Post by news intern Garrett McCulloch

Q: Streetcar lines can be built in a fraction of the time and cost of new light rail stations, and can be directly controlled by the city, unlike Metro or Sound Transit bus service. Will you be a leader in expanding Seattle's streetcar network?

O'Brien: "I like streetcars, as I like all investment in public transportation, because it gives people better alternatives and allows us to deciding our city for people, not just cars...Your point about the city controlling a streetcar line is a good one. ... Seattle's transit needs are underfunded and having some independent transit investment dollars would be a good thing. City control of transit, however, is not limited to streetcar technology." [Shorter O'Brien: Bring 'em on.]

Rosencrantz: "I am a big fan of building out our transit infrastructure, whether or not there are rails in the ground. I did not support the South Lake Union Trolley because I was concerned it would wind up diverting revenues away from other mass transit...As our City becomes denser, our transportation priorities must shift towards alternatives to the car. This will require comprehensive planning between all City departments as well as with County and State agencies. Whether or not a formal regional transportation authority exists elected officials must act as if it does." [Shorter Rosencrantz: Buses, buses, buses, buses.]

Q: What will you do to ensure there will be a high level of sustained funding for pedestrian improvements over the next decade...?

O'Brien: "The city must make sidewalks a real priority - not simply something to talk about at election time. I support maintaining the employee head tax, which provides about $4 million dollars a year that can go toward pedestrian improvements. My opponent supports repealing this tax, so I am not sure what his plan is to fund sidewalks." [Shorter O'Brien: Use our designated tax fund.]

Rosencrantz: One of my top three campaign priorities is returning power to neighborhoods. The example I use of how I would accomplish this is to have decisions regarding installation of parking meters in neighborhood business districts made by the neighborhoods themselves and not by City Hall. If the neighborhood business district takes parking meters, my plan would have the neighborhood keeping some portion of the revenue from those parking meters to allow them to shape their neighborhood identity consistent with their own vision, not something imposed by central planning. [Shorter Rosencrantz: Make NIMBY groups tax drivers.]

They'll be answering for almost another hour, so stop by and watch it unfold.