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.

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Sierra Club and allies pushing for ST2 to be on 2008 ballot

Sierra Club, other groups push for transit plan vote
Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - by Deirdre Gregg

A coalition of environmental and labor groups, including the Sierra Club, wants to see a Sound Transit plan on the ballot this year -- as long as the plan meets certain conditions.

In a press conference slated for Earth Day, April 22, the ad hoc coalition will issue "a strong call to the Sound Transit board saying 'go to the ballot in 2008,'" said Shefali Ranganathan, director of education and outreach at the Transportation Choices Coalition, one of the members of the broader coalition.

The Sound Transit plan would likely expand existing light rail in Seattle and other locations.

Sound Transit's board has not yet decided whether to put the plan on the ballot in 2008 or at some point in the future. The board will likely decide the timing of a ballot measure at its next meeting on April 24. If it does choose a 2008 measure, Sound Transit would have until July to develop a plan.

The Sierra Club's inclusion in the coalition is notable. Last year, the organization broke with the mainstream environmental movement to oppose Prop. 1, a massive roads and transit ballot measure that failed with voters in November 2007. At that time, the group took issue with the roads component, saying it would outweigh the environmental benefits of increased public transit.

The Sierra Club and other groups are not making an official endorsement at this point, and will not make a decision on whether to do so until they see what the Sound Transit board comes up with.

The coalition of environmental groups wants to see a Sound Transit plan that does three things: reduces total greenhouse-gas emissions; offers a range of options for commuters to access stations, rather than commuting to park-and-rides; and eventually allows light rail across State Route 520 linking Seattle and the Eastside.

In addition to the Sierra Club, the coalition includes the Transportation Choices Coalition, Cascade Bicycle Club, Tahoma Audubon, Roosevelt Neighborhood Association, Futurewise, Amalgamated Transit Union 587, Environment Washington, Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Tacoma Streetcar, Fuse and WashPIRG.

at 4/22/2008 10:51:00 AM
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