Samples of Letters We've Sent

Letter to Seattle and King County Councils

June 21, 2002

I urge you to vote against turning over the bus tunnel to Sound Transit.

If you will set aside any previous bias in favor of ST's participation and look at the following FACTS, you must conclude that such action with ST is, at a minimum, premature. Please consider this:

1. The ST Link LR 14 mile proposal may or may not get federal funding. Why turn over the tunnel before construction is a certainty?
2. According to ST's own documents, the net effect in the year 2020, will be only 400 fewer cars traveling in downtown Seattle, compared to keeping a bus-only tunnel. (Final EI Stmt. Add., 11/01, pg. 13.)
3. ST says it will cost $68M for this 400 car gain.
4. Disruption of service during construction (and later) is no small matter! The people who rely on buses will experience great disadvantages.
5. The reason for considering joint use of the tunnel is to accomodate surfact light rail (SLR). SLR has never been measured against Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or monorail. SLR was not even a part of the Regional Transit System.
6. Jennifer Dorn, the Federal Transit Agency director has it right! She said: "Combining exclusive transit-ways, modern stations, high-tech vehicles and frequent service, BRT provides (at a fraction of the cost) the high level of service that people want and expect from more expensive transit systems."

PLEASE vote to use our money wisely! That will NOT include authorization to modify a tunnel that works well as-is. Especially, for a trolley system that may never be built! At the least, DO NOT do this now!

Dick Fike
Seattle