The following letter was read to the Sound Transit Board during the public comment periord prior to the board's Thursday, April 22, vote on station routing and allignment.
To the Sound Transit Board:
I believe in public transportation. It has been my primary mode of transportation for most of 40 years. Until this year I have never even owned a car. I grew up in Washington, D.C., then lived in NYC for 10 years before moving to Seattle over seven years ago. Both D.C. and New York City have extensive public transportation options, including light rail. I know what a good transportation system provides and I know how to use it.
Nevertheless, despite some of the benefits that might be gained from having light rail on Capitol Hill (potentially within walking distance of my home) I feel at this point it is not the best transportation option for our community. This is why:
One, public process and input has been blatantly disregarded. The Nagel Place option never had wide community support. The irreparable harm to Cal Anderson Park is unacceptable; we would essentially have a huge open pit for many years, no park, property losses for home and business owners and a serious impact to our long-term quality of life. Not to mention the challenge of putting an underground light rail station next to an underground reservoir.
I don't care how good engineering is, the force of nature is stronger and we live in an earthquake region. It just doesn't make sense. Plus, and this really angers me, of the four options originally presented to us by Sound Transit several years ago, the Nagle Place option was the LEAST favored by the ENTIRE community (businesses and residents alike). It had been removed from the table but mysteriously reappeared the following year as a viable alternative.
In my opinion it is not, and has never been, a viable option for the residents of Capitol Hill. And the gall of Sound Transit to completely disregard the clear voice of our community is infuriating, insulting and a violation of public process. I feel as if this entire process has been nothing but a farce, smoke and mirrors, and simply an exercise to pretend to fulfill necessary requirements.
Second, the current Broadway option will have a serious impact on our already fragile Broadway business district. And rather than try to find a compromise for the community, Sound Transit has acted as a catalyst for division. This demonstrates Sound Transit's continued insensitivity and disregard for the unique needs of our community. As this option stands it is also unacceptable.
Third, the community has never been given an accurate, detailed plan for any of the options, including construction timelines or mitigation plans. Yes, representatives have come to community meetings, but never with detailed information. All we have ever gotten is the barest minimum: the alignment and the station location. That is not enough information upon which to make an intelligent or reasoned decision.
Fourth, we don't even need light rail. To get downtown many of us can walk it in less than 30 minutes, or we can take a bus and be there in 15 minutes. Plus it's not going anywhere like the airport, or in my case Bothell, that would justify not taking a car or bus.
I believe that a comprehensive transportation system is an important element in the lasting vitality of any city. But it is far more important to develop a system created for and by the people who are going to use it, live with it, and pay for it. It is paramount to build something that residents and businesses alike can expect during and after construction.
Thus, I propose a compromise: Move the station. (If the UW can have a station added at this date, then Capitol Hill should be able to have a different station placement.) Put the station and crossover tracks south of East John Street near Broadway at East Pine Street. It is my understanding that Sound Transit has explored this option but discounted it due to a lower ridership than projected for further north on Broadway.
But the Eastlake alignment would have significantly less ridership than any Capitol Hill option, including this alternative, and it is still on the table. This site offers potentially less home and business disruption, still captures Seattle Central Community College ridership and has the additional benefit of serving the Pike-Pine neighborhood as well. So I ask that this solution be seriously considered as a viable alternative to the widely protested Nagle and Broadway options. This is an opportunity for Sound Transit to act as a steward for good community building.
Sound Transit needs Capitol Hill more than Capitol Hill needs light rail. The cost to our quality of life, our businesses, our homes, and our open space is not worth any potential benefit. We don't need it, and at this point I don't want it.
Sincerely,
Illeny Maaza
Capitol Hill resident and property owner
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