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.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Sounder Sustainability”

The previous blog detailed how Sound Transit “Sustainability” should result in a transportation system whose operating costs can reasonably be expected to not be a perpetual drain on the area’s finances.  That  any system of internal accounting controls in which the cost of the system being implemented should not exceed the benefits derived. 

The 2025 Sound Transit Report published in July included a Sounder staff of 28.2 full-time equivalent positions, a cost of more than $600 million for completion and a $45.90 cost per boarding for 2025. The August release of the 62-page System Expansion Monthly Status Report included 30 pages dealing with Sounder.  Clearly considering it a priority.

The 2025 Sound Transit Report published in July included a Sounder staff of 28.2 full-time equivalent positions, a cost of more than $600 million for completion and a $45.90 cost per Sounder boarding for 2025.  Their Ridership for June was 7172 average weekday Sounder boarding

Clearly Sound Transit has chosen to spend far more on Sounder than what would be reasonably considered sustainable if doing so required the cost not exceed the benefits derived.  Sound Transit service area residents deserve far better for the taxes they pay than for what they will get from Sounder

 

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