This morning and afternoon we’ll be at Union Station for Downtown Seattle’s only ST3 meeting, followed by the Sound Transit Board. We’ll be tweeting at @seatransitblog, and the feed will be embedded here. Follow along from 11:30am-4:00pm!


73 Replies to “Seattle ST3 Meeting + Sound Transit Board Liveblog”

  4. That 1:00pm final question before the break must have been an interesting one.

  5. In terms of skepticism of Ballard ridership– is that vis a vis Ballard to UW, or just skepticism over whether Ballard to downtown gets that many riders?

    1. It’s about what gets attributed to the 2nd tunnel versus unique riders north of Westlake.

      1. Yes… 130-140,000 riders aren’t going to/from Ballard. Almost half of the ridership comes from the new tunnel stations and transfer between lines. Not that 65-70,000 daily riders north of Westlake isn’t still amazing. But for folks making arguments about how that line needs to be the #1 priority out of everything, built faster, etc. because it has such higher ridership than all the other projects or such lower per rider cost is a little misleading.

      2. @Mickymse,

        60,000 to 70,000 unique new riders would still qualify Ballard-DT as the number one priority for ST3, no matter how you want to score it.

      3. Focusing on ridership alone is silly. At a minimum, you should start with rider time savings. Otherwise you run the risk of simply rewarding a slow train that is no different than a bus (AKA a streetcar). Ridership is high, but the riders didn’t really get anything out of it.

        I don’t see the numbers anywhere, but I can’t help but think that Ballard to downtown is by far the most cost effective by that measure as well. Traffic is tough through that section all day long. In contrast, West Seattle is only really bad in the morning, and only headed to downtown. The difference between HOV lane travel to Everett and Issaquah versus grade separated rail is minimal, even during rush hour. Tacoma to Federal Way traffic is worse, but the bulk of the riders will be coming from Tacoma and heading to Seattle, and for them the alternatives (express bus service or Sounder) are just about as fast.

        So, while some of the travel may be redundant (e. g. Westlake to I. D., which I’m sure makes up a significant chunk of Link’s ridership) the time savings and large numbers of riders from lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union and yes, Ballard, still make it the most cost effective (if not the only worthwhile) project.

      4. “West Seattle is only really bad in the morning, and only headed to downtown.” Etc.

        What is, is not what will be in fifteen years or twenty-five years or thirty-five years. How much of the current traffic existed in 2000 or 1990? It can be hard to recognize because the change is so gradual, but Metro and SDOT and WSDOT all say traffic volume has increased and this has made it harder for buses to stay on schedule, and we know from our own experience that bus trips that used to be easy (e.g., downtown to U-District, Greenwood, 4th Ave Costco on a Fremont Bridge bus) are now difficult for much of the day. I’m not saying West Seattle and Issaquah must have light rail because their traffic will be that bad, because it’s not black-or-white if you don’t have the future traffic numbers, but it’s a continuum with probabilities. What’s certain is that it will be somewhat worse…. At least it will unless the non-driving revolution occurs by then and car use plummets, which will hopefully happen someday but we don’t know when.

    2. I haven’t heard criticism of Ballard ridership, per se, even at the Everett meeting. I just heard that they feel they have been in line longer and don’t think Seattle should cut in front of them. There may have been skepticism that Ballard has congestion, but that may have just been Rogoff’s interpretation.

      The leader of the Everett t-shirt group said he is fine with Ballard and Everett opening simultaneously. But Ballard cannot be allowed to open a day ahead of Everett.

      I also did not hear clarity on whether Everett speakers were open to BRT, the spur, or obstinate about making everyone riding to Paine Field, and building it faster than projected possible. But both the City of Everett and County of Snohomish have offered their pledges to streamline their permitting processes in any way they can.

      1. Ballard could get slammed with hide and ride from the north if they get too far ahead of everyone.

      4. I can’t tell if your first comment was a joke, Glenn. If so, it makes sense. If not, I’m confused.

        I don’t see anyone coming from the north, parking in Ballard, and then riding the train. Maybe Greenwood, but not Shoreline. Besides, Shoreline and Lynnwood will be done long before Ballard. The projects are largely independent, I would say — I don’t think building rail to Everett before or after Ballard rail will have any effect on either. Likewise Issaquah or West Seattle.

      5. Meh, people in Ballard are ticked off by other residents taking the spots in front of their homes. (and a few apartment buildings are proposed right now which don’t have any parking near 15th and Market). If it comes to it, people can always ask for parking permits in residential areas. Even then, this is assuming transit drivers/riders don’t want to park their cars near the RVs/ car campers in the industrial areas or park their cars at Safeway/Ballard Market; most of bar/restaurant Ballard is metered with 4 hour max).

      6. I just heard that they [Everett rail proponents] feel they have been in line longer and don’t think Seattle should cut in front of them. There may have been skepticism that Ballard has congestion, but that may have just been Rogoff’s interpretation.

        I shouldn’t be too surprised with this way of thinking, but it exemplifies what is wrong with the entire process. There is a complete lack of focus on building a network, and instead folks are focused on traffic, and applying light rail as the only solution to said traffic, regardless of station placement or design. Push comes to shove, and one area wants “their rail” before the other guy. I wish people wouldn’t view light rail like freeways, or even worse, community pools. It is meaningless if your city or 20 square mile “neighborhood” “gets” light rail. What matters is what sort of transit network you build.

        As for congestion, the complaint from Everett folks cracks me up. I mean, I get it. It absolutely sucks if you are in a bus, on the freeway, in an HOV lane and that bus isn’t going 60 MPH. That is bullshit. That pisses me off, too. But from Everett to Lynnwood at rush hour, how fast is it going? 30 MPH? 20 MPH? That’s terrible. But how fast does, say, the 44 go? In the middle of the day it averages less than 10 MPH. How about the 8? Same thing.

        Folks in Everett think they deserve light rail before Ballard because apparently they thought of it first. They also think they deserve it more because if you live in an area close to the freeway, you should be able to go really fast. Both ideas are sorely lacking in doubt and reason.

      7. “Folks in Everett think they deserve light rail before Ballard because apparently they thought of it first.”

        No. They think they deserve one light rail line before Seattle gets a second one.

      8. Exactly Donde and this Skagitonian ambadassador for The North says we got no problem with a ST4 to build Seattle’s trusses and the Paine Field-Mukilteo Spur.

        But Spine Destiny first.

      9. “Ballard could get slammed with hide and ride from the north if they get too far ahead of everyone.”

        Like the hide and ride in Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill that has been going on for six years? It hasn’t destroyed the neighborhood yet. There are also things like residential parking zones that could be deployed.

        “Folks in Everett think they deserve light rail before Ballard because apparently they thought of it first.”

        It goes back to history: Everett was one of the three main cities in the region (Everett-Seattle-Tacoma). We built freeways between these cities and upstart Bellevue; now it’s time to build high-capacity transit between them. Everett doesn’t want to be left behind, with Lynnwood-Bellevue-Tacoma overtaking it and Everett declining into a small town with no jobs. Ballard is just a Seattle neighborhood, and Seattle already has light rail approved along the entire long axis of the city. Ballard doesn’t need a fast train because it’s so close to downtown and the U-District and has frequent buses, and anyway the majority of people now live in suburbs along freeways, so the HCT network should reflect that. And by golly, Snohomish County joined Sound Transit in the 1990s because ST’s primary goal was high-capacity transit to Everett, Tacoma, and Redmond, and it’s not going to let side projects like Ballard cut into the line. If Ballard can proceed without slowing down Everett’s construction, fine, but not before it or instead of it. Then there’s that Paine Field jobs center thing. That’s more or less where Everett is coming from as best I can articulate.

      10. Mike;

        I think you got it pretty much right. We grassroots of “The North” just want our fair share of transit. We’ve been patient with ST1 & ST2, and gotten some good projects out of both. But now we need at least light rail spine to Everett Station & something for Paine Field (I prefer BRT, with a spur to Mukilteo in ST4).

        [].

        Joe

      11. How about “Up north” gets some density and walkability too. Downtown Everett, Broadway, Paine Field, anywhere.

  6. For what it’s worth, I wrote Alex Zimmermann at info@standup-america.us the following:

    ALEX;

    YOUR S—SHOW WITH NAME CALLING TODAY WAS A DISGRACE TO THE CAUSE OF PUBLIC COMMENT AT MEETINGS.

    YOU HAD NO RELEVANCY TO THE ISSUES AT HAND WHATSOEVER.

    SOUND TRANSIT IS NOT A PONZI SCAM. YOU’RE AN IDIOT MAKING GRANDIOUSE CLAIMS.

    YOURS;

    JOE

    I think it’s time we transit advocates stood up to this… bully & jerk. NOBODY kind and decent like the Sound Transit Board deserves that kinda abuse… and if this a-hole goes after my friends – notice the plural – on the Sound Transit Staff, then call the cops because they’ll have to book me for misdemeanor battery.

    1. He’s just whack job. Don’t get your undies in a bunch – it will just encourage him.

      1. Sadly David, I’ve had to become aware of this… I worry jerks like him are going to be put on highlight reels – both video and in print – to justify curbing public comment for the 99.9% of us citizens who can behave ourselves behind the microphone.

      2. @Joe,

        Restraining order? For what? As long as he stays reasonably close to being inside the rules he is free to speak – and the rules have been tightened.

        Welcome to democracy. At least it wasn’t all 3 of them (Alex, Sam and that woman who used to join them).

      3. The rules say only comments on the day’s action items are allowed at board meetings. The actions were a half-dozen resolutions regarding contracting details. This comment hearing was extended to allow comments on the ST3 draft. Mr “ST is a fascist conspiracy” Zimmerman, and the man who says mass transit is a UN Agenda 21 plot to subjegate the world, and the woman who says Metro should do something incoherent about a local route around Interbay or something, appear to me to be 100% off topic. If I can’t talk about ST’s board structure or the 554 having more stops in central Issaquah because they’re off-topic for the day’s comment period, why can these people ramble on about Metro and conspiracies? Why doesn’t the moderator tell them the moment they say Metro or Agenda 21 that these are off-topic and the speaker must make a topical comment or leave the podium? This is not an outdoor demonstration; it’s comments to inform a particular set of decisions.

    4. I’m afraid all public officials have to put with idiots like this. My mom used to be on the school board, and you wouldn’t believe some of the whackos they had to deal with. No, wait, you would. This guy sounds like one of them. I seem to remember council member Bruce Harrell telling off a similar set of idiots.

      Hold on a second, let me see if I can find the link .. Holy cow, it is the same idiot: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/01/30/council-member-bruce-harrell-is-my-hero-for-finally-calling-these-guys-a-bunch-of-assholes

      I completely agree with what Bruce Harrell said (at the end of the article) about these jerks (and others like them).

      1. Exactly.

        Some civility.

        You know I’m going to be making a VERY LONG TRIP to see a Board & staff I happily pay a fare provide me good transit and I really don’t like a–holes who hijack the meeting with Nazi salutes. I like people like “Geezers in Green” who would spend a lifetime opposing my light rail fanboy crush, but at least are civil about it.

      2. I agree at least the Geezers in Green are civil and their comments in public meetings are on topic.

    5. However, the serious comments were especially good that day according to the Twitter summary. Better than several other board meetings and open houses I’ve attended. I partly wish I could have been there. But I didn’t know about the meeting until a few hours before.

      1. Yup, there were some good sorties as well. Especially from the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County representing the worker bees who couldn’t attend, the guy in a leather jacket and Transportation Choices’ great new spokeslady.

        I also hear some hot 50-something schoolteacher Mayor in glasses gave some comments… before accepting apples, roses and kisses from Geezers in Green. /snark

  7. @Joe Dude has a right to his opinion, even if you don’t agree to it. He didn’t threaten anyone with violence. He has a right to his two minutes just like anyone else. If he wants to waste it calling the ST Board the Mafia over and over again, that is his choice.

    I am more interested to see him take on GoodSpaceGuy in a Republican primary.

    1. +1. That would be fun.

      But I think Joe’s reaction has more to do with his frustration with what is going on in the Republican Party currently and less to do with Zimmermann per say. Zimmermann is nothing if a constant. He hasn’t made any significant changes to his act in forever. When you see him there you know what is going to happen, and you just take a short little mental break.

      Chill, Joe. Chill. Because any other course of action is likely to get you in trouble.

    2. PeteyNice, you crack me up. But I don’t think individuals like him have a right to repeatedly hijack public spaces to spew hate, break the rules with abandon, and steal headlines….

      Lazarus, to be honest I’ve only been exposed to Adloph Zimmermann for a few months. I don’t care for the personal insults this dark soul lobs at public servants. I would like to see the State AG write model rules for public meetings so maybe, just maybe, our local Adloph gets a year of no tresspass time-out.

      But yeah Lazarus since you brought it up I’m about ready to tell the GOP I’m going to get gone if they nominate Trump. I can’t stand a neofascist who bullies the media and can’t take at least some criticism. Yeah Ted Cruz wants to cut federal new starts for transit, but at least Ted Cruz is a nerd trying (and sometimes failing) to be a nice geek and he’s definitely WYSIWYG.

    3. Let me add as well from a Google search a moment ago, Seattle City Councilman Licata said, are “sliding into a situation that allows other bodies to come in here and take over a public space that we the people of Seattle have designated as an area for the exchange of information and to have dialogue. If you can’t have a dialogue, it’s not a democratic process.” How the hell do you have a democratic process with a bully lobbing hate for the sake of.

      We need some model rules out of the State Attorney General’s Office on the Open Public Meetings Act, and also on public comment so these local governments can have some guidance on the nuance here… either that or a bloody one-size-fits-all state legislative solution. This is my biased, loyalty-fueled opinion but I think it’s time we traded hats from “transit advocate” to “citizen advocate” to protect our fellow transit advocates serving on transit boards & I fear the transit agency staffs…

      1. See my comment up above. I’m with you. Of course people have a right to speak. But there is a line, and when you cross it, you should be ushered out. Where you draw that line is tricky, but calling a representative a “Fucking bitch” is way on the other side of it.

    4. It’s not what the ramblers say that bothers me; it’s the fact that they displace somebody else who might have made an informative comment, or it ends up dragging the session on for over an hour and the last speakers and listeners give up on attending the whole thing and leave.

  8. Portland sprouts up at-grade rail like weeds why can’t we do that? They’re embarrassing us” PDX trains are slow, infrequent, Seattle denser

    Don’t forget unreliable.

    The frequency they manage at peak period is OK. The Twitter feed is littered with catastrophes caused by stuck autos, police activity, fire activity, and at least one misplaced chain link fence….

    …..and that was just the past four days.

    1. I would like your opinion sometime, Glenn, about the Portland rail system as well as Portland transit in general. My impression is that Vancouver spent a lot, and got a lot. Seattle is spending a lot, and getting a little, while Portland didn’t spend much and didn’t get much. But I feel way more confident in the assessment of the first two cities. Portland seems tricky to judge, just because I don’t know how well the trains move through the city. I figure they are slow, but how slow?

  9. Did anyone ask whether the 2nd DT tunnel is really needed? Ballard could be elevated and end at westlake. W. Seattle could end at Sodo or the ID.

    1. No present at the hearing, but I asked that very question in my comments to ST. Although I endorsed Ballard-UW.

  10. I was at the Federal Way meeting this evening and asked about the speed of the light rail from Federal Way to Seattle. Mr. Rogoff gave a good answer about people having other needs and the studies were done with the ride time in mind. After the public question session I asked a ST rep if Express buses would continue from Federal Way after the light rail was built. He said they would not. That seems like a crazy policy. Why would Federal Way commuters pay more for a slower product? The lack of express buses may swing my vote from a yes to a no. Am I crazy or is that a ridiculous policy?

    As an aside, this website influenced and encouraged this question. Thank you to the writers and hosts here for everything you do.

    1. This will happen to everyone in the Pierce/South King area, and it is why ST3 is a raw deal for the South, unless we get specifics on speed and span-of-service improvements for Sounder.

      Extending the Spine north beyond the area where there is sufficient density to justify it makes sense because the train won’t take any longer than the buses. In the south, though, our travel times on Link will be compromised by the segment in the Rainier Valley where Link actually does what light rail is supposed to do. We CANNOT have our buses truncated at Kent-Des Moines in 2023, we CANNOT have our STEX buses cut as Link extends south, and we MUST get WSDOT to stop mismanaging the freeway. The 405 fiasco shows that it will be difficult, but until Sounder improves, Tacoma and West Pierce have no other choice. After Sounder speed and span-of-service are improved, Federal Way still has no other choice.

    2. So, per the ST schedule, Seatac to Stadium is 31 minutes. Based on 15 miles from Fedway to Seatac, we could expect 20 minutes from there to the airport. That totals 51 minutes. During peak hours, 578 if 45 minutes from FedWay to 2nd & Jackson, but a very unreliable 45 minutes. That’s actually only 6 minutes longer. Considering the much higher service frequency and reliability of light rail, it doesn’t work out so bad. Certainly not ideal, and ST should actively work on speeding up the MLK stretch, with overpass and the like.

      1. That’s true, freeway traffic can be unpredictable. My bus from ID to star lake/272nd can be anywhere from 40 min to an hour. I wouldn’t mind a more reliable ride if it means adding an extra 5-10 minutes. Although link and sounder both seem to be having reliability issues lately.

        If ST isn’t expecting to continue express buses, what about metRo? They should continue providing some express from federal way. What if train breaks down?

      2. We are talking about peak of peak, and light rail is still slower. Note that off peak, the bus can take around little as 25 minutes. Taking link takes about the same amount of time as just missing a 578 and waiting for the next one.

        I’m a daily fed way to Seattle commuter. In my experience, 51 mins is generally the worse case peak travel time, with specific exceptions of course. Link is the worst case peak travel time every time.

        And just wait until we make Tacoma do this.

      3. My experience with the 590/594 matches this as well. When traffic is terrible at peak-of-peak, the 590 is still about ten minutes faster than Link would be. Off peak, the 594 is much faster. I’ve been on a 594 that took 29 minutes to get from Spokane Street to the Tacoma Dome Station. If WSDOT converted the left-most GP lane to HOV, then Spokane St-to-TDS travel in peak-of-peak would be under 40 minutes.

        I know that this is unlikely, as many on here have stated, but we are in a period of time when political possibilities are shifting rapidly. We have to try. Badger your legislators and their opponents about letting our buses move.

      4. “Seatac to Stadium is 31 minutes.”

        People don’t notice this because we usually quote Link times from Westlake. But if you’re starting from Intl Dist it’s ten minutes shorter, and that makes it psychologically seem like “only 30 minutes” rather than “most of an hour”. The same with Sounder. Most estimates for Link to Tacoma start from Westlake, but a fair comparison to Sounder starts from Intl Dist. You can also add that continuing to Westlake is a one-seat ride on Link but a transfer on Sounder.

    3. Keep in mind that:

      1) Rogoff hasn’t lived here long, and is still learning the geography. He understands transit and finances, but hasn’t dived deep into all the specifics, such as the lack of time competitive-ness of Link with ST Express from Federal Way and Tacoma. But then, neither have some of the electeds from Federal Way. The former mayor threw a tantrum to get Federal Way TC Station sped up, without thinking about the impact on ST Express. He was scarcely aware it or Federal Way TC existed, as in “Federal Way is getting nothing from Sound Transit!” There is a reason he is the *former* mayor.

      2) Link construction is less than half the cost of ST3. ST3 also pays for other projects and operations. I don’t think ST will be able to grow ST Express capacity without the new revenue. And I have no idea how Metro is going to fund much new capacity in the ‘burbs.

      3) Eliminating the Federal Way and Tacoma bus routes is a plan, not a decision. Voting for ST3 does not kill them. Only a Board decision to end service can do that. I don’t see the Board voting to do that. Recall that ST pulled back from the plan to truncate all SR 522 service at UW.

      4) Downtown Seattle is not the only place where riders in Federal Way and Tacoma want to go. Tacoma still wants that train to the airport for economic development purposes. Federal way is in the same boat.

      1. Thanks for your insights. I hope you are right about 1, and I agree with 2. In regards to 3, it is pretty difficult to change a plan once adopted. To do that, you have to admit you were wrong. Also, they want high link ridership. I don’t envision a reality in which they don’t cut the express bus service.
        Your fourth point is also the ST’s view point. My impression is that population is minuscule compared to the transit population. Bus options already exist, but the light rail would almost be less useful than a bus because of the infrequent stops. I just don’t get that argument.

    4. KUDOS TO ROGOFF for telling them clearly about Link’s travel time impact before the vote!! That’s what I’ve repeatedly told ST to do for three years, so that Federal Way and Pierce understand what they’re getting. I was afraid Tacoma and Federal Way had unrealistic expectations that Link would be at least as fast as ST Express. That’s true in the north end but not in the south end. I was glad when Tacoma showed a few months ago it understands this and its primary motivations for Link are something different: to attract companies and workers to Tacoma, to have a train to the airport, and to make getting between Tacoma and south King County easier. The fact that it eventually goes to Seattle is a secondary bonus.

      ST released a few scenarios for ST2 in 2023, and all of them truncate the Pierce and Federal Way buses at Kent-Des Moines Station. So that’s where we’re heading, and that means travel times will go up. Tacoma will still have Sounder. Federal Way will have Metro express routes to downtown according to Metro’s long-range plan draft, although it’s not 100% clear whether they’d be all-day or peak only. So it looks like Metro will take over the Federal Way express routes to avoid leaving it in the cold. I’m not sure whether truncating at KDM applies to the 574; it may still go to the airport. (And will have to when Link is not running early morning.)

      1. Rogoff didn’t specifically lay out the timing. i brought it up and he didn’t specifically address the time, even in his response. They aren’t discussing the timing and they aren’t discussing the plan to remove the express buses. In fact, I think they are being disingenuous and borderline deceitful to not tell us the implications of the plan. The Sound Transit rep said they expect the express buses to be slower and irrelevant by then. I am skeptical.

  11. I too was at Federal Way. A pretty hostile audience in general, although it seems more hostile to taxes than anything. One of the applause lines was a guy who basically asked why WSDOT isn’t paying for this.

    People attending this meeting frequently commented that they would like to use the system more but they can’t find any parking near the station, lots of mentions of Tukwila’s South Sounder station. One guy there said that he even pays for airport parking to ride from Seatac! Goes to show that charging for parking wouldn’t be the end of the world.

    My conversation with Mr. Rogoff revealed, if nothing more, that it’s impossible to please everyone.

    1. Anyone in Federal Way who wants WSDOT to chip in needs to badger their legislators and the other legislative candidates about it. The 30th LD (Federal Way) is a swing district, so they are more likely to listen.

  12. Does anyone find it a bit weird when you think about it that Downtown Tacoma would be served by a shuttle (Tacoma Link) and bypassed by the mainline Link (to make it easier to serve Tacoma Mall which is the story of Tacoma for the last 50 years)? Can you name any other downtown that is bypassed by a major light rail line and requires a transfer to a shuttle? Would we bypass Downtown Everett and then run a shuttle to Colby Street? I don’t think so.

    1. I was thinking about that.. an interlined spur could’ve revitalized downtown Tacoma even more. Each branch – from downtown and Tacoma mall could’ve had 10 minute headways so that the rainier valley segment would see 5 minute headways.

      1. But this way, we’ll get headways on the Tacoma streetcar down to five minutes, or even less, and reliability will not be dependent on what happans in King County.

        Check this year’s SIP; Tacoma Link is ST’s most reliable service.

      2. And yet, Tacoma Link is losing ridership. Stop spacing and headway matter, even if it is 10 minutes vs. 12 minutes. I suppose the economy isn’t helping.

    2. The issue is that Tacoma Link is physically quite different from the rest of Link. It’s more lightweight, it has much smaller cars, and significant portions of its line are one-way. I think it really should be called “Tacoma Streetcar,” because that’s kind of what it is. But it’s a streetcar done right, unlike the stop-at-every-light-and-dwell-at-each-stop-for-five-minutes electric speed walker that the first hill streetcar is.

      1. It’s physically a bit different. I think the width difference is 8 ft vs 8.7 ft or so. There’s probably enough space to do it.

        The biggest problem is going to be adjusting things for the longer trains. Could be done though.

    3. Not that I’m saying that it shouldn’t be done. I don’t know what the technical and cost implications of that would be. Sound Transit would probably estimate $1 billion because Sound Transit severely over-estimates prices (66 million dollars for a graham street station on tracks that are already built, 25 million dollars for a Northgate pedestrian bridge, U-Link is 200m under budget and Angle Lake stn is trending 40m under budget, but I digress).

    4. But that’s what they’re doing. Building to Everett Station, not downtown but an light industrial area near downtown, just like the Dome. Except Everett ain’t getting a shuttle.

      1. 1) Everett has SWIFT, which starts at Everett Station and stops next downtown.

        2) Everett is asking for Link to keep going north to that other high-rise district around the hospital. (Hopefully, that becomes “provisional”, so it doesn’t require a big highway bill in order to get the right to vote on it.)

      2. They aren’t doing anything yet. They’re proposing a draft. And by the way, Everett asked for Link to be extended to downtown and Everett Community College. ST axed that for budget reasons.

    5. Look at Tacoma on a map. Downtown requires backtracking into a dead-end penninsula. I-5 bypasses it too. That doesn’t fully explain why Tacoma didn’t push for Central Link to downtown, but it partly explains it.

      Also, Tacoma may not have understood the distance between the Tacoma Link station and the 59x bus bays and Sounder, and potential transfer from Central Link (since I’m not clear on exactly where the Central Link station would be, whether it’ll be elevated above the Tacoma Link station more than one story, or whether Tacoma Link will get a frequency boost).

    6. If the Paine Field spur is built like Tacoma Link and has no home base there, would it be able to use the Central Link tracks and power to get to a base somewhere?

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