Comments on: Fanboy Poll Complete

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:15:13 +0000

For something as large as a 20-year plan, they should try to break down the timeline a bit. For example, under the 20 year plan, would we still get to Northgate in 12 years (or sooner)? Or would it be a “big bang”, where they wouldn’t open any new stations until November 2028?

By: Martin H. Duke

Martin H. Duke — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:44:20 +0000

No doubt it’s Ben and me ticking off readers :-)

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:13:53 +0000

Oh and I think our readership has gone down slightly since moving here, but hopefully it’ll pick back up.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:09:27 +0000

I think the .5% has the criticism “less for the same money” which is hard to beat.

By: Tim Quiggin

Tim Quiggin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:06:58 +0000

I like the 20 year plan but it’ll be hard to convince voters because the attack is “same plan from last year you voted down.”
The 12 year .5% plan is good except Pierce and Snohomish won’t vote for it.

So it’ll be tricky.

By: AJ

AJ — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:18:49 +0000

I think the 20 year plan is the most prudent, especially if they run a clause through it to allow for an advancement of build schedules.

The margin of loss was small enough that it can more or less be attributed to people generally not wanting roads involved and the part where Ron Sims stabbed us in the back (to our benefit, however).

For the Light Rail portion, I think a more intelligent plan is:
1) Allow funding for pre-existing planned-for expansions (primary East Link, North Link and S 200th extension)
2) Pay to pre-engineer/-plan portions of the remaining 30 miles of the ST2 expansion to at LEAST 80% within a reasonable amount of time.
3) Begin property acquisition with the option to sell at profit if an expansion is deemed unnecessary (i.e. Ballard, Issaquah, Lynnwood – Everett or Fed Way to Tacoma)
4) Create an optional fund rather than proposing to pay for the whole expansion, just in case the feds can shoulder more in the future. Optional fund can be described as being for “capital, operational, area study, project advancement and fare subsidy and abatement purposes whenever possible”
5) Create an “advanced transportation options” board position for the study of local rapid transit ** Dream idea of mine; someone to study cut-and-cover subways and monorail/elevated rail/people move loops within CBDs and such**

… and all this can be described as:
“Sound Transit 2.1 will fund rail extensions to Northgate and Lynnwood in the North, Bellevue and Redmond in the East, and Federal Way in the South. With the addition of an optional fund, we will also look into federal funding for increasing the speed of construction and possibly extending rail as far south as Tacoma and as far north as Everett. We will also use this fund to increase service to traditionally underserved areas in the Sound Transit district.”