Ben has a pro-transit piece over at crosscut.
13 commentsHandicapping the Board Vote
I’ve talked to a couple of sources, and together with observations from some board meetings, I think I know who the swing votes are going into next Thursday’s board vote.
There are 18 board members total. We need 12 YES votes to get on the ballot in 2008, although more would probably help to sell it to the public. Right now, I reckon we have 11 with two board members on the fence, and some others that might be brought around.
Someone like me can talk to Aaron Reardon until I’m blue in the face, but Mr. Reardon doesn’t really care (nor should he care) what a Seattle resident thinks. That’s why it’s important for these politicians to hear from their actual constituents. So if you live in the right place, make yourself heard.
In King County, I’m fairly comfortable that 8 of the 10 representatives (Nickels, Phillips, Constantine, Patterson, Burleigh, Butler, Conlin, and Marchione) are solid YES votes. I’ve heard very little about Burleigh (Kirkland), Butler (Issaquah), and Marchione (Redmond), so if you’re a constituent of one of those three it wouldn’t hurt to drop them a line thanking them for their work on Sound Transit and encouraging them to vote YES.
Ron Sims has staked a very public position in opposition to light rail to anywhere but Northgate, so I suspect he’s beyond persuasion at this point. If you like tilting at windmills, though, go for it.
The interesting figure from King County is Pete von Reichbauer, who represents parts of Algona, Auburn, Federal Way, Pacific, Kent and Milton. He seems to be on the fence, pulled in different directions. Federal Way is gung-ho about transit oriented development and therefore rail, but he seems hesitant to pull the trigger. Let’s show him that his interests lie in serving constituents that want a YES vote.
In Pierce County, there’s a solid YES block of Thomas, Anderson, and Enslow. All three are very active in meetings, asking good questions and clearly dedicated in bringing us light rail ASAP. County Executive John Ladenburg, however, is wavering; he’s running for state Attorney General, and as with any electioneering politician, is very conscious of how the wind is blowing statewide. Fortunately, that means he’s somewhat susceptible to pleas from any citizen in the state.
Snohomish County is the most challenging terrain. In spite of the staff’s move to a 15-year plan to placate Executive Reardon, he’s been decidedly noncommittal, and he’s made positive comments about governance reform in the past. Edmonds Councilwoman Deanna Dawson, who owes her position on the board to Reardon, seems to be following his lead. Just try to figure out how she’ll vote based on this KUOW interview (skip ahead to 10:00); bet you can’t! Lastly, there’s Everett Councilmember Paul Roberts, who’s traditionally been very skeptical of the Light Rail project and is likely to vote no.
The last vote on the board is WSDOT Secretary Paula Hammond, who Goldy thinks is going to vote NO. But that’s a whole ‘nother rant. Her boss is Governor Gregoire, who’s up for re-election, for what it’s worth.
If my guesses are correct, we’re at 11 pretty solid votes for light rail, when we need 12. There are four attainable votes out there, if the right people get a hold of them. If you’re a constituent of one of the swing votes, let them know what you think. With the current level of gas prices and Obama on the ballot, this is the best chance we may have in a generation to get a large rail plan that actually passes. That opens the gates for a follow-on project down the road to build what isn’t served this time around.
Or, we can mess around and argue about Northgate and Bellevue for a few more years.
Minds are being made up as we speak. Act now.
Comments with nasty, personal comments about politicians will be deleted as soon as I see them.
12 commentsIf this plan won’t pass, none will
The new 15-year plan looks great, and I agree with the Tacoma News Tribune editorial that says if the plan is right, the year it goes to the ballot won’twon’t matter. But I’ll take the News Tribune one step further: if this plan won’t pass, none will. Getting Light Rail to Federal Way, Overlake and Lynnwood were musts, and the plan has those, plus my pet project, the First Hill streetcar. It has a few more Sounder runs, and promises a 100% increase in ridership over doing nothing. This in only 15 years, what else could pass?
I do disagree with the New Tribune on this bit:
For cities on the periphery of the transit system – especially Lakewood, Tacoma and Everett – the flaw in any of these plans is the iffyness of that third round.
Some Seattleites have been losing interest in building the light rail system beyond Sea-Tac and Northgate. Erstwhile light rail supporters with 206 area codes have been concluding that express buses – which get stuck in the traffic that trains bypass – are good enough for people with 253 and 360 area codes.
Who on earth has been saying that? I guess the Stranger was going on about “sprawl-inducing” light rail, which I still say is total madness, but I don’t think anyone outside of those Capitol Hillbillies believe that the 253 or 360 don’t deserve light rail. Most Seattlites responses would be either “who cares” or “that’d be great”. I can’t imagine anyone saying “Tacoma doesn’t deserve light rail”.
Anyway, with sub-area equity, it’s all part of the bargain. If Seattlites are ever going to get Ballard or West Seattle light-rail, projects most everyone most everyone in the City wants, they are going to have to get light rail to Tacoma and beyond, to Mill Creek and beyond, and to Redmond and Beyond. So there’s no worry of Seattlites plotting against the suburbanites.
54 commentsRATP T3 Tram
Fremont Historical Society streetcar tour
From Heather McAuliffe of the Fremont Historical Society:
1 commentsFremont Historical Society
Streetcar History TourWhen: Thursday July 31 at 7 p.m.
Where: N. 34th/Phinney Ave N. (outside)
Cost: FreeHeather McAuliffe and Erik Pihl from the Fremont Historical Society will lead their third annual guided walking tour of one of the former streetcar lines through Fremont. John Cox, a driver for Sound Transit, will show and explain historical streetcar artifacts at the beginning of the tour – not to miss! The tour starts at the former Fremont Car Barn (34th/Phinney) and lasts about 1 1/2 hours. Event is free.
For more information, please contact the Fremont Historical Society at fremonthistory@comcast.net.
Pavillon de l’Arsenal
This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.
Yesterday I spent most of the day at Pavillon de l’Arsenal which was very nice and has a great website ( www.pavillon-arsenal.com/home.php ). It is similar to the SLU discovery center but focus on history, urban redevelopment, and architecture. It includes a very nice timeline exhibit showing how Paris developed since it was founded. The exhibit included lots of old pictures as well as videos about project as well as interviews. It also included a very large scale model of Paris which you can see above.
The areas in yellow are areas where the government is focusing redevelopment efforts. They are mostly on the edge of the city and are located in areas that were previously industrial. The areas in purple are areas that are experiencing change. Combined these areas cover roughly 10 percent of Paris. As any good urban redevelopment project this effort includes the construction of a new tram line along the lime green line (tram line 3 www.ratp.info/orienter/plan_metro_pdf.php) which connects to many of the subway lines.
On a side note there are several things that I want to write about when I get back. They are:
-How bicycle design affect the riding experience
Yesterday I spent most of the day at Pavillon de l’Arsenal which was very nice and has a great website ( www.pavillon-arsenal.com/home.php ). It is similar to the SLU discovery center but focus on history, urban redevelopment, and architecture. It includes a very nice timeline exhibit showing how Paris developed since it was founded. The exhibit included lots of old pictures as well as videos about project as well as interviews. It also included a very large scale model of Paris which you can see above.
The areas in yellow are areas where the government is focusing redevelopment efforts. They are mostly on the edge of the city and are located in areas that were previously industrial. The areas in purple are areas that are experiencing change. Combined these areas cover roughly 10 percent of Paris. As any good urban redevelopment project this effort includes the construction of a new tram line along the lime green line (tram line 3 www.ratp.info/orienter/plan_metro_pdf.php) which connects to many of the subway lines.
On a side note there are several things that I want to write about when I get back. They are:
-How bicycle design affect the riding experience
-How best to mark bicycle lanes and the difference in bike lane design between the US and Europe
-How to improve the capacity and experience on buses and trains with flexible seating designs
-How to improve the capacity and experience on buses and trains with flexible seating designs
Key Detail Missing
The P-I today has one tidbit about the plan that the Times didn’t:
Snohomish County’s board question the plan’s call to use Snohomish County money to finance the segment as far south as 145th Street in King County.
Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said his county is willing to finance a rail segment as far into King County as 185th Street, as was agreed for last year’s ballot proposal. He said his county is reluctant to support a package that extends its tax obligation farther south than that, preferring to spend that money on expanded Everett-to-Seattle bus service.
That sounds really generous of Reardon, except that 185th Street is the last stop in King County. Reardon is offering to fund any part of the line that couldn’t conceivably be used by a southbound King County resident. Awful big of him.
I can sympathize with his position to some extent, but the P-I’s framing of this really ought to include that very important fact.
23 commentsThe 15 Year Plan That Will Knock Your Socks Off
As Martin scooped, Sound Transit has announced their 15 year plan. I’ll let the map and dates speak for themselves:
That’s Link to Bellevue, Highline and Northgate four years after U Link, Microsoft a year later, Federal Way and Lynnwood two years after that. This package also includes more and longer Sounder South trains, bus investments for 545 service to coincide with the new 520 bridge, and the First Hill streetcar.
ST Express hours would be increased 12%, and East Link exactly duplicates the 550, so those hours can go to other routes (which adds several percent, effectively, to that 12%).
Jackpot, folks. This is what we’ve been waiting for. Now we have to get it on the ballot.
52 commentsBus Chick on the Bus
I see that the P-I’s own transit blogger, “Bus Chick” (a.k.a. Carla Saulter) is now gracing the side of selected metro buses. I noticed it on the 42 this morning, but didn’t have a camera handy. Luckily Flickr pool superstar Oranviri had my back:
Those of you have been to our meetups will agree that it’s far better that Metro go with Carla’s face than any of the STB guys. :-)
6 commentsSound Transit Details Out
Erica C. Barnett breaks the story — first to a somewhat detailed draft of the plan that will be voted on July 24.
It’s a little smaller and a little faster than Sound Transit 2. In bad news for Seattle, it looks like Northgate slides from 2018 to 2020. The overall cost – $10.4 billion in 2007 dollars – is about the same as ST2.
I won’t steal the rest of her thunder, so go read her reporting. I will concede, however, that if this measure goes to the ballot and passes (big ‘if’s), this plan is good enough to have made the defeat of Proposition 1 and 1-year delay worth it, making me wrong, wrong, wrong.
There should be slides, and so on, at the Finance Committee meeting on July 17.
11 comments