The phrase,'Unsound Transit', was coined by the Wall Street Journal to describe Seattle where,"Light Rail Madness eats billions that could otherwise be devoted to truly efficient transportation technologies." The Puget Sound's traffic congestion is a growing cancer on the region's prosperity. This website, captures news and expert opinion about ways to address the crisis. This is not a blog, but a knowledge base, which collects the best articles and presents them in a searchable format. My goal is to arm residents with knowledge so they can champion fact-based, rather than emotional, solutions.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Sound Transit skinnying down its thinking for next ballot

Sound Transit shortens its light-rail ambitions

By Mike Lindblom

Seattle Times transportation reporter

Sound Transit's next ballot measure could offer less light rail, more commuter trains and more buses than Proposition 1, the Roads & Transit measure voters rejected in November.

Transit officials have not decided on a plan, or whether it would go to voters this year, or in 2010. But the latest concept, released Thursday by the transit agency, includes:

• Light-rail extensions by 2020 to reach Northgate and Kent-Des Moines Road — shorter than the Proposition 1 goals of reaching north Lynnwood and downtown Tacoma. But an east line would still stretch from Seattle to Overlake.

• An Everett streetcar.

• Extensions of downtown Tacoma light rail, west to Tacoma Community College.

• Bus rapid transit between Snohomish County and a Northgate freeway station. From there, morning commuters could stay on the bus to downtown Seattle. Or they could walk on a pedestrian bridge across Interstate 5, to meet light-rail trains bound for the University of Washington and Capitol Hill.

• Possible short diesel trains on the Eastside, from Woodinville to north Renton.

• A boost in Sounder service south of Seattle, from the currently funded nine weekday round trips to a total 15 round trips.

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