Winning Back Key Coalition Members for Sound Transit v 2'1

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Winning Back Key Coalition Members forSound
Transit v 2.1
Transit Initiatives Communities Conference
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Sound Transit Today
Sound Transit Today

• Regional high capacity transit provider for three
  county Central Puget Sound region
• ST Regional Express
• 19 express bus routes
• Link Light Rail
• 16 miles opening this year
• Sounder Commuter Rail
• 73.5 miles in operation

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Sound Transit Prop 1Puget Sound Region voters
approve 18 billion mass transit expansion Nov.
2008
36 miles new light rail 55-mile system 17
increase in regional bus service 65 more
Sounder commuter rail First Hill Streetcar,
Tacoma Link Improved access, parking
Flexible funding for future park rides
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Sound Transit Today
Chronology the good, the bad the ugly

• 2005 Sound Transit updates Long Range Plan
• 2006 - Legislature pre-empts ST2 from ballot,
  weds Regional Freeways Regional Transit in
  Shotgun Marriage
• 2007 20 year / 47b Roads Transit package
  sent to the voters

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Sound Transit Today
2007 Roads Transit Measure Fails 56-44

• Post-election survey package too big, too
  costly, too complex.
• Off-year election meant older, anti-tax voters
  top of ballot meant high visibility
• Campaign spent 5 million, but never identified
  its base
• Message was mixed balanced, comprehensive
• Sierra Club / Cascade Bicycle Club opposition
• back to the drawing board

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Sound Transit Today
Obstacles to 2008 transit-only ballot

• Fall-out from 07 ballot obituaries written in
  early 08
• Business supporters bruised and tired
• Break-up of Roads Transit coalition
• Bad economic indicators rolling in on cable news
• Opponents emboldened
• Smaller ST2 plan would mean less regional
  coverage
• Continued concern about priorities crumbling
  roads, bridges
• Legislative opposition to transit-only package
• Remaining skepticism within Green coalition

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Enviros understood benefits of LRT

• Fast, reliable service
• Dedicated right-of-way
• Enhances bus service
• Connects housing job centers
• Supports walking, cycling
• Promotes density in urban areas
• Operates on carbon neutral source

Brian Bundridge photo
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but requested GHG reduction analysis
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Sustainability analysis results of ST2 Plan

• Reduces GHG emissions by 100,000-180,000 metric
  tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to
• 48,000 fewer tons of landfill waste
• 1,900 fully loaded gasoline tanker trucks
• 12,300 single family homes going 100 green
• 1,000 acres of forest land preserved
• Catalyst for others to substantially improve
  reduction of VMT and GHG emissions (Litman work)

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Cycling Activists also understood the benefits of
transit
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but they werent happy with park ride
expansions included in the ST2 plan
So, flexible station access language was added
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Responding to public demand, board forwards ST2
to voters, July 2008

• Public comments supported 08 (lets do
  something)
• Sierra Club leads charge
• Base energized
• Emergence of transit bloggers
• Gas prices 4/gallon
• Smaller price tag
• 18 billion / 15 year plan
• Ongoing traffic congestion
• Existing services nearing capacity

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One benefit from delay phase 1 progress
Tukwila along SR 518
Rainier Valley
Beacon Hill
SeaTac
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Voters Pass Sound Transit 2 Plan, 57-43
Keys to success

• Public included in every step of shaping v 2.1
• Critics of previous plan consulted early on
• Coalition remained strong
• Board chair determined to get plan on the 08
  ballot
• Down ballot placement
• Simple campaign message (Mass Transit Now!)
• Low budget campaign focused on the base
• Critics overconfident

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Thank You!
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Light rail opens for service July 18th!Travel
Light

• Downtown Seattle to Tukwila in July
• Service to SeaTac
  
  Airport in December
• 16 miles
• 13 stations
• 45,000 daily riders
• by 2020

Testing in Rainier Valley
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Central Link light rail alignment
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Percent of population and employment within a
½-mile walk, 2.5 mile drive, or one bus ride of a
rail station.
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Continued Progress On University Link
Breaking ground on University Link
813 million federal grant
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Sounder Commuter Rail station improvements

• Permanent Sounder stations Edmonds Tukwila
• Station access improvements Auburn, Kent,
  Lakewood, Mukilteo, Puyallup, South Tacoma,
  Sumner Tacoma
• Tacoma track structure upgrades to support
  service expansions
• Provisional stations at Broad Street Ballard,
  subject to additional funds

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Light rail timeline
July 2009 Downtown Seattle to Tukwila Dec.
2009 Tukwila to SeaTac Airport 2016 Downtown
Seattle to UW 2020 UW to Northgate, Seattle
to Bellevue SeaTac to Highline
C.C. 2021 Bellevue to Overlake
T.C. 2023 Northgate to Lynnwood, Highline to
Redondo/Star Lake