If you ride the bus, or like others doing so instead of driving, vote no on I-985:
1. “Traffic” doesn’t evaporate after 6 p.m. and 9 a.m., yet extra vehicles will be sliding into HOV lanes on interstates, transit lanes through downtown Seattle (2nd/3rd/4th), the U-district, Highway 99 and on and off-ramps, slowing down transit commuters, causing more people to return to driving their cars while raising transits’ cost to provide the same service, likely resulting in transit service cuts to maintain the same cost.
2. All HOV lanes at 2-plus will likely close Highway 520’s westbound approach for safety, displacing buses into general lanes there.
3. Funds from this initiative come from the general fund, meaning cuts elsewhere.
4. These funds emanate from legislative appropriation, no guarantee of being returned equitably.
5. Red light cameras will be removed once contractually possible, as this initiative sends the gross, not net, revenues, to the state, and city taxpayers will eat administrative costs in the interim via cuts elsewhere.
6. Full funding of traffic light synchronization isn’t required – there are ongoing State Auditor costs to monitor this process, and leftover funds are limited to expanding road capacity and general purpose use, specifically excluding park and ride lots, ferries, other transit, bike paths or lanes, wildlife crossings, landscaping (some envision adding four lanes to I-5 through Seattle!)
7. Toll revenues cannot be used for “debt service, planning, administration, construction, maintenance, operation, repair, rebuilding, enforcement, expanding high-occupancy toll lanes, increasing transit, vanpool, carpool, and trip reduction services.”
8. Regional federal transit funding could decrease by $20 million over five years since midday HOV service could be dropped from federal funding formula calculations.
9. I-985’s requirements would start Dec. 4, but it’s estimated will take two legislative sessions to effect its provisions.
Brian Doennebrink
Shoreline
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