“The Godfather,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Hangover.” There’s nothing like a good trilogy.
Here in the Puget Sound area, we are in the midst of our own epic journey with light rail: the Sound Transit saga. In Part 1, a low-budget dark comedy, downtown Seattle and SeaTac eventually hooked up after some cringe-worthy early shenanigans. Part 2 is the dramatic blockbuster that’s now playing out, extending light rail south to Federal Way, east to Bellevue, and — spoiler alert — north to Lynnwood over the next several years.
Now, Sound Transit wants to complete the trilogy with Part 3, coming to a ballot box near you next fall. Part 3 would be a sprawling 15- to 25-year adventure extending light rail to Everett and Tacoma. One of its more hotly debated points is whether to follow a cheaper route up I-5 to downtown Everett or meander west toward Paine Field and a certain aircraft manufacturer. The latter option would serve more riders, but cost an extra $2 billion, add years to the project and lengthen the eventual Everett-Seattle commute.
In our latest poll at HeraldNet.com, we asked whether you’d support the plan, which could cost about $200 per resident per year. The result was a pretty even split among four options. Thirty percent were a flat “yes”; 25 percent were a flat “no”; 25 percent said “only if it goes to Boeing”; and 20 percent said “only if it’s the cheaper option.”
Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson and the Snohomish County folks on the Sound Transit board say the cheaper option would be a horror show because it would bypass the state’s biggest job center.
Here’s an idea: If linking light rail to Boeing is crucial, what if the company chipped in to help build it?
Now that would make Sound Transit 3 a fantasy.
— Doug Parry, @parryracer
For our next poll, we want to know what you think about the din of online comments falling silent.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
