The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear a lawsuit that seeks to ban Sound Transit's light-rail system from using space on Interstate 90. United States Supreme Court - Supreme Court - United States - Sound Transit - Law

Building a Better Bellevue released a letter this morning that outlines why B7 and “Home Rule” should prevail in the selection of a light rail alignment through the City of Bellevue. Read the article here: http://betterbellevue.wordpress.com/

An excerpt:

“Sound Transit has made its own interpretation of its authority under the enabling Washington State legislation, RCW Chapter 81.112, which established its role and responsibilities. The Sound Transit Board believes that it has full power, under its reading of this law, to require a local jurisdiction to abide by its (Sound Transit’s) route determinations. This reading has never been tested in court, and it is fundamentally at odds with our City’s land use planning and permitting authority, granted by the state legislature under the Growth Management Act, RCW Chapter 36.70A, and Local Project Review, RCW Chapter 36.70B.“

Read the whole article at the BBB site:

“Our City of Bellevue’s Rights, Under Law, To Require Sound Transit to Fully Consider and Utilize Our City’s B7 Route Preference”.

Building a Better Bellevue is a newly created grassroots organization, which was created to preserve the quality of life in Bellevue neighborhoods, and to support the placement of the Sound Transit light rail alignment in a corridor that aligns with:

 

1. Bellevue’s Comprehensive Plan,

2. Land Use Code,

3. Subarea Plans for neighborhoods, and

4. Best Practices Study for light rail.

 

Here is the organization’s statement:

“The Problem

 

Our neighborhoods are a cherished part of Bellevue – and they didn’t get this way by accident.  Decades of smart City Council decisions and laws, along with informed and involved residents have helped plan and shape our beautiful community into the gem it is today.

 

However, there appears to be a plan afoot to turn Bellevue into something that is not wanted – a clone of Seattle driven by a Seattle-centric planning.  This plan would change our ‘City In A Park’ to a city in a parking lot (or city amid pavement.).  Our quality of life is under attack by outside groups who would do harm to the very things that brought us to Bellevue.

 

We are not opposed to transit and we have tried for years to work cooperatively with Sound Transit to bring light rail to Bellevue in a way that respects our mutual goals.  Many of you have attended City Council meetings, attended public hearings, sent numerous emails, and made phone calls in support of your neighborhood – and we are glad to stand with you. 

 

Still, Sound Transit continues its refusal to respect the rights of the City of Bellevue and our Bellevue City Council decision on routing.

 

We have advocated for an alignment that respects the neighborhoods, the environment, and our pocketbooks. 

 

That alignment is B7. 

 

This alignment proposed crossing I-90, turn north on a section of the BNSF railroad right of way and then proceed into downtown adjacent to 405.  There are several ideas on entering downtown, whether from a tunnel or from an elevated station on the western edge of 405 at NE 6th.

 

We are proud to stand with the majority of our City Council members, the overwhelming majority of residents and the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce who all support the alignment known as B7.

 

Our goal is to continue to work with our Bellevue City Council, consistent with state and Bellevue laws, as well as our City’s Comprehensive Plan that protect ALL of our neighborhoods. 

 

We invite YOU to help us do this. 

 

All of us working together are Building a Better Bellevue for us and our future.”

Learn more about Building a Better Bellevue at (http://betterbellevue.wordpress.com/)

Sound Transit officials have always claimed that light rail would be more efficient than buses. And if their ridership and cost projections were even close to being accurate, they might be right. In previous financial plans, Sound Transit calculated light rail would cost just over a dollar per boarding by 2009. In reality, during Central Link's first six months of operation, light rail's cost per boarding was a whopping $8.56. Sound Transit's buses cost $6.58 per boarding and its Sounder Commuter Rail cost $13.71 per boarding. To put this in perspective, the average operating cost for ...

Good to know that all it takes to change a stupid security policy is to wait for someone to be beaten within an inch of their life, THEN change the policy. How about figuring it out AHEAD of time, so the public is protected?

Doesn’t Seattle remember Kristopher Kime (click here, or here), who was murdered in the sight of the Seattle police in 2001? Weren’t we going to learn from that travesty?

The Seattle Times reports (click here):

“The way Metro uses Olympic guards is similar to Sound Transit’s contract with Securitas, whose unarmed guards are paid $16 to $18 an hour to conduct fare enforcement and to patrol transit stations. Sound Transit’s policies, however, anticipate they’ll sometimes intervene:

“When faced with a clear and immediate threat of bodily harm, the Security Officer must always first consider retreating with any other people present to a secure position. When necessary to protect self and others from a clear and immediate threat of bodily harm, a Security Officer must use only the degree of force necessary to repel an attack or threat of an attack.”

Love this statement:

“After several crimes on Portland rail lines — including the beating of a 71-year-old man with a baseball bat at a suburban station — officials doubled the transit police from 28 officers to 58 during 2008-09, and crimes decreased, according to an Oregonian newspaper report.”

Ya think?

Read this article by the Seattle Times and watch this video (click here) provided by KING-TV of a beating in the Seattle bus tunnel.

Then tell us how the outcome will be different if groups of thugs decide to ride the light rail alignments or loiter at stations and behave in this manner.

Choose from the following:

1. The camera will protect me?

2. The “Security Guards” will intervene? (Hmmm, they are directed NOT to).

3. I’m on my own.

4. Tell me why I want to stop using my car, again?

*Understatement Award of the Year:

“The county executive has ordered us to work with the Sheriff’s Office to review the circumstances surrounding this incident and seek advice from other security experts to determine whether we need to change our security protocols.”

Pathetic.

Bus-tunnel attack while guards watched prompts review of Metro security Seattle Times Sound Transit fare-enforcement officers are employed by the private firm Securitas. King County Metro's Transit Police, who are sheriff's deputies, ... and more »

The City of Bellevue has strong new leadership tonight, as the duties of the Mayor were passed to Dr. Don Davidson, a longtime Bellevue Councilman who advocates for fiscal responsibility, a healthy business climate, and protection of Bellevue’s neighborhoods.

Longtime Bellevue Councilman Conrad Lee was also swept in as Deputy Mayor.

Both Councilmen were part of a Bellevue City Council majority that recently refused to raise taxes on Bellevue citizens in the currently depressed economic climate, and who are supportive of a Sound Transit light rail alignment through Bellevue that is intended to serve the region’s commuters, while doing a better job of protecting Bellevue’s businesses, historic resources, parks, wildlife & endangered species, natural resources and neighborhoods.

Is Big Brother watching your ORCA card? Seattle Times Don't register: Buy an ORCA card from a Sound Transit ticket machine, and don't register it online. This adds privacy, but there's no protection if you lose ... and more »

Seattle-area light rail ridership declines TheNewsTribune.com Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray says the dip isn't surprising since October tends to be the best month for bus and commuter-rail lines. ... and more »