Comments on: Reflection

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:32:36 +0000

I want to extend my sincere thanks to all the members of the Seattle Transit Blog. Your efforts were an important part of getting Prop. 1 passed. Seattle is a better city for your efforts, and future generations owe you a debt of gratitude.

Yay Team Transit!

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:17:53 +0000

What are the options is a silly question. For transit, there really isn’t another option. For roads – how about some MVET, eh?

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:14:17 +0000

I sure didn’t. We don’t need road expansion anymore. VMT has decreased this year, and it will decrease again.

By: John Jensen

John Jensen — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:14:54 +0000

Oh, and I very much hate to say this since both Rossi and Eyman support it… I’d have some percentage of car sales tax revenue go to roads (and transit). A lot of states do this.

By: John Jensen

John Jensen — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:09:58 +0000

I think there were too many GP lanes. The cross-base highway in particular. http://blog.carlessinseattle.us/2007/10/a-second-look-a.html I mean, it’s done and said, right? We still have to replace 520, add HOV to I-90, replace those collapsing structures, and fix the obvious choke points.

So, how do we do that? Well, I advocate for tolling on corridors you’re going to spend billions on and raising the gas tax. Yep, politically unpopular, but so is raising the sales tax. Or, let’s get a billion from the democrat’s public works bill that’ll be passed in a few weeks.

By: andrew

andrew — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:47:25 +0000

There weren’t many GP lanes. I agree about the sales tax thing, but what other options do we have?

We can always oppose anything here by say “sales tax sux”. What are the other options?

By: John Jensen

John Jensen — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:45:54 +0000

Funding road expansion through a sales tax? Not for me. I liked the new HOV lanes and attacking some choke points, but not many of the new GP lines.

I like the 2008 plan because it’s so much faster. It means Seattle expansion can happen faster. Note how North King got the same amount of rail? It means we got the same amount of rail for cheaper in Seattle.

By: Seattle Transit Blog » Mea Culpa

Seattle Transit Blog » Mea Culpa — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:24:46 +0000

[...] Reflection [...]

By: andrew

andrew — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:37:10 +0000

I don’t agree. I think what we had in 2007 was better, mostly because I actually supported and wanted the roads portion.

By: John Jensen

John Jensen — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:29:07 +0000

I think this is a better plan than last year’s, absolutely. Martin’s also right when he said it took a lot of work to get it on the ballot this year.

I also want to thank the Snohomish County Sound Transit board members. Pushing for light rail to Lynnwood with a 15 year plan was the right move.

By: DJStroky

DJStroky — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:16:18 +0000

I’m sorry too. This proposition was way better than last years and no roads! Thanks to everyone who made this happen.

By: J

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:01:12 +0000

I’ll add my “me, too!” I’m ecstatic to have been wrong.

By: Zach

Zach — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:38:12 +0000

You know, I was thinking the same thing…I have to admit, this is a better bill than what we had in 2007.

By: ericn

ericn — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:51:58 +0000

I was at the Pike and Broadway celebration last night, and I made a particular note of high-fiving anyone else I saw who was wearing a Mass Transit Now sticker. We did it!