So, the House transportation budget released today doesn’t just pull the funding from the state’s previously agreed to portion of Sound Transit’s I-90 crossing… it completely bars DOT from allowing Sound Transit to use the bridge at all:
(17) The department shall not sign the final environmental impact statement for the east link project or negotiate an airspace lease with sound transit for the use of the Interstate 90 center roadway for exclusive use by light rail until completion of an independent facility asset assessment by the joint transportation committee.
That’s right, even though ST Phase 2 was overwhelmingly approved by voters, and even if ST were to find the money to fund moving the HOV lanes itself, House Democrats intend to bar DOT from even negotiating an airspace lease to use the center roadway. I mean… what the fuck?!!
Dollars to donuts, a few years from now, when ST is behind schedule and over budget on the I-90 crossing because the legislature intentionally knocked them off schedule and over budget, we’ll hear lawmakers opining about ST’s mismanagement in an effort to justify a “regional governance” package that would gut light rail and take transportation planning out of the hands of those who pay most of the bill.
(Hat tip Seattle Transit Blog.)
They don’t want to admit they lost, and will show up in July for the photo op for the opening of Central LINK. As for East LINK, obey the letter of the law, and hand ST550 and ST554 back to King County Metro, they are Sound Transit routes, and plan to bypass Mercer Island with LINK, either via SR520, SR522/Burke Gillman Trail, or work on finding a way to share the Eastside Line with BNSF, if they can schedule Boeing Deliveries for the early morning ours. There are Light Rail Vehicles being developed that can run without overhead wire for a few miles.
What is it with local control that State Reps don’t understand. By the way, how many residents of the 41st live in Bellevue, and how many live in Mercer Island. Maybe there are more on the Bellevue side than Mercer Island.
Now if Clibburn decides that she wants to go one step further and halt LINK startup in July, that should be the Rubicon, and ST Take Olympia to court. We have been waiting for years to see this get finished and started up.
Too Damn Funny!
What is an “independent facility asset assessment”?
3)I am not sure, but I think a test done a few years ago was not to their liking, probably because ST was involved. Just another delaying tactic, this fight that is going on, will make the last 9-10 years look pale in comparison. The last test was not just done with computer modelling, they ran semi-trucks loaded to simulate the weight of the LINK LRVs on the bridge. I heard stories th this bridge was built to handle Light Rail, but I do not know why WSDOT at the time would even consider that, the only successful vote for Light Rail int eh 1980s was an advisory vote on whether it would go in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, which was under construction at the time.
3 Sounds like someone trying to set up a business testing public toilet seats for comfort.
Yo Goldy!
Don’t you get it?
Everyone gets fucked.
Particle Man,
But this goes beyond funding. They’re sticking a finger in the eye of voters who approved light rail expansion across I-90. Ironically even a majority of Mercer Islanders voted for ST2, despite the fact that it threatens their precious SOV lanes. You’d think Judy Clibborn might get that.
‘House transportation budget fucks light rail’
Sounds like Olympia is finally doing something right then. Nice.
Even though the voters overwhelmingly passed ST2 Mark1?
This is what they make line item vetos for. Governor Gregoire better step up.
Great. Mark the 1 racist redneck hates light rail as much as Rep. Clibborn does.
Rep. Clibborn and Senator Jarrett: meet Mark1, the psycho right wing HA troll.
Your new political base!
Oh, and I see Mr. Cynical – racist and drunk – is also hopping on the Clibborn/Chopp shame train. How nice.
In Oregon, the legislature actually funds Portland’s light rail program. Here, the Olympia dinosaurs do everything they can to de-fund it.
Particle Man: Rep. Clibborn, Rep. Eddy and Senator Jarrett have been hostile/skeptical to light rail long before the current budget crunch. Falling revenues just provide the latest excuse.
So Jerry if Puddy comes out against your position would you call Puddy a racist too?
FOOL!
No, Puddy, you’re a racist because you used to post a bunch of racist crap here. I think it’s hilarious you had to start censoring yourself to salvage a tiny sliver of credibility. As in, totally fricking hilarious.
And you’re a drunk because…well, you drink a lot of booze. Like most sociopathic broken men.
@7
Our elected officials seem to have taken this up as a collective hobby.
Smaller classrooms? nah. Pay raises for teachers? Fuck that! Green energy? Who needs it?
They’ve fucked the teachers union.
They’ve fucked the state employees unions.
They’ve fucked the Machinists union.
Now without WSDOT funding to lard about, what the fuck has the Leg got going for it?
Let’s face it. Chopp and his gaggle of slavering political “fluffers” have lost their mojo. And they’re going to turn over every single budget item one by one looking for it.
Honor them and give them respect…
or they’ll lock themselves in their room listening to Bobby Sherman records and hold their breath until state government dies.
You loser boys thought all this time it was fine to spend, spend,spend, now you get the bill and all we hear is crying. A year ago you said all was just fine. Time to act like grownups and support our officials who are trying to do the right thing for our state.
What’s wrong with ST’s current leaders? Time for them to go to Olympia, take names and kick some ass. Pussies! Vote in some butch lesbians to run ST, they wouldn’t take this from the part-timers in Oly.
13. Jerry spews:
Jerry aka steve–
Puddy is a no drink, no drug man….obviously unlike you who just spews drug induced nonsense.
Try harder next time steve to disguise yourself.
Jerry aka KOUNTRY-KLUBBER steve–
Time to start drinkin’ those martini’s at the Kountry Klub phoneyman! It’s 5:00 somewhere.
It appears that Mr. Klynical has lost whatever was left of his mind. So sad.
I guess this means they will have to build a new bridge just for the gold plated choo choo.
Still think this is a $17.2 billion dollar project?
Oh, wait, voters appoved a NEVER ENDING, as in forever, tax stream for ST in November. So what’s the problem? $17.2B…$57.2B… $107.2B, sooner or later ST will collect it.
SUCKERS!!!!
BDM–
Voters were suckers when it came to ST.
In Seattle, it’s damn the facts, I want, I want, I want…no matter what it costs.
That’s why I call you LEFTIST PINHEADED KLOWNS.
It was fun for you KLOWNS when money was abundant…ain’t much fun when economic realities set in.
Wake Up.
Grow Up.
Wise UP.
I love to use BumF*ckSeattle as an example to young people of costly bureaucracy.
I like to use this example–
It’s like spending $100,000 drawing up plans for a $1 million house. The house is beautiful and desirable in every way. You get real excited…so does everyone. Then you go to the bank and they tell you can only afford a $200,000 house. You just pissed away $100,000 on nothing but ‘WETDREAMS”. This is Seattle.
Seattle—“The WETDREAM City formerly known as the Emerald City”
How much time & money has Seattle pissed away on Plans that are sitting on a shelf somewhere?
I’ll bet there is a whole building full of them! It’s ridiculous. I’m sure even some of you KLOWNS would agree.
I can’t wait to here the illogic at least one of you KLOWNS will dream up to defend the Great City of Seattle…the planner, architect & engineers college fund for their kids & grandkids.
outraged! @17. Brilliant idea! I agree with you on all counts.
busdrivelmike: we can always count on you to whine and b!tch about transit. (you sure you’re not truckdrivelmike?)
This time you made a friend in Mr. Cynical. With friends like that, who needs suicide?!
Goldy, not defending Judy. I think the choice of what to drop was based upon which project could get Federal money. Time will tell.
“Voters were suckers when it came to ST.”
No, the pricks who drafted that ballot measure and stuck it on the ballot last fall were conniving, self-interested bastards. Nobody can blame voters for wanting trains. What you can do is blame the greedy fucks who put THIS kind of tax-to-the-max-with-zero-accountability plan on the ballot.
Say “MR. CYNICAL” – show us you know your shit and that you aren’t some kind of plant.
Identify who drafted the Prop. 1 measure that ST put on the ballot last year.
As I’m sure you know “MR. CYNICAL,” the statist fuckheads (like those who drafted the Prop. 1 measure) always say what you say, that the voters are stupid.
So let’s see you identify who drafted that ballot measure. Show us you aren’t a plant of the statist fuckheads by identifying the statist fuckheads.
Say it, Goldie! Bastards.
Maybe the House Transportation Budget was an April Fools Day prank? Sort of like the House Budget? Like who will want to put a business in, let alone live in Washington State with this set of spending priorities. Let’s see — pro environment but gut spending on regulatory enforcement; pro education but gut K-16 spending; pro transit but gut ST. Washington legislators are bi-polar.