In an article in the Seattle Times, reporter Will Mari quotes various contenders for the 41st district seats.
Read their views (links to their websites are provided) on Sound Transit’s Prop 1 (ST2) tax proposal for 2008, and other ideas on transportation improvements that would provide congestion relief for the eastside, such as bus rapid transit (BRT), and the future use of the BNSF rail corridor.
Here’s a few excerpts from the Times article:
“(Steve) Litzow, 46, a Mercer Island city councilman, faces Democrat Marcie Maxwell, 53, in a tight race. The House seat became open when Democratic Rep. Fred Jarrett decided to run for state Senate.”
“The big issue on people’s minds is the economy, despite the area’s comparative wealth, and voters will not be marching in lock-step, (Steve) Litzow argues.
“Mercer Island residents depend on I-90, and most of the district’s voters live on or near I-405. As a result, transportation joins education as the most important issues on voters’ minds….”
“Litzow opposes Proposition 1, the proposed sales-tax increase that would extend light rail north, south and east. Instead, he wants bus-rapid transit combined with light rail running north-south along the former BNSF Railway line on the Eastside.”
Here is a link to Litzow’s proposals for transportation improvements on the Eastside (scroll down halfway):Â Reduce Traffic Congestion: http://stevelitzow.com/index.php?p=30
“His opponent, (Marcie) Maxwell, is a Renton Realtor and member of the Renton School Board. She’s more on the fence regarding Prop. 1, but is concerned about the emphasis on light rail.
“On the Eastside, we need to have the convenience and the routes” to make mass transit more of an option for commuters, she said.”
Maxwell’s statement would seem to support the flexibility of bus rapid transit corridors.
Here is a link to her position on transportation:
Reducing Traffic Congestion:Â http://www.marciemaxwell.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=27
Fred Jarrett (D) is running for State Senate.
Here is a link to his website: http://vote4fred.org/default.aspx
From the Times:
“State Senate switcheroo”
“In the Senate race, Fred Jarrett is running as a Democrat for the first time.”
“Jarrett is in favor of Prop. 1. While not perfect, “it doesn’t matter to me whether the transit has rubber wheels or tracks,” he said.”
His opponent for State Senate is Bob Baker.Here is a link to his views on transportation:
“Are your transportation tax dollars getting you to work faster OR are they focused instead on government efforts at social engineering? “ http://www.voteforbaker.com/issues.shtml
From the Times article on Bob Baker:
“The 21-year Navy veteran, “Top Gun” graduate and Alaska Airlines pilot spent a career on the F-14 Tomcat as a test pilot. He also worked at the Pentagon, a job that included testifying before congressional committees and convincing admirals and generals to fund appropriation projects.
Like Jarrett, he said he shares a disdain for waste, and backs State Auditor Brian Sonntag’s use of performance audits to look for savings in state agencies….”
“An opponent of Prop. 1, (Bob) Baker favors bus-rapid transit instead of an east-west rail line.
“By Sound Transit’s own analysis, it won’t relieve traffic congestion,” he said.
As far as his district in concerned, he said it’s “not so much that it’s moved Democratic, but we have a lot of independents a, as people weigh their options.”
