Light rail votes to steam ahead

Sound Transit's board last night took a deep breath and voted 14-1 to move forward with a $3.6 billion light rail project beset by soaring cost estimates, delays and growing criticism.

Turning aside pleas for a new public vote before proceeding, the board decided to accept a $500 million, multiyear federal grant, thereby committing to complete a key section of the rail system from South Lander Street to Northeast 45th Street.

In doing so, the board also agreed to accept the staff's latest cost estimate for the central rail link from SeaTac to Seattle, which is $1.2 billion higher than the $2.4 billion previously estimated.

And the board swallowed hard and accepted the staff's new schedule, pushing the completion date from 2006 to 2009 and requiring three additional years of motor-vehicle excise and sales taxes to support the project.

"It's a major milestone. I'm impressed with the board's resolve to make a difficult decision in a difficult time," said Sound Transit Director Bob White. "Moving forward is important to the region."

Tuck Wilson, Sound Transit's interim light-rail director, told the board that adopting the new $3.6 billion budget and accepting the federal money will allow breaking ground on rail at the end of this year.

King County Councilman Rob McKenna cast the sole dissenting vote, saying he thought the costs would continue to rise.

And under his questioning, Chief Operating Officer Joni Earl admitted that project costs would be closer to $4 billion once $191 million in borrowing costs, $11 million in public art, $50 million in mitigation of neighborhood impacts and $157 million in reserves are added.

The costs are worth it, most board members and agency leaders agreed.

"Thirty years ago an earlier generation had this same opportunity to build a light rail system. They didn't. We don't want to repeat their mistake," said Sound Transit board member and Mayor Paul Schell.

But in a lengthy public hearing preceding yesterday's board vote, most speakers urged caution.

Long-time rail critic Emory Bundy noted that Sound Transit had promised voters in 1996 that its cost assumptions were extremely conservative. Voters that year approved the bus, light-rail and commuter-train system, agreeing to pay for it with a 0.4 percent sales tax and a 0.3 percent vehicle tax.

"You have misrepresented this whole project to the feds," Bundy contended. "I don't think that puts you in good stead when you return for an additional $931 million" in federal funding.

Former Gov. Booth Gardner was among several speakers promoting a free-bus program as an alternative to light rail. He said that light rail does nothing about traffic congestion, is not cost-effective and does nothing for the suburbs.

Others urged a monorail as an alternative.

Monorail advocate Peter Sherwin asked the board rhetorically, "What cost increase would it take for you to reconsider this project?"

King County Councilwoman Maggi Fimia said that records of calls to the county switchboard indicate that 263 callers wanted a referendum on light rail before moving forward while only two callers said go ahead.

McKenna said he is extremely uncomfortable with signing a binding federal grant contract before all the information has been provided.

Other people urged the board not to wait.

In a written message read to the board, Washington Transportation Commissioner Connie Niva implored Sound Transit to get on with it.

Niva said waiting brings added problems and expense and reminded the board that the Interstate 5 corridor through Seattle is not in line for any road improvements.

"People are tired of talk about transportation," she said. "It's time to act."

Dick Ford of West Seattle said this area has a history of doing nothing about high-capacity transit. "We're at a crossroads," he told the board.

"This is perhaps the most difficult decision you'll make in your political career."

Now that Sound Transit has committed to the project, upcoming battles will be waged on planners' tables and in public hearings, as the staff tries to rein in costs while honoring voters' wishes.

In the next six months, agency officials will seek efficiencies through design changes, finalize rail routes and station locations, reduce bus volumes on downtown streets during construction and attempt to regain public trust through community outreach.

Wilson said the new budget and schedule will restore public confidence, account for higher-than-expected tunnel costs in Capitol Hill and compare favorably with projects in other cities.

The general sense among board members is that it's politically worse to be accused of losing federal money for the region than to incur other problems with the project.

Hailing the 14-1 vote, Wilson said, "It's very heartening to know that the project is being launched with that momentum. It will take that to sustain this project over the next nine years."

King County Executive and board member Ron Sims said, "It is time to breach the dam of indecision and move forward. If we don't take this first step, how can we ever expect to build a system?"

Sid Morrison, Washington Department of Transportation secretary and board member, said federal grant agreements are not precise documents but political documents. "Don't let this one get away."