2045 Seattle Asks Mayor Nickels:
Where Were You?
to: Mayor Greg Nickels
cc: The Seattle City Council
Mayor Nickels,
Where were you?
On Friday, you said with great emotion that you have been “a strong supporter of building a modern monorail system”, that you “voted in favor of this project four times” and that it was “one of the most disappointing days” in your service as Mayor. So, when we gathered on Saturday with the board of the Seattle Monorail Project, we expected to see you there. Why weren’t you at the table making sure you will vote for the monorail a fifth time? Why weren’t you at the table making sure that this will not only be a project you will approve of and vote yes for, but will fight for every day between now and November? If you want to end the turf battles, you need to spend every day between now and Thursday working with the board so that when the new plan is presented to the public, it has your stamp of approval all over it.
We must admit that we were impressed by what we felt was your boldest move on Friday. You set a new standard for transit projects in the city of Seattle, that any viable transit project in Seattle must answer the following four questions.
- Can the project finish building what it starts?
- Is the project financially viable now and in the future?
- Is the estimated financing cost an acceptable price to pay?
- And does this protect the tax payers of Seattle from undue risk?
From this point on, the citizens of Seattle will hold you to this standard for every transportation project within city limits. From the Light Rail extension to the South Lake Union Trolley, we expect that each and every one of these questions will be answered appropriately and promptly and if they are not, that they will be held to the same standard and have their Transit Way Agreements revoked. Perhaps you should put advisory measures for each of these projects on the ballot so the public can have a say in the future of their city.
We have one final concern for you Mayor Nickels. As members of 2045 Seattle, we look at the city around us and wonder what legacy we will leave in forty years. The Seattle Monorail Project is the only transportation project that is actually adding capacity to our city. How many more years will we have to wait while you commission yet another study? While you are once again analyzing our transit problems, we are suffering through them every day. How many more children will suffer from asthma? How much more polluted will Elliott Bay get? How many more years will we spend stuck in traffic instead of home with our friends and families? And we can’t help but wonder, what do you drive and what sort of milage does it get?
What Seattle needs now is a leader who will fight for what over 63% of the people so clearly said they wanted less than a year ago, who will respect our votes and build this monorail before traffic gets any worse and certainly before our viaduct comes crashing down. We’ve talked and studied this to death. Independent analysis has already been done. Construction teams are ready to go. The need is now and it is great. As our mayor, we look forward to seeing you at the table working and fighting to build our monorail.
Sincerely,
Christian Gloddy
Founder
2045 Seattle
September 19th, 2005 at 8:39 am
that was a really nice post. i wouldn’t have been so nice to this “mayor”. obviously he’s being paid…by someone, or something to kill this project
September 19th, 2005 at 9:31 am
In regards to question number 2, “Is the project financially viable now and in the future?” Has anybody ever asked that question in regards to Sound Transit and its light rail project? Has anybody truly looked at the cost of not only to build a light rail line, but to operate and maintain it over, say, 50 years like what was asked of the SMP? If anyone did they may find that the light rail project will actually cost taxpayers around twice as much as monorail and will continue to cost them for the life of the system due to required subsidies for continued operation and maintenance. Unlike a monorail system which has far less expenses due to automation and the fact that it is the only mode of mass transit that has the potential to make a profit rather than be subsidized. Much like the current Seattle Monorail which paid for itself decades ago and has made a profit ever since. Isn’t that a more “financially viable” transit system both “now and in the future?” Perhaps more people should be asking these same questions to Mayor Greg Nickels and Ron Sims who both sit on the Sound Transit board as well as the other Sound Transit board members. Otherwise you WILL be looking at an entire region of light rail if Sound Transit gets it’s way!
September 20th, 2005 at 4:56 pm
It’s time to stop voting and start building.
No more wasting time and no underwater Viaduct tunnels that cost ten times what the monorail project will cost.
Will