The new 15-year plan looks great, and I agree with the Tacoma News Tribune editorial that says if the plan is right, the year it goes to the ballot won’twon’t matter. But I’ll take the News Tribune one step further: if this plan won’t pass, none will. Getting Light Rail to Federal Way, Overlake and Lynnwood were musts, and the plan has those, plus my pet project, the First Hill streetcar. It has a few more Sounder runs, and promises a 100% increase in ridership over doing nothing. This in only 15 years, what else could pass?
I do disagree with the New Tribune on this bit:
For cities on the periphery of the transit system – especially Lakewood, Tacoma and Everett – the flaw in any of these plans is the iffyness of that third round.
Some Seattleites have been losing interest in building the light rail system beyond Sea-Tac and Northgate. Erstwhile light rail supporters with 206 area codes have been concluding that express buses – which get stuck in the traffic that trains bypass – are good enough for people with 253 and 360 area codes.
Who on earth has been saying that? I guess the Stranger was going on about “sprawl-inducing” light rail, which I still say is total madness, but I don’t think anyone outside of those Capitol Hillbillies believe that the 253 or 360 don’t deserve light rail. Most Seattlites responses would be either “who cares” or “that’d be great”. I can’t imagine anyone saying “Tacoma doesn’t deserve light rail”.
Anyway, with sub-area equity, it’s all part of the bargain. If Seattlites are ever going to get Ballard or West Seattle light-rail, projects most everyone most everyone in the City wants, they are going to have to get light rail to Tacoma and beyond, to Mill Creek and beyond, and to Redmond and Beyond. So there’s no worry of Seattlites plotting against the suburbanites.
