We strongly support the monorail and are voting for Proposition 1 on Nov. 8.
No one in the city of Seattle understands the need for rapid, mass transit more than the residents of Magnolia and Queen Anne.
Safe, high-speed and environmentally sensitive monorail technology is the answer. The citizens of Seattle have voted four times for the Green Line Monorail because they want an alternative to congested city streets.
Seattle's voters are right; we need the monorail.
The proposed Green Line Monorail will serve Magnolia and Queen Anne residents with stations on the west side and south side of the hill from Interbay to Seattle Center.
The good news is that, right now, the Seattle Monorail Project is ready to go. The land for stations is purchased, the contract to build and operate it is in hand, new leadership with extensive transit management and construction expertise is in place, and Proposition 1 provides the flexibility for a conservative finance plan that fully funds the line without new taxes.
We simply cannot wait any longer. Putting off an investment in this important piece of infrastructure will only drive up the cost in the future. The responsible position is to vote yes again on Nov. 8, and to start to build the Green Line.
The monorail plan is for a 14-mile line constructed in a phased approach, beginning with a 10-mile line from Interbay through downtown to West Seattle, with plans for extending the line to Ballard and Crown Hill. Money from other sources has been identified that would allow the whole line to be completed in the first phase.
No one has a plan to serve this route - including Queen Anne - with transit any time in the future. If we don't vote for the monorail now, it may be several generations before we'll have another shot at introducing rapid transit to the western corridor.
Businesses will see improvements in productivity because of less commuting time for their employees. Retail will see improved sales because of a new group of mobile city shoppers. Developers will see increases in the value of property located near the Green Line stations.
Seattle Center and south Queen Anne will benefit materially and substantially from this monorail. Visitors and commuters alike will be able to go from Pioneer Square to Pike Place Market to Seattle Center and back, quickly and efficiently.
The monorail is good for the citizens of Magnolia and Queen Anne, and good for Seattle. It is good for the region, and it is good for the environment and our improving economy. This is clearly worth the 25-cents-a-day average cost per person of building the line.
Proposition 1 is supported by leading environmental, labor and transportation choices advocates. It's been endorsed by the 36th District Democrats and King County Democrats. We see every reason to vote yes on Proposition 1.
Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Queen Anne) and reps Helen Sommers (D-Magnolia) and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Phinney Ridge) represent the 36th District, which includes Magnolia and Queen Anne.[[In-content Ad]]
