Though it might seem like a minor point, the issue of the Sound Transit heavy rail route design through the south part of downtown Tacoma is becoming the defining issue of the 2009 mayoral race and having regional impacts as important as the defeat of Sound Transit Board Chair Greg Nickels in the Seattle mayoral primary.
The Tacoma Pierce News Tribune did a multi-article feature on the October 4 Sunday front page - including an online opinion poll. The poll is near the bottom of the middle column. As of the writing of this piece on Wednesday morning there have been 2900 votes, 85% in favor of the local business/citizen 'Post and Beam' alternative compared to the Sound Transit 'Berm' design.
Last night was the public hearing.
The crowd here was in support of post and beam in similar proportions, and the testimony and comments both well thought out and dramatic.
This particular route will also be used for high speed rail - it's not supposed to be used for freight, but the route is the quickest access to Fort Lewis from the North (and both rail lines going east), which currently requires a 'backtrack' from Nisqually.
There has been considerable progress made on the design, most notably opening up the Habitat corridor and likely regional bike trail route where the Berm was the biggest and the utility relocations issues most likely to lead to 'unforseen' cost overruns. Councilmember Mike Lonergan, chair of the regional growth management board is likely having the most positive effect. Deputy Mayor Julie Anderson, the Sound Transit board rep for the City is now being ammenable, but may well have already burned her bridges on the subject given the history of Sound Transit bullying.
Most telling in this regard is an exchange between Anderson, chair of the hearing in Mayor Baarsma's office, and Stan Smith representing the North End Neighborhood Council. At the conclusion of Mr. Smith's very well stated position on the handling of the public interest, and public monies, on this project the crowd applauded. Ms. Anderson called this applause an 'outburst' (of which the Council has a history and practices of dealing with such that they disagree with.) and threatened to halt the public process because someone called for responsible public spending in a popular manner.
This exchange is accessible on the City's cable channel archive, here, at time point 1:20:45, To access double click on the small screen when it is running and the full screen viewer will popup with a time display.
My ugly mug, and comments, are at 1:36:45.
Also worthy of note is Sound Transit Heavy Rail Director Jim Edwards letting it slip that the development fix is already in with the Cascade Land Conspiracy (a non-profit group part of the network of Sound Transit's Bond Counsel, Foster Pepper, also counsel to the former WAMU.) (1:51:20) He also repeats the point about how the post and beam alternative will be a magnet for bums - even though this is a matter well under control by the Tacoma Police Department and another great successful collaboration between the Dome District and both South and Eastside neighbors.
Isn't it strange how Sound Transit and crew mess up the process and the costs, then blame the delay on the 'trashy' citizens all the while spending something the vicinity of 100k a month during the 'delay'. As a rhetorical question, perhaps it is the Sound Transit bums we need to worry about, and, get rid of.
In a funny exchange, Julie Anderson lets slip her preference for 'posts', at time point 2:04:15.
