Samples of Letters We've Sent

Letter to Sen. Patty Murray

September 8, 2002

Honorable Senator Murray,

I am disturbed with your support of a transit system that is unsafe, slow, goes nowhere, is inconvenient, damaging to businesses as well as residents and traffic wherever it goes. This 17th century system is the most expensive debacle and least cost effective mode of transportation imaginable. Government studies show that even the commuter bicycle is more convenient and faster. We would be much further ahead almost immediately by installing an elevated bicycle system free of crossing accidents.

MIT Professor Joseph Sassman's paper on 21 transportation transitions (from old to the new) has much food for thought. My personal favorite is the one that covers designing systems that are accident free instead of simply made less dangerous. The bicycle system may be a "tongue-in-cheek" example, but it is absolutely accident free. New century technology can provide immense improvements in transportation systems. Please help stop the waste of funds on failed systems.

We must start thinking of the transit user as a "customer" rather than a "rider" or "the other guy" that has to use what we provide. A customer wants to go from point "A" to point "B" directly without stopping. Think about it, there are many systems that can do this, some at unbelievable low cost and efficiency (less pollution).

I plead with you to help stop putting federal funds into so-called light rail or other "non-customer" oriented systems.

Sincerely,

John Kropf, Seattle