Do you want to live in a region with a comprehensive rail system, or don’t you? It’s true that there are large bus improvements in this package, but fundamentally Proposition 1 is about extending light rail to 70% of the region’s population.
If the answer is yes, and you’d like an alternative when traffic is bad, parking is scarce, or when gas is expensive, it’s imperative to vote yes. I’ve learned my lesson about predicting the next ballot measure, but if Proposition 1 fails, you can be sure that the next one will be smaller, more expensive, and finish later.
So maybe it doesn’t go exactly where you work now, or where you live now (although the stats suggest it very well might). I can’t do my current commute on the proposed network either. However, I realize that in 2023, when the system is completed, I very well might. Given the tendency of rail lines, unlike buses, to attract job centers and dense, walkable housing, there’s a decent chance you will too. Your children may as well.
At any rate, it’s a good system. It takes the stress off the I-5 and I-90 corridors by hitting most of the big employment centers, and is a giant step towards an Everett-to-Tacoma regional spine. With four-car trains and fully dedicated right-of-way, with frequent grade separation, it’s significantly better than most other light rail systems built in the last few decades.
Oh, and taking the train reduces pollution and puts less money in the pockets of anti-American dictatorships. And it’s a more pleasant ride than a bus.
The criticisms of Sound Transit are a smokescreen. Leaving aside the fact that under new management they have a stellar audit history, how long are you willing to wait for the agency of your dreams? 10 years? 20? It’s go with the current crew — which we now know can deliver a light rail system — or punt to the next generation, as generations did before us.
Vote Yes. Do it today. If you have an absentee ballot in your hands, take it to the post office to make sure it’s postmarked in time.
one of the biggest and most overlooked reasons why one should support Sound Transit’s proposal are accidents.
the other day both I5 and 99 were essentially closed due to multiple vehicle accidents at the same time. (I still can’t figure out why people here don’t know how to drive in the rain and try speeding around turns on wet roads)
I also cannot understand why people don’t get the concept of arterial transit … cities need a transit backbone that can be fed by busses … it makes so much sense and works all over the world.