Please don’t get me wrong; I think transit is a great thing. I just started a new contract today at Nike out in Beaverton to which I did today and will continue to commute from Salmon Creek in Vancouver. So don’t dis me as some kind of anti transit lunatic.

But I have to say, only if the economy recovers will cutting transit “clog our roads, prevent us from reducing greenhouse gas emissions”. It will affect many peoples’ lives as you point out, but right now vehicle miles traveled are in a plunge that looks like it’s not stopping soon.

If the economy recovers, so will the sales tax revenue that funds transit. If it does not recover, most of the lost vehicle miles won’t be coming back.

Either way our roads won’t be clogged and GHG emissions will continue to fall if the recession becomes the permanent status quo.

http://www.completestreets.org/

I hope that Olympia considers tax increases in the next seassion as cuts have pretty much exhausted themselves as a way of improving the budget situation – if they ever were a good idea. I have always favored improving revenue sources as opposed to cutting expenditures. Pragmatism demands both, but the heart does not.

My priorities for the next seassion beyond the above tax increases, include some funding arrangements for starting the Mercer Mess project in Seattle – I have no idea the status on this long running saga at present.

Continued funding for the viaduct replacement and to reintroduce through Representative Clibborn, the idea of people being allowed to opt into the Sound Transit taxing district who are current outside it. I mentioned this to her last year and she said she might/would/could possibly consider it for the upcoming session.

Other than these remarks, I would like to see Olympia make some effort to coordinate with Vancouver, BC re: track improvements to the station up there. We can only realistically add trains to the Seattle-Vancouver run if the Canadians improve track conditions their side of the border.