Slog - Comments on RapidRide Under Fire? http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire Last week, the Daily Journal of Commerce reported that King County Metro's proposed RapidRide bus routes--the five "bus rapid transit" routes approved as part of 2006's Transit Now taxing measure--may not materialize. By 2010, when RapidRide buses are supposed to start running, the county will need another $60 million a year to run its transit division, "and county officials do not know now where that additional money will come from." The DJC's story isn't quite accurate--the reporter apparently based her statements on some very general remarks about service cuts made by Metro general manager Kevin Desmond at a briefing more... Copyright 2008 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:45:33 -0800 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:24:48 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Will in Seattle Too bad we don't have an income tax for the ultra-rich.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183781 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183781 City Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:48:06 -0800 Comment by Lionel Hutz Funny. In Oregon, where local governments are also in financial trouble, elected officials there are bemoaning, as they call it, "the lack of a stable funding source like the sales tax." Me thinks the grass is always greener on the other side.

]]> Lionel Hutz http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183803 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183803 City Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:08:42 -0800 Comment by gry mklsk Fuckin A I may have to Rapid Fire Ride on back to Seattle Last year I was interviewed by the Mercer County Newspaper They sent a reporter to Ratapalooza And I was quoted as saying It's weird that there isn't a better turnout Rats and mice have a lot to teach

And get a T-Shirt if you go the design last year was RAD oops RAT

Wassup Fnarf er Thorntorn

]]> gry mklsk http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183808 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183808 City Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:12:50 -0800 Comment by Lionel Hutz Oh, and another thing. How is Surface-Transit as a replacement for the Viaduct supposed to work with less transit than we have today? I thought the sales pitch was MORE transit to get people out of their cars, not LESS transit because we can't afford it.

]]> Lionel Hutz http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183817 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183817 City Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:15:18 -0800 Comment by Ben Schiendelman Lionel, the 'surface/transit' option (it's not 'surface transit', it's surface and transit) would include state funding for transit.

]]> Ben Schiendelman http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183878 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183878 City Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:03:00 -0800 Comment by Lionel Hutz @5 - Right. So even if the state agrees to pay for transit over and above the level that qualifies as "construction mitigation" - which is the only transit service that state gas tax revenues are allowed to pay for without a constitutional amendment - if Metro can't afford to operate it's base level of service, how effective do you think a smattering of state funds toward transit will be? And of course the state's financial picture isn't any rosier than the county's. The last I checked, gas tax revenues were well below what the state had anticipated.

Hey, I'd like surface and transit to work, too - but I'm pretty realistic about what it takes in new investments to make it work. Are you?

]]> Lionel Hutz http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183906 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1183906 City Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:20:16 -0800 Comment by ivan @5, @6:

It won't work, because there wouldn't be enough "surface" to accommodate all the "transit."

Replacing the Viaduct with a new elevated highway will replace the surface we have now, and *will* work.

]]> ivan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1184139 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/rapidride_under_fire#c1184139 City Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:24:48 -0800