RTID Proposition One
I've been trying to keep my head down and out of politics lately, just too much on my plate. However, with the elections coming up (and having received my voter's pamphlet) I decided to try to make sense of the Big Issue of this election in Seattle: Sound Transit/RTID Proposition One. It's contentious.
Basically, it's a package deal. Funding for road expansion tied to funding for expanded transit, including extending light rail and adding express buses. Everyone hates it! The people who commute by car hate it because they see light rail as a rip-off that should be "stopped in its gold-plated tracks." Environmentalists hate it because it expands roads, which makes it "bad for the environment." Many people want to vote it down to "force" the legislature to present something else (and we've all seen how well that tactic has worked in relation to the Alaska Way Viaduct... damaged close to seven years ago and still it's all bickering and no plan).
Michael O'Neill at Carless in Seattle has been doing a great job of covering the RTID issue. He's also got some very interesting things to say on population density in relation to light rail (something I've been just becoming interested in because of the continuing development in and around the New Holly/Othello Station area). Seattle Transit Blog has been following the issue with passion and calling bullshit on some of the worst of the misleading numbers being thrown around by RTID opponents from both sides.
Geov Parrish over at Eat the State calls RTID Prop One The shotgun wedding of two different agencies' propositions in one ballot measure but also reminds us that perfect is the enemy of good. In that vein, I've decided to vote in favor of RTID Proposition One. Sorry Sierra Club, but imperfect commitment to transit now is better than additional years of wrangling in the hopes that we get more perfect commitment to transit later.
Basically, it's a package deal. Funding for road expansion tied to funding for expanded transit, including extending light rail and adding express buses. Everyone hates it! The people who commute by car hate it because they see light rail as a rip-off that should be "stopped in its gold-plated tracks." Environmentalists hate it because it expands roads, which makes it "bad for the environment." Many people want to vote it down to "force" the legislature to present something else (and we've all seen how well that tactic has worked in relation to the Alaska Way Viaduct... damaged close to seven years ago and still it's all bickering and no plan).
Michael O'Neill at Carless in Seattle has been doing a great job of covering the RTID issue. He's also got some very interesting things to say on population density in relation to light rail (something I've been just becoming interested in because of the continuing development in and around the New Holly/Othello Station area). Seattle Transit Blog has been following the issue with passion and calling bullshit on some of the worst of the misleading numbers being thrown around by RTID opponents from both sides.
Geov Parrish over at Eat the State calls RTID Prop One The shotgun wedding of two different agencies' propositions in one ballot measure but also reminds us that perfect is the enemy of good. In that vein, I've decided to vote in favor of RTID Proposition One. Sorry Sierra Club, but imperfect commitment to transit now is better than additional years of wrangling in the hopes that we get more perfect commitment to transit later.
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