Politics Transit + Roads = Neighborhood Backlash
posted by on December 8 at 11:20 AM
So, I’ve been obsessed lately with the fact that RTID’s $7.4 billion (and about to climb) roads expansion ballot initiative and Sound Transit’s $9.5 billion transit expansion ballot initiative are linked —and may even be linked further if the legislature decides to turn them into one ballot initiative.
My complaint is that transit advocates are being blackmailed into supporting massive roads expansion. RTID roads expansion (much less popular than ST and light rail expansion) is counting on progressive, transit-supporting Seattle voters to carry the day for roads.
Well, here’s the potential Achilles’ heel for that theory: Seattle NIMBYism trumps Seattle progressive values everytime and, unfortunately, a central piece of RTID is the 520 rebuild. The city’s current preferred option is the $3.34 to $5.43 billion Pacific Interchange option—which has several neighborhood organizations including: Madison Park, the U-District, Eastlake, Laurelhurst, Broadmoor, and Ravenna-Bryant pissed about lacking mitigation. These neighbors are active Seattle voters and may very well rise up against RTID—killing light rail in the process.
This is great! 'Obsessed' 'Blackmailed''Pissed' 'Killing' - it must be Wm Stephen Humphrey posting as Josh. Two thumbs up!
It doesn't matter if they're linked or not linked, I won't be voting for RTID, but I will vote for the ST expansion for transit.
The problem here, Josh, is that if you ask a hundred people what a "progressive" is or what "progressive values" are, you would get a hundred different answers.
The thought then, that you could decide what "progressive values" are, much less that you might somehow be an arbiter of them, is absurd.
Anybody who thinks that battling to keep your neighborhood from being paved over by a freeway is somehow less than "progressive" is simply not living in the real world.
Okay, Ivan.
I think combining the two will kill it, no matter what. You say that tying the two blackmails transit supporters into supporting more roads. Couldn't the opposite also be true? That road supporters will be blackmailed into supporting transit?
Ballot initiatives are generally an uphill battle. If you tie the two (either separate-but-linked initiatives or by one big initiative), then voters who are anti transit will vote no, and voters who are anti car will vote no. These 'no's will far outnumber the 'yes's who vote for the compromise. Compromises and deals like this are made all the time by elected officials, but almost never by the public on a ballot initiative.
Plus, wouldn't combining them violate the whole rule about not having more than one issue on a ballot initiative? Isn't that why half of Timmy's ballot initiatives end up being tossed out in court?
If it weren't for typical Seattle NIMBYism, we could of had a nice, renovated Husky Stadium for both the UW and the Seahawks. Instead we've already spent $300 million for Qwest Field and now the UW wants $200 million for a renovation. Real smart.
The 520 rebuild is not a case of "if you build it, they will come". It's more of "they're coming no matter what". At least with a sensible rebulid, we can include capacity and transit in the mix. It won't happen, of course.
Maybe all those neighborhood groups are looking to get their own freeway like Mercer Island.
SDA,
The same could be said (and I said as much in my column this week). However, RTID needs light rail voters much more than light rail needs RTID voters. In other words: If they weren't linked, I bet light rail would pass and RTID—not so much.
KB, stop your hatin.
But RTID can go jump in the lake.
Why are either of these going to be ballot measures?
Maybe I'm missing some asnine bit of Washington State constitutional law, but isn't it the job of the legislature to decide things like this? Why is the buck being passed back to the public?
Given most of these politicians are in seats-for-life, isn't it about time they take the political risk and just decide!
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