Everett/Snohomish County Development News

[USAPatriot]

I loved ti when Seattle had streetcars. Heck, Yakima has a streetcar and still uses it in summer months. :O

Old pics of the Seattle Interurban rail line was amazing, I got a book on that too.

[sequoias]

Yeah, missed the time they had streetcars that criscrossed the city, oh well. Hope they bring back lots of streetcars once again in downtown and nearby neighbors.

[USAPatriot]

Everett really wants to bring one back. Might even be a nice little tourist boost for them to make money to build up downtown.

[NW Mike]

Yes the street car is supposed to go from the riverfront project to the waterfront project. I posted alot of this info months ago in an Everett thread that is gone now. A few months ago it was said that there is 1600 units in the works in Everett. The new tower that might be built would be 19 stories. Not bad for Everett but the new building codes say unlimited height in the core.

[NW Mike]

Here are a few posts that I put in the Skyscraperpage forum *Everett Developments*

EVERETT - Skotdal Real Estate plans to build 200 condominiums and apartments along with retail space in a seven-story development on the site of the old Elks Club during the next year.

The project represents the largest private investment so far in downtown, according to Craig Skotdal, and is part of a wave of new housing developments expected in central Everett in the coming years.

"We are committed to helping Everett become a vibrant urban center where people can live, work and socialize in one great place," Skotdal, president of the family-owned real estate firm, said in announcing the project.

He noted the still-unnamed, multimillion-dollar development effectively will double the amount of market-rate housing available downtown, providing a big boost to the city's goal of encouraging urban living.

"Bringing 300 people back to the heart of the city will also provide a nice boost for retail and restaurants," Skotdal added.

Members of the Everett Elks Club agreed in 2004 to sell the property at the corner of Rucker Avenue and California Street on which the organization built its large lodge in the early 1960s. Featuring ballrooms, kitchens, a swimming pool and a gymnasium, the 50,000-square-foot building had become too large for the club, which has grappled with declining membership.

Last year, the Elks announced plans to build a new five-story building with the club's new lodge, nine condominiums and underground parking at the nearby corner of California and Hoyt Avenue.

Once the Skotdal company takes over ownership of the old Elks Club later this year, construction will start. If all goes according to schedule, the units could be ready at about the same time as the first phase of condos being built on Everett's waterfront, Craig Skotdal said.

As for how many of the 200 units in the Skotdal project will be condos and how many will be apartments, Craig Skotdal said that will depend on the market demand at the time. No price or rental rate range for the units has been set, he said.

Skotdal Real Estate owns a considerable amount of property downtown, including the 14-story Everett Mutual Tower - the city's tallest privately owned building - and the 63-unit Peninsula Apartments building. As with the Peninsula, the company intends to use a 10-year property tax exemption as an incentive to developing new urban housing.

Craig Skotdal said the incentive, the continuation of which is being debated by the Everett City Council, benefits the city by raising the values of surrounding properties and attracting new residents who spend money in the area.

Topping out at seven stories at its highest point, the new development's units will range in size from studios to two-bedroom spaces. It also will be the first new project downtown to feature street-level flats and townhouses with elevated stoops, Craig Skotdal said.

"If you think of a brownstone back in New York City, that's kind of the effect they're going for," said Allan Giffen, director of Everett's planning department.

The north end of the development will face the Everett Public Library, and Skotdal Real Estate plans to create a public area with new retail space near the library's entrance.

Giffen, who's seen some of Skotdal Real Estate's concepts for the development, said the company intends to submit its land-use application soon. Approval of that would be needed before construction.

But city officials seem happy with Skotdal's intentions for the property.

"It brings exactly what we're looking for together with a developer we know will do a supreme job," said Karen Shaw, the city's director of economic development and human needs.

Focusing on the Rucker Avenue development means Skotdal will develop a 19-story, mixed use building it's planned at the corner of Wetmore and Hewitt at a later date.

With the Skotdal project and a host of others planned, downtown Everett's number of residents could grow by 1,000 in the near future. Right now, about 3,000 residents live in the downtown area, according to the city.

Reporter Eric Fetters Everett Herald



'Major growth phase'
The county plans to spend $33 million on park projects this year.

EVERETT - After years of saving up cash, Snohomish County is set for a record season of parks construction.

Officials have budgeted $33 million toward parks this year, including $11 million in parks payments expected from King County's Brightwater sewage treatment plant in Maltby.

"We are in a major growth phase," parks and recreation director Tom Teigen said. "It's the launching point for this next generation of parks."

Officials have set aside $10 million to begin construction on three major parks in the unincorporated areas of Lynnwood, Lake Stevens and Paine Field.

Developer fees and real estate taxes from the county's housing boom help pay for the work. Grants also have filled the coffers, and it's time to spend the money.

"This is the biggest year we have ever had," said Marc Krandel, parks planning supervisor.

The money will build the county park system's first skateboard park - to be located at Martha Lake Airport park - and an amphitheater at Willis Tucker park.

Funding also will build soccer and baseball fields, trails, restrooms and picnic shelters.

"The county has made significant purchases of land in the past, and they were sitting fallow waiting for the right time to develop," County Executive Aaron Reardon said.

"As you're seeing the growth in Snohomish County, you're seeing the investment in the land, making it more conducive to an active lifestyle in those high density areas."

Another $5 million is expected in 2008 to extend the Centennial Trail from Arlington to Skagit County.

All the park money coming together at once is rare, and an opportunity, Teigen said.

Teigen, hired this year, is bringing a business spin to managing the county parks system. He said the only magazine subscription he's had for years is Harvard Business Review.

"We are a business that's tied to quality of life and environmental sustainability," Teigen said.

Teigen is working on a new concept to leverage those dollars by bringing in support from sports leagues, dog owners and nature lovers.

Deals with volunteer groups could be on the horizon to help maintain a variety of county parks, and ease the county's costs.

Teigen said county employees are buying into giving visitors the "Nordstrom experience" marked by good customer service.

He's also teaming up with city parks directors so the county's park systems work together and complement each other, he said.

Teigen sees a future with an increasingly urban county clamoring for ball fields and hiking trails. Based on his experience in King County, Teigen said synthetic turf and lights are the best way to get the most use out of the fields.

All told, the county has nearly 10,000 acres of passive and active park land. Park construction in future decades depends on how much land officials can find and purchase.

That's not easy when land prices are through the roof, and parks departments must compete with housing developers, officials said.

"There are a couple of properties that we offered $400,000 for in 1997 and there was no deal, and now they're asking in excess of $4 million," Teigen said.

By Jeff Switzer Herald Staff writer

More Hotel rooms are coming to Snohomish County. Great economy is pushing Developers to start building now.
Article in the Herald talking about growth of Hotel Occupancy in Snohomish County.
http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/...us_inns001.cfm


Please bring Back the Street Cars!!

Seattle Times Article
Everett examines bringing streetcars back to the city
Electric trolleys first appeared on Everett streets in 1893, eventually linking all of the young city's bayside and riverfront neighborhoods with the commerce of Broadway and downtown.

Now the city is studying the wisdom — and affordability — of creating a new streetcar system to connect major economic and employment centers throughout the greater downtown area.

"We need some way of tying together the biggest economic development the city has seen since the days of Charles Colby and Henry Hewitt," said City Councilman Mark Olson.

Colby and Hewitt avenues, named for those civic founders, are among the major routes under study by the city's San Francisco-based consulting firm, Nelson\Nygaard.

As in the city's early days, the major changes are happening along the water, with a pair of planned public-private developments each worth an estimated $400 million. It would take nearly nine miles of streetcar rail to link them.

The city's saltwater bayside at the foot of 13th Street will sprout the Port Gardner Wharf project, which is to include restaurants, condos, retail and office space. A similar mix of developments is to be built along a two-mile stretch of the Snohomish River, centered around 41st Street.

Nelson\Nygaard is expected to report back to the City Council in June or July with results from the second phase of its $112,700 contract, this time focusing on system costs and funding options.

In addition to the waterfront links, the consultant is looking at a possible streetcar line running between downtown and Everett Community College, along a Colby route that also would serve Providence Everett Medical Center.

Portland kicked off a national streetcar craze with a system credited with reviving its trendy Pearl District neighborhood. Billions of dollars have been invested in redevelopment projects along that streetcar line, said Tom Brennan, a principal of Nelson\Nygaard.

"When they first built the streetcar, it literally was chugging through vacant rail yards ... in the middle of nowhere," he said. "If you ride the line today, it's 20- and 30-story buildings."
Nearly 50 cities — including Boston, Atlanta and Detroit — are studying or building streetcar projects, he said. Seattle modeled its Lake Union streetcar after Portland's as well. That 1.3-mile line between the lake's south end and Westlake Center is expected to be finished by fall.

"It's kind of exciting stuff," said Drew Nielsen, an Everett councilman. "We don't know whether it's financially feasible at this point, but we're certainly interested."

Economically, Brennan said, the most feasible first phase would be laying rail between the Everett Station and downtown — perhaps ending at the key intersection of Colby and Hewitt. That route would pass by the Everett Events Center, itself a major redevelopment force, and could later be extended south along Smith Avenue to the riverfront project.

Brennan also likes the idea of linking downtown with Everett Community College and the hospital, because developers of future downtown apartments and condos could tout ease of access to jobs and the campus.

The bayside segment would be the most expensive, he said. It would run along the industrial Marine View Drive, which currently lacks many points of interest.

Cost estimates are not ready for the Everett options, he said, but Portland's costs have averaged about $14 million per mile. If two sets of tracks are needed, for two-way traffic, then it doubles to $28 million.

Funding options include creating a local improvement district, which would tax property owners, or pursuing grants through the Federal Transit Administration, which awards up to $75 million for streetcar projects.

But pursuing — and spending — federal funds can add years to the development process, warned both Brennan and Tom Hingson, Everett's transportation-services director.

If the city decides to pursue a streetcar system, the next steps would include choosing its image and appearance.

Portland opted for a sleek, modern look, while other cities prefer a historic image. San Francisco, for instance, has been buying and restoring old trolleys from around the world, Brennan said.

Councilman Olson has a soft spot for that Bay Area cable-car system.

"It's a more charming, romantic way of getting around town. I thoroughly enjoy riding the streetcars in San Francisco, and usually find a way to do so even if I don't have a particular need to," he said. "It's more Disney than standardized mass transit."

Diane Brooks Seattle Times



Wave of luxury starts with condos on Colby
Everett attracting high-end development

EVERETT - A nine-story building with million-dollar condominiums, offices and street-level retail space soon will start rising on Colby Avenue, part of an impending wave of new development in downtown Everett.

Leasing has begun for Colby Tower, which is being built by Timothy and Donna Corpus. The project's already received its environmental approvals. After the building permit is issued, Timothy Corpus said he hopes to break ground by mid-September at the southwest corner of Colby Avenue and 26th Street.

Colby Tower will include two retail spaces on the ground floor, two-and-a-half floors of parking, three office levels and three floors containing a total of nine luxury condos. Those will boast floor plans of up to 2,000 square feet, high-end refrigerators, granite countertops and other luxury appliances and fixtures. That's not to mention the killer views of the Olympic Mountains and Port Gardner Bay to the west and the Cascades to the east.

"It will definitely be a beautiful building," Corpus said.

The condos will be priced from about $950,000 and up. That's expensive, but Corpus said similarly sized view units in downtown Seattle are selling for a few million dollars.

"He's certainly trying something that hasn't been tried before in downtown Everett," said Dan Gunderson of Windemere Real Estate, which is marketing the units. He added that, after three months of marketing, he has had "dozens of inquiries" and has a list of potential buyers.

The office space will be premium, Class A space, of which there is a shortage in downtown Everett. Corpus said brokers with Grubb & Ellis are talking with national restaurateurs and others interested in the ground-floor space.

The Corpuses are familiar faces in downtown Everett. Donna Corpus is owner of Studio Donna Salon Spa on Colby, and the couple have lived in Everett for years. Timothy Corpus said Everett is no longer being overlooked as an ideal place to live and do business.

"Everett's really positioned to have sustained growth over the coming years, with what's happening with Boeing and the city's unique position geographically," he said. "We've watched the transformation for years now."

They're obviously not alone. When Colby Tower could be finished in early 2009, the first waterfront condos at the Port of Everett's new development could be nearing completion as well.

Also in the next year, Skotdal Real Estate plans to build a seven-story complex with 200 condos and apartments on the Rucker Avenue site of the old Elks Club. Developer Joe Zlab said he's finalizing financing for Rockefeller Square, a 40-unit condo complex on Rockefeller Avenue that he hopes to begin by summer.

Altogether, up to 800 new downtown condos and apartment units are in various stages of planning, not counting the Port of Everett marina project.

[USAPatriot]

I posted that somewhere too, actually, on this thread. Thanks again though.

[CrazyAboutCities]

AWESOME!!!!! That's so cool that Puget Sound is getting more than four skylines! Including Bellevue, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett... Soon will be Federal Way, Lynnwood, and Renton.

[NW Mike]

Story in the Herald today:

EVERETT - Another downtown condo project will benefit from a decade of deep property tax discounts.

Library Place, a seven-story complex with 201 condos and apartments, last week became the fourth project to qualify for the tax break.

The residential building next to the Everett Public Library at 2731 Rucker Ave. would not have been constructed without the incentive, said project developer Craig Skotdal, president of Skotdal Real Estate.

His company estimates the building will cost $30 million to construct.

Everett's tax break program allows qualified condo and apartment owners in the downtown area to skip 10 years of property taxes on the value of eligible new residential buildings, paying taxes only on the land value.

That can translate to more than $1,000 a year in savings per unit.

The program, which was recently extended to 2018, is part of the city's push to increase the number of people living downtown.

Creating a more vibrant, densely populated urban district is a key element to the city's economic development strategy for downtown.

Library Place could bring an additional 300 residents to the heart of the city.

It is expected to lift up a sagging corner of downtown where the Everett Elks Lodge and an assortment of small businesses are now housed in dilapidated buildings.

Members of the Everett Elks Club agreed in 2004 to sell the property at the corner of Rucker Avenue and California Street, including its 50,000-square-foot headquarters.

Skotdal said his company is expected to gain ownership of the property on Sept. 6 and will immediately begin removing asbestos from the Elks building.

No price or rental rate range for the new units has been set, he said.

If all goes according to schedule, people will be able to move in at the same time as condos being built on Everett's waterfront, Skotdal said.

While the program does shift the burden of paying for police, fire protection, schools and other public services to taxpayers elsewhere in the city for 10 years, the impact is small, officials say.

That's because the cost of the reduction is spread over the $11 billion in assessed value citywide.

[citruspastels]

that's pretty brilliant. get the density built and give it a head start with tax breaks while boeing is hot and then it will most likely be sustainable by the time the tax breaks run out and boeing has hit a downturn.

[NW Mike]

I Can almost see this river-front development growing into a district like Portland's new river-front, with a mix of High and mid rises. I hope it will not be all spreading fill like the rest of Everett.


"Snohomish County Business Journal

Changing the face
of Everett’s riverfront
Project to include space to live, shop, enjoy nature

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Two major urban redevelopment projects worth a total of $1 billion are under way in Everett, including Port Gardner Wharf on the west side and the Everett Riverfront on the east.

The wharf development is the Port of Everett’s $500 million makeover of the city’s aging industrial waterfront by Chicago-based Maritime Trust Co. It will create a new, upscale neighborhood of retail stores, condominiums and an expanded marine industry devoted to boaters. Construction has begun on the first of the condominiums and new businesses.

Lesser known is the $500 million riverfront project, fronting on the Snohomish River east of Lowell, that is expected to break ground this summer. That figure does not include nearly $100 million Everett is expected to spend ultimately for its share of developing the municipal site, roads and parks. San Diego, Calif., developer OliverMcMillan expects the new retail and residential center will create a new city gateway community where I-5 passes by the downtown core.

The developer expects the retail center will open by mid- to late-2008, with all of the condominiums completed by 2010. OliverMcMillan said it expects the riverfront to rival Lynnwood’s Alderwood mall to the south and the Tulalip Tribes’ Quil Ceda Village to the north as a major Puget Sound attraction.

“The development will create one of the nation’s largest sustainable lifestyle neighborhoods where people can live, gather, shop, ride bikes, hike trails and kayak on the river.” said Everett’s executive director, Lanie McMullin.

The first tenant, Cinetopia, announced in mid-July it would build a unique, 16-screen movie theater and entertainment complex near the center of the site. Cinetopia promises it will supersede other movie centers by providing a variety of high-end entertainment options in a single facility.

Included will be a Living Room Theater with box seating and a Grand Auditorium, with all theaters offering digital, super-high-definition projectors and deluxe audio equipment. Attractions also will include an art gallery, tropical garden, restaurant and a wine bar with more than 100 different wines and an automated system that informs patrons about the different wines.

“Cinetopia sets the tone for the future development of the riverfront,” said Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson. “Just like this development, Cinetopia is a distinctive, destination-quality attraction.”

“The Everett Riverfront is our perfect location because, like Cinetopia, it will be a one-of-a-kind destination offering the Seattle area a unique shopping, dining and recreational experience,” said Rudyard Coltman, owner and operator of Cinetopia.

Half of the 225-acre site will be filled with up to a million square feet of retail businesses, restaurants, a 100-room hotel and more than 1,000 residential units, from single-family homes to condominiums and town homes, according to current plans. The entrance to the site will be at the new 41st Street and I-5 interchange.

The remainder of the site will be preserved for wetlands, wildlife habitats, riverfront walks and a two-mile-long multi-use trail with views of the river, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and the Cascades.

Tenants for the site will include three major retail anchors, Cinetopia, a bookstore and a sports anchor plus a variety of restaurants, all close to the residential units sited along the river. More than half of the store brands are expected to be new to Snohomish County.

A 1.5-acre outdoor gathering place will be created near the river, featuring a public dock overlooking the river.

“We’re taking a site that was not accessible by car and making it one of the popular areas to go to, a reclaimed riverfront that will become a vibrant, eco-friendly environment,” said Kevin Casey, OliverMcMillan’s development director.

Spurred by the city of Everett, the riverfront venture is the first new commercial development on the site since the Simpson Lee paper mill operated there decades ago, closing in 1972. After the site was reclaimed for development in recent years, the City Council selected OliverMcMillan to develop it and sold the property to the firm earlier this year for $8 million.

Since 1992, the city, state and federal governments have invested $48 million in preparing the site, including $22 million for acquiring the property and the state-mandated cleanup. The other $26 million has been spent on infrastructure for the site, including the new 41st Street overcrossing at I-5. Everett officials estimate a further investment of $30 million to $40 million will be made to finish developing the site, including building city parks.

OliverMcMillan also will be investing heavily for its development of the riverfront, up to $500 million including contributions from tenants developing their own sites. Over a number of years, the city expects to recoup its own investment through revenue from increased sales, property and other taxes."

[CrazyAboutCities]

That is really wonderful news!

[USAPatriot]

Go Everett! Attract businesses and buyers with cheap stuff!

[USAPatriot]

At "The Taste of Edmonds" festival developers were talking about condos, and word broke about a new urban waterfront plan in Edmonds just southwest of downtown Edmonds.

This is the closest of info I could find on anything. My guess is it has not been released yet, but I expect it to be in a local paper soon. Keep your eyes peeled.
http://www.ci.edmonds.wa.us/smp_issues.stm (Link.)

http://www.ci.edmonds.wa.us/plan_div.stm (Man of Edmond's downtown and overall plans.)
Pictures I took below.


Edmonds housing waterfront just west of downtown Edmonds.


Edmonds ferry terminal to Kingston.


Downtown Edmonds round-a-bout.


The condos being built in the backdrop of this scene is near the proposed waterfront plan. It would be underneath those condos on the hill. By the pier park, next to the old oil tank port.


Waterfront plan would be to the left of this image.


Now this part is not fact, but that empty land seen here in this image to the left of the image, I'd assume would be part of the waterfront plan. They would build mixed commerical and housing here.

No High-rises planned in Edmonds. They want to keep those waterfront views for everyone, and I would not blame them. Very nice views.

[sequoias]

They should get rid of Kimbery-Clark right next to Everett Naval Station. The reason why? The smell is terrible and it's not good location for that. I could smell it when I am at work at Everett Naval Station, it smells like rotten eggs thing. It would help residential development a lot if they get rid of that stinky factory. I can't imagine them building a waterfront marina/residence, etc. not far from that factory and the new residents having to smell that. The complaints would be terrible for sure!

[CrazyAboutCities]

Good idea. If they don't get rid of it, it would hurt sales for sure since no one wants to live near to factory or smell it at their homes.

[taiwanesedrummer36]

They really should get rid of that Kimberly-Clark plant. Does that plant really pump money into the local economy? I think a major mixed-use development or a waterfront park would be much better and bring in more people to the deserted Everett waterfront. The only problem is the Naval Station is only a couple of yards away. Does the Navy have restrictions on developments near its base?

[taiwanesedrummer36]

Also, about Edmonds: I recently read maybe a couple months or years ago that the city of Edmonds was planning to redevelop the Highway 99 area into a "retail, entertainment, hotel, and hospital district(s)". The most distinct part of the plan includes turning the area of Highway 99 between 220th St. and 240th St. into a "International District", in part of the many Asian establishments currently exisiting along the roadway. Does anyone else know more about this plan?

[sequoias]

Originally Posted by taiwanesedrummer36

They really should get rid of that Kimberly-Clark plant. Does that plant really pump money into the local economy? I think a major mixed-use development or a waterfront park would be much better and bring in more people to the deserted Everett waterfront. The only problem is the Naval Station is only a couple of yards away. Does the Navy have restrictions on developments near its base?

I'm not sure about the navy restrictions on development next to the base. I see lot of development near to ft. lewis/mcchord airforce base south of Tacoma, so I guess not.

I see people walking over the skybridge over marine blvd commuting to work at kimbery-clark. The car parking lot is across the street from that plant so, its possible it pumps a lot to the local economy due to lot of employees and its a really huge plant, too.

[USAPatriot]

Also read below at this article. It's a joke when you see it on the ballets this November. Don't vote for it. I also posted it in two other threads it applys too.


Don't believe the hype: Tri-county transit package is flawed
By Jim MacIsaac
Special to The Times



DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Northbound Interstate 5 is congested much of the day.
In November, voters in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties will decide on a joint roads-and-transit package that seeks all-or-nothing approval of new taxes to support the transportation needs of the three-county region.

What is touted as a "balanced" roads and transit package is anything but. (Never mind that we currently are spending 52 percent of every transportation tax dollar in this region on public transit.) A zeal for expanding Sound Transit's light-rail system (Sound Transit 2, or ST2) has doubled the transit "half" of the combined package. The roads-and-transit package will cost $38.1 billion through 2027, with $14.5 billion going toward the Regional Transportation Investment District (roads) and $23.6 billion toward ST2.

While the RTID program will be completed and its bonds will be paid off by 2037, ST2 will have debt and large ongoing operations and maintenance costs that will likely require that taxpayers keep paying for ST2 through 2057.

If the roads-and-transit package is approved, it means Sound Transit's Sound Move (ST1) sales tax levy will be extended. By 2057, Sound Transit will have collected a whopping $141 billion in extended ST1 plus ST2 local tax revenues. In the combined RTID/ST2 package, only 10 percent of the total revenue is dedicated to roads.

In talking about its light-rail expansion, Sound Transit hasn't been accurate or forthcoming about the true costs and projected effect on congestion. I've spent the past two years closely examining ST2 and cutting through Sound Transit's financial fog and rosy talk. Here is what I've discovered:

• The real cost to households is extremely high. Sound Transit claims that the per-household costs of the roads-and-transit package will be $150 per year plus $80 per vehicle. This is a lowball estimate that claims only 40 percent of sales-tax revenues are paid by household taxpayers and consumers. The combined ST1, ST2 and RTID taxes will actually be $888 per household in 2008 and then inflate at Sound Transit's estimated 5.2 percent annually thereafter.

• ST2 light rail will have minimal impact on our region's traffic congestion. Sound Transit claims that its ST2 light rail will greatly reduce congestion. But the ST2 plan will result in a minuscule 0.5 percent shift of the region's estimated 16.4 million person-trips a day to transit by 2030.

• Sound Transit's claim that ST2 transit will serve 40 percent of all peak-period trips is a huge exaggeration. ST means that, by 2030, transit will serve 40 percent of work trips to downtown Seattle, where only 10 percent of the region's jobs are located. It will serve 9 percent of all other Seattle work trips, but only 2 percent of the work trips for the rest of the region, where 70 percent of the region's jobs are located. It's unconscionable and inexcusable to put forth what is essentially a Seattlecentric light-rail plan that will serve only a small portion of the region's work force.

• The ST2 light-rail program will run where express buses currently operate. That in itself is mind-boggling. Why would you remove an effective transit mode and replace it with an expensive mode that will hardly reduce congestion?

• In its exuberance to maximize light rail, the Sound Transit board eliminated 27 of 33 proposed Regional Express Bus (REx) projects and 11 of 18 Sounder commuter-rail projects that were in the January 2005 ST2 project list draft. The shift from the REx projects in effect eliminated the Bus Rapid Transit program for the heavily used Interstate 405/Highway 167 corridor.

If approved, the RTID/ST2 package will hamper the ability of the governor and Legislature to enact any statewide transportation packages for many years.

There is a better solution to our region's transportation problems than what ST2 offers. The combination of a freeway high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) network (which is approaching completion) and well-funded and coordinated local bus systems (including Bus Rapid Transit enhancements) can do far more to alleviate our congestion problems than light rail can, at one-tenth the cost. It makes sense to continue expanding the bus-transit system that has placed our region eighth in the nation in share of work trips served by public transit.

Voters in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties should reject the flawed RTID-ST2 proposal and demand that our region's transportation leaders immediately craft a more-sensible, cost-efficient package that will accomplish our top transportation priority — reducing highway congestion.

Jim MacIsaac is a professional transportation engineer who has spent 45 years in the planning of the Puget Sound region's transportation systems.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

[taiwanesedrummer36]

Thank GOD somebody has a brain! None of the money from that package will improve the big-daddy of transportation problems, Interstate 5. I really doubt light rail will help, since it won't even reach Everett, where I live.