2017 Primary Voters' Guide

Coming Soon
Bill Hirt

Education: BS and MS Engineering Iowa State University

Occupation: Retired after 36 years at Boeing

Statement: My candidacy's an attempt to attract attention to my blog http://stopeastlinknow.blogspot.com detailing County Executive Constantine's Sound Transit "Prop 1 and Beyond" light rail debacle. I have no expectation or desire to win and will not seek nor accept any financial support.

Sound Transit violated the RCW when they refused to consider lower cost alternatives to their light rail "spine" along I-5 corridor and across I-90 Bridge. They could have eased congestion years ago attracting thousands more transit riders adding parking with access to BRT routes along limited access lanes on both corridors. A hundred such routes could have added 10,000 riders a day.

Sound Transit could spend ST3 funds expediting light rail extensions to Ballard and West Seattle as a "reward" for their 70% support. Instead they'll spend it on a "spine" routed through the DSTT; limiting capacity to the point the vast majority of the $54 billion will be spent on Central Link extensions that'll do absolutely nothing to ease congestion on I-5. On I-90 they'll spend $3.6B for East Link's one 4-car train every 8 minutes. Even ST claims, at best, it will "reduce" daily bridge traffic from 160,000 to 159,500 vehicles.

By comparison they could've added outer roadway lanes for non-transit HOV and BRT on center roadway years ago. The 100 bus routes there could've also replaced 10,000 vehicles, reducing congestion not only on the bridge, but along the entire I-90 corridor. Money spent on East Link could've provided thousands of additional P&R stalls. Instead ST will permanently close the bridge center roadway this summer without ever demonstrating outer roadways can accommodate current vehicle traffic let alone future growth; inevitably resulting in gridlock.

While my candidacy "likely" won't stop ST plans, it'll tell what to expect and that it didn't have to happen.

Contact:
(425) 747-4185