Comments

1
Time for Plan Fire all the State Politicians that Got Us into This Mess in the First Place.
2
But winning by a landslide in all but one LD in Seattle proper!

Do the numbers!

Frack the suburbs!
3
THE SKY IS FALLING!! At least, this is what they promised. Will Traffic-Armageddon now happen with these cuts? -- course, there's no need to cut the pay of admin and drivers making six-figures/year.
4
It's time for the east side to be its own county.
5
There will be no discernible difference in traffic.
6
So what about the road maintenance aspect that was supposed to be 40% of this thing but kept a big secret by both the yes and no campaigns??

Will all that work still be done? Probably. Can't cut road funding
.
7
Cut all bus lines in areas that voted against this. Simple.
8
You know the $20 fee we've been paying for the past two years to prevent the last round of cuts? What's the reason why that can't be renewed by the council? For that matter, why can't it be doubled by the council (for Metro only, fuck roads; Seattle has shitty roads, not the county at large) and extended for two more years? Does the council lack any authority to enact its own taxes? If so, why? And why were they able to impose the $20 fee two years ago?

And since I feel like asking questions tonight, why did we need so much new spending on roads anyway? Why wasn't the council taking care of that shit already?
9
@8 Renewing the fee would require a majority of the King County Council to vote for it. Roads are expensive and we've been underfunding maintenance and replacement for years. The beast is starving, unfortunately the beast is us.
10
The legislative authority for the $20 "congestion reduction charge" was temporary - two years. It expires in June and can not be renewed by the County Council. This was the legislature's intent; the CRC was intended to be used in conjunction with the expenditure of Metro reserves and increased efficiencies to maintain service until the legislature produced a statewide transportation package with more viable local transit funding options, which never happened. Those savings have now been realized. Those reserves are now gone as well. To replace this combination of sources and maintain just the current level of service would require a vehicle fee of approximately $60 - the same number just rejected by voters.
11
It's time for toll booths at all roads into and out of Seattle.
12
@11 You know you can't toll the Interstates changing Federal law, right?

I guess you could toll every street leading away from the off ramps. That would replace the Mercer Mess with a PERFECT parking lot on I-5 for several miles in both directions. Problem solved!
13
oops: ... *without* changing...
14
@12,13: So maybe they'll change Federal Law?

Section 113(a) of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 stated:
Upon a finding by the Secretary of Commerce that such action will promote the development of an integrated Interstate System, the Secretary is authorized to approve as part of the Interstate System any toll road, bridge, or tunnel, now or hereafter constructed, which meets the standards adopted for the improvement of projects located on the Interstate System, whenever such toll road, bridge, or tunnel is located on a route heretofore or hereafter designated as a part of the Interstate System: Provided, That no Federal-aid highway funds shall be expended for the construction, reconstruction, or improvement of any such toll road except to the extent hereafter permitted by law: Provided further, That no Federal-aid highway funds shall be expended for the construction, reconstruction, or improvement of any such toll bridge or tunnel except to the extent now or hereafter permitted by law.

On August 21, 1957, the BPR announced that it had added 2,100 miles of toll roads in 15 States to the Interstate System. The inclusions had been recommended by the State highway departments and approved by the BPR. The additions included 1,837 miles in operation. A BPR press release explained:
Inclusion of the 2,102 miles of toll roads in the Interstate System will not affect their status as toll roads. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 permits this, although no Federal-aid funds may be used for their improvement.
15
@7 You took the words right out of my mouth. Don't want to pay for bus service? Then you can't have any.

Please wait...

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