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Monday, March 3, 2008

Tell Sound Transit What You Think

posted by on March 3 at 10:50 AM

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Puget Sound residents have until March 9 to fill out an online survey and give their opinions on the future of Sound Transit.

According to the site: “The survey will help Sound Transit decide how best to tackle increasingly poor commuting conditions with the right expansions of regional light rail, commuter rail and express bus service and infrastructure.”

The information will be used to determine what transit-expansion plan has the most support. The results of the survey will be presented to the Sound Transit Board in mid-March.

RSS icon Comments

1

Please take the time to fill this out. More input = better transit system.

Posted by Cale | March 3, 2008 10:57 AM
2

It's an interesting survey, and you can comment on whatever you want as well at the end.

Posted by Andrew | March 3, 2008 10:57 AM
3

I'll tell 'em here what I think - just get the trains up and running first before asking for any more money.

The ST taxes are regressive, and we're in a recession. None of the demand numbers ST used for Prop. 1 are valid, because tens of thousands less jobs will be created here over the next couple of decades because of the loss of the Boeing tanker deal.

ST needs to wait. Everyone still has a bad taste in their mouths over the last tax grab attempt. Once those light rail trains are up and running though, it'll be a different story.

Posted by portnoy | March 3, 2008 10:57 AM
4

That is the worst survey I've ever taken. They should have a survey about that survey, so I can express my disappointment.

Posted by Scott | March 3, 2008 11:01 AM
5

My survey question:

How many Sound Transit board members and staffers use public transit?

I used to work in the building adjacent to ST's offices, and you could tell there was a board meeting, the parking garage was chock full.

ST's dicking around with Metro's routes and stops converted me from a transit commuter to a motorist-commuter. NICE JOB GUYS!

Posted by Karlheinz Arschbomber | March 3, 2008 11:12 AM
6

You shouldn't be allowed on the bus if you shop at Ross.

Posted by Mr. Poe | March 3, 2008 11:16 AM
7

This survey made me VERY excited. I didn't see any reference to light rail being built north of Northgate and very little emphasis on light rail south of the airport.

Light rail is NOT a 2nd version of commuter rail. We already have commuter rail and buses connecting the suburbs. Please tell Sound Transit you:

1) Do NOT support park-and-ride lots at light rail stations in the middle of nowhere. The rejected ST2 package put 250-500 space parking lots at nearly every light rail station. See this picture for an example of the old planned ST2-style light rail stations that we DO NOT need:

http://www.metrocouncil.org/Directions/development/dev2006/growthSep06A.htm

2) Want more INTRA-URBAN light rail within the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue. After we build light rail to Northgate and downtown Bellevue, we need urban light rail to Belltown, Queen Anne, Ballard, Greenwood, Greenlake, Wedgwood, the U District (more than one station), Capitol Hill (more than one station), Madison Valley, etc.

Let's vote on light rail to Northgate and downtown Bellevue in 2008. After that, the next vote will be for real urban light rail.

Posted by light rail advocate | March 3, 2008 11:30 AM
8

you shouldn't be allowed on the bus if you shop-lift at Ross.

Posted by michael strangeways | March 3, 2008 11:31 AM
9

The survey was badly designed.

However, no response from people in heavy transit using locations will be seen as tacit agreement to spend all the money on express bus service for the suburbs, and putting that on 520 and I-90 bridges instead of light rail and monorail.

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 3, 2008 11:31 AM
10

I'm concerned that surveys like these only attract transit nuts (like me) who want to build everything, and anti-transit cranks who don't really offer any constructive advice for a transit agency.

What we lose is the disinterested middle, and you end up with bloated ballot measures that scare the general public.

Posted by MHD | March 3, 2008 11:32 AM
11

Sigh. I work at MSFT and after submitting my poll answers, it said that I had already participated in the poll. I'll try again from home. I wonder if it's only allowing 1 person from MSFT to participate and thinks we're all the same person.

Nice design.

Posted by AmyB | March 3, 2008 12:04 PM
12

sound transit would be *insane* not to put something on novembers ballot. Assuming obama gets the nomination, assuming we have the same excitement and turnout in november as we did in the primary, and assuming people are still hyped up on Obama juice, I think you could put just about anything on the ballot and have it pass.

People will go "hell yes! Obama!", see "$5 million for perverted arts" or "$8 billion for light rail" below and go "sure, what the hell... obama is awesome!!" and check yes.

This November is a once in a lifetime opportunity for anybody trying to get any liberal cause passed by voters...

Posted by crk on bellevue ave | March 3, 2008 12:09 PM
13

Looks like the cranks are out in force today @3 and @5. I thought the cave dwelling, axe-grinding light rail haters didn't emerge from their caves this early on a Monday!

"The ST taxes are regressive, and we're in a recession."

What state are you writing from, portnoy? The housing bubble deflated a bit - thankfully; but, aside from that, there are no indicators WA or Puget Sound is in recession - or headed for recession. And what revenue source would be better, portnoy? Property taxes?

"just get the trains up and running first before asking for any more money."

Boy, that one is really getting old, portnoy. Delay, delay, delay. Then...complain about how long these projects take, and how much they cost....after years of delay. Seattle's anti-rail nuts IN A NUTSHELL!

"ST's dicking around with Metro's routes and stops converted me from a transit commuter to a motorist-commuter. NICE JOB GUYS!"

Yeah, it all comes down to you and your personal commute, Karlheinz Arschbomber. We get it: the entire universe revolves around you.

Fact is, ST took over some of Metro's most expensive routes, beefed 'em up, and allowed Metro to do what it does best: run local bus service. ST also bought a lot of comfortable, air conditioned buses to lure more suburban drivers out of their cars. And they started train service - filling trains up in 5 years. Which is why the TNT transit blogger reported Sound Transit's bus and commuter rail ridership is through the roof, with many routes seeing 20+% increases as compared to last year.

Posted by BlakeTheFlake | March 3, 2008 12:39 PM
14

So last time I filled out an online survey for Sound Transit, I encouraged them to go for the maximum sales tax increase to fund the largest possible expansion. And we know how well that went...

Posted by Greg | March 3, 2008 12:56 PM
15

@14 - those were taxes for roads, Greg.

Next time just do a ST vote by itself.

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 3, 2008 1:39 PM
16

What a useless poll - online.

Blake the Flake will use all his axe-grinding aliases to promote LR.

Why is it if people don't support the ST agenda they are sub human?

BTW isn't there a concern that state revenue will be down because of economic slowdown?

Posted by ouch | March 3, 2008 2:47 PM
17

No, there's a concern that gas tax and sales tax revenues will be down in the Sound Transit tax district.

Doesn't matter what happens in the state ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 3, 2008 3:45 PM
18

@15: No, the MVETs were for roads, the sales taxes were for Sound Transit. You were there, get it right.

Posted by Greg | March 3, 2008 4:05 PM
19

If it had just been an ST-only vote, instead of a combined RTID/ST2 vote, it would have passed.

Stop trying to redefine reality.

How are those highways working for you? I notice gas consumption has dropped ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 3, 2008 5:25 PM
20

God, you are such a fucking joke sometimes. Did you even read #18? No, you didn't; you were just basking in the warm glow of your own smug self-importance.

Posted by Greg | March 3, 2008 10:19 PM

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