Watch at: http://video.soundtransit.org/stream

4:36: Voting on bus frontloading. We’re moved the ST2 bus service increases up to 2009 and ASAP, instead of 2009 and 2014. This is fantastic. Passed!

4:38: Discussing the First Hill streetcar… nothing seems that important here.

4:42: Nickels is wrapping up discussion. He’s going to do a roll call vote. The stream is breaking up, so we’ll see how much I get. Gasoline over $4 a gallon. We need to give people an opportunity to vote. He says he’ll campaign hard (right here with you!).

4:43: Sims and Von Reichbauer voted no. 16-2 final.

Pete Von Reichbauer is from Federal Way. Light rail doesn’t get quite into his downtown, just to the edge of Federal Way. There’s something else going on with him – I don’t know what yet, but I’m trying to figure it out. Sims we all know about. Let’s get rid of him next year.

The last little changes: Sound Transit will fund putting HOV lanes on the I-90 outside roadway. That alone will more than replace the capacity loss of the reversible express lanes to LRT. We’re basically doubling total capacity across the bridge in the long term.

Let’s pass this plan in November!

24 Replies to “Liveblog: The Vote!!! On The Ballot!!!”

  1. First Hill Streetcar is local service and may be deferred (openly by the Mayor) to Seattle

    1. … or not …

      Of course, maybe it will be later since the city’s docs on the matter have dropped a LOT of references to Sound Transit.

      1. It sounded to me like it’s an option if there are a lot of overruns in the North King subarea. It probably won’t happen.

      2. So they’ll go ahead and push it through, then? If that’s the case, I’m wondering what this does to Nickels’ plan since it changes the timeframe on streetcars in the city for sure.

    1. And Hammond, unexpectedly voted yes, after her amendment was passed.

      1. No, no, 16-2 for the plan, 18-0 to put said plan on the ballot once it passed. It’s just politics. It’s 16-2.

      2. Dag.

        Oh well.

        He has the potential to erode his mandate, Sims does, by his lack of confidence in his own services.

  6. Sims and von Reichbauer’s no was for the First Hill streetcar amendment. Sims was a bit hesitant before saying no.

    1. What was the amendment, then? I didn’t catch that since I can’t get a feed here.

      Beyond that, it was unanimous, then?

    2. Oran, I think you’ve got it wrong. An uncontroversial amendment wouldn’t have a roll call like that. It was 16-2 for the plan, 18-0 to move it to ballot.

      1. Yes, my mistake, sorry. I think it just passed right by and I didn’t hear the yeas for the streetcar amendment.

        (I’m not familiar with threaded comments, I posted my correction down there earlier.)

  7. The video kept cutting out on me, but I thought Sims and von Reichbauer voted no on the ST2 plan, but yes on sending it to the ballot. The first vote was the important one. But I’m not sure because of the low quality of the video.

  8. That was fun. Thanks for the coverage, Ben. I have not speakers at work and wouldn’t have had time to watch the whole thing anyway.

    1. You’re quite welcome! I enjoyed writing it (and trying to refresh every couple of minutes to get the video working again).

  9. I don’t have video so I’m not following it very well. After reviewing the list of motions, I think Sims and von Reichbauer did vote no on the plan (2008-10) but were unanimous on the sending it to ballot (2008-11).

  10. What a relief that they voted to send it to the ballot. I’m confident this year that it’ll pass! Thanks for the coverage, Ben!

    1. lets hope that gas prices keep going up … that is the most assured way that it will pass

      1. Shhhh…I don’t think we can openly speak of such things, they might start a witch hunt…

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