Comments

1
Answering the question of how the gap is ST3 funding is going to be made up, or how ST3 plans will shrink to manage that gap, is just one of the jobs for local political leaders. People may have voted for it, but those leaders are going to catch hell if they can't answer that question adequately. One thing they aren't going to be able to count on is help from the State. The crazies are on the march, and the war on Seattle* will continue with renewed vigor.

*Everett and Tacoma: don't think you are getting away from this either. You voted for this too. Don't you dare back out now.
2
@1, it's hard to imagine transit funding will go to 0 overnight. 11% (or 13% as heidi reported?) of st3's oft-quoted $54B figure is to come from the feds - and remember that's over 25 years. before a project can qualify for federal funds, alternative analyses have to be conducted, which is very unlikely to be completed in 4 years, where trump can already be booted.
3
You are right about transit. But I would argue, this country is backlogged in roads and bridges which need fixing. We aren't even talking about building new ones. Same for aviation and rail, water and sanitation systems. We need to expand hi speed internet coverage.

People in Seattle needs to step out of urban mindset. When a hospital, grocery store or school is 20 miles away, you need good roads and rapid internet. These things are important if you want to improve the lives of people living in rural areas, small towns and yes, even cities.

We'll see if the math works out given Trump's plan to cut taxes, increases defend spendings and homeland security budget.
4
Yes, mallow, 1 rural person > 1 urban person. Damn right it's about time we stepped out of our urban mindset and realized that the tax dollars are only supposed to flow in one direction, from the undeserving city dwellers to the real Americans whom our government is truly intended to serve.
5
Just take fed money for bridge and road repairs. We will be fine
6
In the world of President Trump, we must be on guard against Vichy Democrats. Bush and Co. were able to turn several of the Ds against us on no child and other issues.

Trump gets as much cooperation and respect as the Republicans gave Obama.
8
I wouldn't be so pessimistic. Block grants are going to be the order of the day, so red state transit might be fucked but hopefully Inslee and the legislature will give transit a share here.
10
@4, by all means, expand ST4 to all corners of this country. You might be able to persuade our new president-elect and this country voters.

This country needs great mass transits. We still need to transport foods, goods, livestocks, fuel, and people around and until we can transport all that by light rail as you would like Cressona, we need to fix and build our roads, rails and bridges.

This isn't an either/or situation.

Infrastructure isn't just mass transit. It's water and sewer, ways we communicate. Our cities' watersheds need protection. Our agriculture needs better, more efficient irrigation system so there's less waste and loss. Our electrical grid is in need of serious overhaul, vital to light rail. I can go on.

All of this is vital for the health and welfare of this country's population. It is an area that needs far more funding and attention than military spending. I argue having an efficient, functioning, well managed infrastructure is a national security issue.

It also means well paying jobs. You want to win those missing rust belt votes, win the rural and southern votes, well start creating jobs!
11
mallow @10, in trying to defend your point @3, you seem to be missing the point of the whole post, and the whole thing we transit supporters are worried about. It's not whether, now that Donald Trump is president, we're no longer going to be able to "expand ST4 to all corners of this country." It's whether transit is going to get zeroed out from federal transportation funding in a way that wasn't even considered during the GW Bush administration.

Simple question, mallow. Do you think that's a good idea?
12
So you're saying Trump will make the railroads run on time?
13
Trump may have mentioned the word "infrastructure" (or something nearly that) but that doesn't mean he has a plan. He has no plans and never will have any plans. Pence and Ryan and McDonnell have the plans and those plans have nothing to do with infrastructure.
14
Even if Trump favors light rail in principle, he will do everything he can to withhold ST funding because Western Washington (and parts of Eastern Washington that depend on migrant farm workers) is a gigantic Sanctuary for undocumented workers. We are so fucked.
15
Pence and Ryan's idea of infrastructure is public private partnerships with contractors and toll road operators. Think HOV and 520 tolls on steroids.
16
@11 have no crystal ball. I couldn't tell you if Clinton won, you would get what you want since Congress passes the budget.

But here's my best guess. I don't think the Feds are going to pull out of funding transportation, including mass transit. Much of transportation cost, including mass transit, is paid for by state and local sources. Overall, about 25% comes from the Feds.

In 2015, we had $86 billion maintenance backlog of aging mass transit infrastructure for the Feds to fund. That's just the existing system. The CBO reported funding shortfall d/t declining gas sales tax revenue. In the meantime, we have the cost of other infrastructures which also need immediate attention as well. Those costs are in the trillions.

So what you have is not enough money to fix current infrastructure. There is gonna be triage and some politics involved, swapping votes and deal making to see who gets what to bring home to constituents. I don't think Trump is foolhardy enough to stop funding of mass transit. He wants to make lots of money and his cronies want to stay in power. He loves NYC. So I just don't see stopping fed dollars for mass transit system like NYC and DC subways. Shutdown of such a system would have a devastating economic impact. And that would affect his bottom line too.

I agree with 13.

17
WA relies less on the Feds for revenue in comparison to other states. If cuts come, it's the red states which will be the hardest hit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/gov…

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