The Sierra Club's Mike O'Brien forwarded me this letter that the Sierra Club sent to Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl and the Sound Transit Board today documenting the three primary areas that the Sierra Club would like Sound Transit to address in its forthcoming new ballot measure, or ST 2.1
The three key issues are as follows:
- Green house gas emissions should be a key driver in the projects that Sound Transit selects;
- In place of allocating funds exclusively for parking garages, Sound Transit should add "station access funds" that allow spending on a variety of transportation modes, including cyclists, pedestrians and, yes, cars;
- WSDOT and Sound Transit should cooperate closely on plans for replacing the 520 Bridge so that adding light rail to the 520 Bridge in the future will be as cheap and as non-disruptive as possible.
My general take is this: the Sierra Club wants global warming to be the guiding principle behind transportation planning in the region. I guess it's an obvious point, considering the Sierra Club's messaging for Prop 1. But I bring it up because my initial read on this was that the Sierra Club was going to take a hard line and say that global warming should be the only factor in transit planning, making it impossible for drivers to choose another transportation mode. Instead, to me it feels like the Sierra Club is taking its November win out for a spin to see how far it can push Sound Transit before getting on board with the rest of us and supporting ST2.1.
Anyway, just my read. Read the letter if you're interested. It's long, though, so if you want some highlights, I have a bunch of selected quotes after the jump.
UPDATE: STB just picked this up, so I feel like I should point out that my read on what the Sierra Club is doing could be totally and completely wrong. I'm trying to be (uncharacteristically) optimistic.
THE JUMP
Here's a summary of the points in the letter, using representative quotes:
GHG Assessments Need to Influence Project Selection
"It is critical that basic GHG assessments... be incorporated into the project selection process."
"Assessments should consider the effects of GHG emissions during construction as well as maintenance and operation over the life of the project. Development of compact, walkable residential and commercial areas around transit stations should be factored in to the GHG emissions accounting..."
Integration of Transit with Land Use
"While we understand how [parking garages] can help build ridership, they also discourage access to the transit stations via more climate-friendly modes than driving alone."
"Charging for parking at existing garages should be a viable policy to help balance demand and encourage carpool, local bus, bike, and pedestrian access to the transit hubs."
"Sierra Club supports converting park & ride funds into flexible 'station access' funds, which can support all modes of reaching transit stations."
East Link Plans Integrate Twin Corridors in Future
"We are encouraging Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to design a new/retrofitted SR-520 to accommodate high-capacity transit (likely light rail) from the outset as opposed to needing to retrofit the structure later."
Better Funding Sources are Needed in Future
"Sierra Club prefers the Sound Transit sales tax authority be used as an interim revenue source until a future date when variable price tolling can pay for transit projects."
Central Link Extension to Northgate is Highest Priority
"Ridership.... and associated environmental benefit... indicate that the highest priority for the revised ST2.1 plan must be extension of the Central Link LRT to Northgate... When these steps are integrated with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes north and east, we see a significant potential for shifting people away from an increasingly congested I-5 and northern portion of I-405."
Sounder Service Expansion Builds on Existing Facilities
"As the partial closure of I-5 in August 2007 demonstrated, Sounder has an enormous potential for growth. We support increased frequency and mid-day service in the south corridor consistent with ridership growth. Increases in north corridor ridership should be made only after evaluating the effects of adding key access points to the line at Edmonds and Mukilteo."
Snohomish County Emphasis on Improved Station Access
"Investment in more frequent express bus service along the I-5 corridor between Snohomish and King Counties is one of the regional priorities in this subarea for the foreseeable future."
"A streetcar line in Everett should be considered both as a catalyst for higher
density development in the city of Everett, and to serve as the northern anchor of an eventual rail line connecting more of Snohomish County's urban area with King County. "
"Sound Transit investment in the multi-modal Edmonds Crossing station will benefit both the Edmonds area and ferry to train transfers, reducing the length and number of trips contributed by cross-Sound commuters."
Pierce County Growth Complements Sounder and Tacoma Link
"Added service in the existing South Corridor Sounder commuter rail line makes more effective use of existing investments in stations and rolling stock."
"Sierra Club supports extension of Tacoma Link to the Tacoma Community College campus... Further extension of the Tacoma Link system... are also worth consideration after the T.C.C. extension is funded [if land use policies are appropriate]."
"More frequent express bus service along the I-5 corridor between Lakewood and Sea-Tac Airport will... complement Sounder service through the Valley communities."
