound Transit deemed was “Affordable with existing resources,” “Construction not currently affordable within existing resources”, and projects to be “Deferred”.  Are they asking the UW how to better implement Sound Transit’s updated plan or to propose their own alternatives.

For instance, will Sound Transit be receptive to UW recommending not extending light rail beyond Lynnwood, Federal Way, and from Issaquah to Kirkland.  That the cost of extending tracks, buying additional light rail cars and operating them in trains over longer routes will outweigh any benefits. Especially since the riders added will reduce access for current riders.  That money spent on maintenance facilities to service those trains could be better spent adding parking rather than being deferred by Sound Transit.

The bottom line is the UW could provide Sound Transit with valuable advice.  The question is whether they will and whether Soud Transit will use it. 

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)