Bio
Currently obsessed with editing Seattle Transit Blog. Engineer in real life.
TMI
- Folklife or A kick in the face while drowning in fish guts
- What movie can you recite verbatim?: Swingers
- What do you like to read when you poop?: The Economist
- Frank Gehry or Rem Koolhaas
- Jesus or Santa (sexually)?
May 8
Martin H. Duke commented on The Fight Against Small Apartments.
Martin H. Duke commented on The Fight Against Small Apartments.
@21 The point is that not that you're not willing to volunteer for things that suit your own interests -- a playground for your own kids, a park for you to use -- it's that you're trying to keep poor people out.
May 3
Martin H. Duke commented on Failure at the Beacon Hill Station?.
Martin H. Duke commented on Failure at the Beacon Hill Station?.
Just forget about the plants and put an ads up there. The transit system could use the money.
Apr 30
Martin H. Duke commented on Dueling Gold Star Comments of the Day.
Martin H. Duke commented on Dueling Gold Star Comments of the Day.
This is pretty simple: Sacramento won because their politicians were willing to put in huge amounts of public money to keep the team.
The NBA won't say no to that, in particular when the alternative is a (effectively) privately-funded arena. The pro sports business is all about maximizing the subsidy from desperate municipalities. (Whereas the college sports business is about making money on the backs of tremendously under-compensated labor).
The NBA won't say no to that, in particular when the alternative is a (effectively) privately-funded arena. The pro sports business is all about maximizing the subsidy from desperate municipalities. (Whereas the college sports business is about making money on the backs of tremendously under-compensated labor).
Apr 26
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
@53,
Hmm, the 2003 package:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Funding…
$3.7 billion for the highway system, some fraction of $200 million for Amtrak Cascades. No local transit.
The 2005 package:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Funding…
$7 billion for highways, $95 million for Cascades. No local transit.
Not much of a transit game-changer!
Hmm, the 2003 package:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Funding…
$3.7 billion for the highway system, some fraction of $200 million for Amtrak Cascades. No local transit.
The 2005 package:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Funding…
$7 billion for highways, $95 million for Cascades. No local transit.
Not much of a transit game-changer!
Apr 26
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
@38,
If Ed Murray is such a wizard in Olympia, where's my stable Metro funding? Where's ST3 authorization? In fact, what significant pro-transit measure has passed out of the legislature since ST was formed SIXTEEN YEARS AGO?
If Ed Murray is such a wizard in Olympia, where's my stable Metro funding? Where's ST3 authorization? In fact, what significant pro-transit measure has passed out of the legislature since ST was formed SIXTEEN YEARS AGO?
Apr 26
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
@24 He hasn't been chair of transportation for quite some time, certainly since ST2 passed and ST3 became an issue at all. That was Mary Margaret Haugen.
Apr 26
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
Martin H. Duke commented on What Does Ed Murray Have Against Rail in Seattle?.
@16
I think it's a stretch to say that Murray "had the power" to grant authority. He's not dictator of the legislature, and it's not like there's an ST funding bill that he's killed or voted against.
That said, he hasn't exactly set the place on fire trying to get an ST funding bill through the legislature, either.
I think it's a stretch to say that Murray "had the power" to grant authority. He's not dictator of the legislature, and it's not like there's an ST funding bill that he's killed or voted against.
That said, he hasn't exactly set the place on fire trying to get an ST funding bill through the legislature, either.
Apr 25
Martin H. Duke commented on Subarea Equity: A Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy.
Martin H. Duke commented on Subarea Equity: A Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy.
@12,
I think you're right that it won't be a question of having absolutely no projects in Seattle. However, all the incentives are to build as little as possible in Seattle, as cheaply as possible (say, streetcars rather than real light rail) to give pro-transit voters in Seattle an excuse to vote for it. The real money has to be spent on the perimeter where the swing voters are.
I think you're right that it won't be a question of having absolutely no projects in Seattle. However, all the incentives are to build as little as possible in Seattle, as cheaply as possible (say, streetcars rather than real light rail) to give pro-transit voters in Seattle an excuse to vote for it. The real money has to be spent on the perimeter where the swing voters are.
Apr 25
Martin H. Duke commented on Subarea Equity: A Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy.
Martin H. Duke commented on Subarea Equity: A Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy.
@8 I understand the point you're trying to make -- that SAE is far from perfect. But Ed Murray, in context, is not making an abstract statement about defects in SAE. He is saying that Seattle can't afford to go it alone on rail. When pressed on the observation that thanks to SAE Seattle/Shoreline will pay for any such rail in any case, he says that we have to get the money from outer suburbs to properly afford it. It's hard to make a conclusion other than that Ed Murray thinks we can't afford more light rail unless we get more suburbs to help pay for it -- which as you point out, in practical terms means we won't get any more rail.
As to whether or not he has a grasp of these issues - I don't know what's in his heart, and I'd distance myself from Ben's assertion. It's possible he just doesn't want ST 3 to succeed; that he has radically different assessment of regional politics than you or me; or, that he hasn't fully thought through the implications of things he's saying. Ben seems to think it's the third, but I'd say that I don't know. I imagine Senator Murray would argue it's the second.
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As to whether or not he has a grasp of these issues - I don't know what's in his heart, and I'd distance myself from Ben's assertion. It's possible he just doesn't want ST 3 to succeed; that he has radically different assessment of regional politics than you or me; or, that he hasn't fully thought through the implications of things he's saying. Ben seems to think it's the third, but I'd say that I don't know. I imagine Senator Murray would argue it's the second.
Apr 25
Martin H. Duke commented on Subarea Equity: A Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy.
Martin H. Duke commented on Subarea Equity: A Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy Is a Stupid Policy.
Things I also say in the two posts that Goldy quotes me on:
"SAE [subarea equity] will end up working to Seattle’s advantage"
"In fact, a flexible policy within the framework of a subarea rule probably works out best in practice. Voters do seem to show little regional solidarity and resent dollars moving elsewhere. Furthermore, when ST3 rolls around subarea equity may guard against some cynical maneuvers that the ST board could try. It’s best to leave well enough alone."
"SAE [subarea equity] will end up working to Seattle’s advantage"
"In fact, a flexible policy within the framework of a subarea rule probably works out best in practice. Voters do seem to show little regional solidarity and resent dollars moving elsewhere. Furthermore, when ST3 rolls around subarea equity may guard against some cynical maneuvers that the ST board could try. It’s best to leave well enough alone."
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