Building a Better Bellevue has posted a study titled: “Inconvenient Truths That Prove the Feasibility of B7R for East Link”, which argues that the B7 alignment for Sound Transit’s East Link light rail in Bellevue is:

• cost-effective,
• has similar or better ridership,
• would have less traffic impacts during construction,
• and would reduce some impacts to the community.

See the post at Building a Better Bellevue’s site (click here).

News organizations have been reporting that Sound Transit has a $3.9 Billion deficit from ST’s original budget projections due to the ongoing economic downturn.

Sound Transit admits it is altering its alignment choices due to this deficit, and is making statements that appear to be indicating that it is uninterested in lessening adverse impacts to Bellevue’s Downtown business district- essentially making the case that they don’t want to pay for a tunnel in the Downtown.

In addition to that, Sound Transit wants to run the alignment for ST2  through some of Bellevue’s founding neighborhoods, Enatai, Bellecrest, Bellefield and Surrey Downs, as well as the new Downtown neighborhoods (condos, apts), impacting thousands of people with adverse noise impacts and other blight, because they think that is the cheapest option.

Meanwhile, pedestrians continue to be hit by trains (click here) on the at-grade alignment in the Rainier Valley, and numerous car vs. train collisions have occured (click here, and here), because the choice of an at-grade alignment was thought to be cheaper.

It’s a miracle there have not been numerous  deaths yet.

But nowhere has it been stated yet by Sound Transit or the news organizations discussing these altered budgets that the downturn in the economy will necessitate a reduction in staff at Sound Transit.

If Sound Transit is intent on cutting all of the mitigation that they once purported to be possible on the East Link (ST2) project, and the scope of the projects are being altered (click here, here, and here), can staff reductions be far behind?

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Sound Transit cuts light rail expansion plans Puget Sound Business Journal Officials at Sound Transit said Thursday they don't have the money now to expand light rail to Federal Way — a plan voters approved two years ago. ... and more »

According to the Hampton Roads blog (click here), support for the light rail system in Virginia Beach is eroding:

“Cost overruns and delays to build Norfolk’s light-rail system are threatening this city’s proposed project, giving ammunition to skeptics, putting proponents on the defensive and eroding support from those in the middle.”

“If there was a vote today, it wouldn’t pass,” Virginia Beach Vice Mayor Louis Jones said. He said the council’s support for light rail is “softening.”

“Norfolk’s troubles come at a critical time in the Beach’s light-rail aspirations. The city is working to close a $40 million deal for a railroad right of way identified for light rail, though state and federal money has yet to come through. Beach leaders have bought land for a train station at Town Center. And much of the city’s future growth planning revolves around extending Norfolk’s line from Newtown Road to the Oceanfront.

A light-rail feasibility study is under way. The City Council has not voted on the project.”

…”Moss said that given Norfolk’s experience, it will be hard to trust cost estimates that will come from the HRT study that is under way.

The projected price of the Norfolk line has soared from $232 million to about $340 million, a 47 percent increase that angry officials said they weren’t told about.

“Whenever they give you a number, what faith will you have in that number?” Moss said. “Very little, I think.”

A state panel has finally selected a preferred option on replacing the floating 520 bridge. The panel voted 10 to 2 in favor of replacing the existing bridge from Interstate 5 to Medina with a new six-lane bridge, which would include one HOV lane in each direction. It would feature a new Montlake interchange, similar to the current interchange, with a new bascule bridge across the cut. It also would add some improvement to transit connections, as well as a reversible HOV lane connecting to Interstate 5. The cost will be about $4.6 billion but it will not increase ...

ST2, as approved by the taxpayers, is supposed to extend an ST2 alignment to particular locations in a particular timeline with particular mitigation for negative impacts to properties (noise, vibration, visual blight, environmental, historical, parks, sliver takings, condemnations) accomodated for by law and policy.

$3.1 Billion is a lot to make up for- want to bet:

1. Sound Transit’s ST2  alignment doesn’t go as far as it might have or serve  as many people as ST’s original projections,

2. Sound Transit’s ST2 timeline  won’t be on time,

3. Sound Transit’s dramatically reduced budget  for ST2 will overwhelmingly cut out mitigation to communities it negatively impacts.

The question is: will Sound Transit start cutting staff to match the $3.1 Billion deficit in revenue projections, like most governmental bodies, businesses, and families have in this economy?

Light rail plans take a hit in Phoenix Crosscut The contractors, sub-contractors, and elected officials hereabouts who truly love Sound Transit light rail will be disappointed to learn that ... and more »

CH2M Hill may get $33M for East Link engineering Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (subscription), WA By JOURNAL STAFF The Sound Transit board plans to vote Thursday on a $33 million contract amendment for CH2M Hill to do preliminary engineering and prepare the final environmental impact statement for East Link, the 18-mile light-rail extension between ...

Riders of Washington, DC’s Metrobus system are much more likely to be low-income minorities than users of the Metrorail system, according to a 2007 survey. The median income for Metrorail riders is $102,100, while the median income for bus riders is only two-thirds as much at $69,600; more than half of bus riders are minorities [...]