Sound Transit Board’s Real Problem,

Recent Seattle Times articles and other sources have detailed examples of Sound Transit problems.  Presumably all those problems will eventually be resolved.    However, nothing has been written about Sound Transit Board’s real problem.  That their CEO and board members can only continue getting more than $200,000 annually if they continue to approve spending funds extending the transit system. They may or may not recognize 4-car light rail trains don’t have the capacity to reduce roadway congestion. That extensions beyond UW Stadium, beyond SeaTac, or across the I-90 Bridge don’t increase that capacity they only increase the operating costs.  That boardings for stations beyond those stops are also far less than Sound Transit predicted.

They justify their existence by spending hundreds of millions annually on a staff and outside advisors as to how to best implement the extensions.  Spending additional millions on various meetings and documents and reports detailing how the money is spent on the extensions, and monthly progress reports.

They justify their expansion decisions based on whether they can borrow the funds needed for the project rather than whether the benefits derived exceed their costs.  The extended time for project completion and more oversight justifies extending board management.   Again, the board’s concern with extending management enables them to simply ignore ridership records that boardings on all the extensions are far below predictions.  Instead choosing to emphasize the ability of extensions to provide areas for transit-oriented development and affordable public housing.  

The board continues to spend millions planning light rail extensions from West Seattle that require a second Duwamish waterway bridge and a second tunnel under Seattle from Ballard to Sodo.  The years required to complete the extensions will further justify the board’s existence. The board continues to ignore existing bus routes serving both areas with routes with better rider access to buses and more convenient stops for exit and return commute in Seattle.

The board presumably garners public support with financial support for Seattle Times and their Traffic Lab project for generally favorable articles on how the area's transit funds are spent. 

The bottom line is the Sound Transit Board continues to justify its existence by promoting transit expansion projects and billions of dollars adding years to the need for oversight, aided and abetted by Seattle Times.