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Confusion In The Community – What The Public Thinks Of Sound Transit Over Future CID Station

Sound Transit CID Station

Photo: The March 23rd Sound Transit meeting turned into dueling rallies between Pro 4th Ave station (left) and CID Alliance (right) over the location of the future CID station.

By Connor Nash

Like many government board meetings, the Sound Transit meetings are scheduled at a time that the vast majority of the community would be unable to make it, the 3rd Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm. For the March meeting, the Union Station room was fully packed far before the start time, with only standing room available by 1 pm.

There were distinct groups, and each had its own swag and posters for supporters to carry or wear. Red “Midtown/4th Ave” posters were everywhere, with over 50 people waving signs at the beginning of the meeting. Over a dozen people had homemade Pro North/South posters with an anti-displacement message. Finally, a dozen supporters of the Mayor’s Terry Ave station proposal wore Red “Don’t Kill SLU” stickers.

Each faction was determined to have the board listen and vote for their station plan. The mood in the room was cordial but tense since the board’s decision would have a massive impact on the city for the “next 100 years,” as one public commentator put it.

Before the public comment period started, King County Executive Dow Constantine told the audience that the public comment period was extended to 90 minutes; in an attempt to accommodate all the constituents who signed up.

Nearly half the people who signed up were unable to speak.

In the first section of the meeting, supporters of the North/South CID stations dominated the public comment. The concerns of the North/South supporters included a decade of construction, gentrification concerns, and potential destruction of the CID community.

Mike Vu, the owner of Itsumono, said in his public comment, “The last three years have been difficult for business owners in our district… to ask for another 9-11 years…will close more businesses down.”

Once Vu finished, members of the CID Alliance waved their “Pro North/South” sign, provided by Binko Chiong-Bisbee, owner of Kobo at Higo. Chiong-Bisbee echoed many of the concerns of the proposed 4th Ave station, stating “Once the CID is hollowed out with ten years of construction and traffic diversion it will be a shadow of what it is today.”

Younger members of the CID Alliance also spoke on the potential destruction of a culturally significant neighborhood.

After many CID Alliance members spoke on their equity message, a large group of the elderly Pro-4th Ave attendees left in an orderly commotion. This walkout may have been caused by the significant number of Pro North/South people speaking at the beginning.

After the walkout, most of the speakers were either Pro 4th Ave or Pro Terry Ave station.

The Pro 4th Ave speakers were also in lock step with their public comment, focusing on how the elderly would easily use the 4th Ave station, greater economic revitalization for CID from transit riders, and a more convenient route for riders compared to the North/South option.

Betty Lau, a long-time resident of CID, told the board “Don’t leave out the seniors who are in the audience here now or in the future…We cannot have one Seattle if CID and Midtown are skipped. You’ll have two Seattles; the haves and the have-nots.”

During his public comment, Brien Chow, co-founder of Transit Equity for All, told Sound Transit what many in the community think of their preferred station option.

  • 5,153 Move Forward on 4th petition signatures
  • 2,116 Action network Letters in supporting 4th Ave
    • 1,358 from CID community members
  • 44+ businesses and the Chinatown BIA supporting the 4th Ave station

“This board should follow the will of the majority because your own study show [4th ave] is the only station that provides the connection and access for everybody in the region,” said Chow.

Amy Chen-Lozano of Transit Equity for All (pro 4th Ave) had the most direct comment to supporters of the North/South option. “I have never seen our CID thrive. Our neighborhood deserves to thrive. We deserve reinvestment. We deserve revitalization. Please do not allow fearmongers to prevent progress.”

I asked afterward who are the fearmongers, and Chen-Lozano said she was referring to the CID Alliance. She said that their fears are “not unfounded” and “rooted in history,” but “at some point, you need to come up with an actual solution.”

Many organizations in CID, and greater Seattle, spoke in support of the 4th Ave option including; the owner of Uwajimaya, Chinatown International District BIA, SCIDpda, Pioneer Square BIA, and First Hill BIA, Seattle Subway.

By the end of the 90 minutes, 59 people spoke; 30 supported 4th Ave station, 19 supported North/South, and 18 supported Terry Ave (2 had other opinions or were difficult to understand). 46 people did not speak in the allotted time, which led to one person to yell “Schedule your meetings better!” A statement I doubt no one in the audience disagreed with.

After a lengthy Executive Session, the board was back to discuss and vote on the proposals. Mayor Harrel spoke on his amendment to advance both the North/South proposal and the 4th Ave proposal, along with his plan for a Terry Ave station. Although North/South and 4th Ave were in this amendment, Harrel was extremely supportive of the North/South option stating,

“Because of a lot of the testimony you heard, but in terms of my own political and personal experience in my commitment to CID to make sure we do not harm…We asked this community…to take the brunt of the construction impact. I believe the North/South option is a viable alternative worth of exploration.”

Both pro-4th Ave speakers and pro-North/South speakers talked about equity and fairness in the community during their comments. Harrel seemed to only listen to the minority opinion of North/South supporters instead of the plurality of 4th Ave speakers in attendance.

In what feels like a consultation prize for the 4th Ave station support, Sound Transit voted on a plan to work with Seattle and King County about the future of Union and King St Station (since the 4th ave option would revitalize them). Sound Transit staff are direct “to clarify the potential scope and schedule of such improvements as well as funding and partnership opportunities; and to conduct further community engagement.”

What further improvements could help two underutilized train stations outside of a new Sound Transit station is still to be determined and I believe the community has been engaged a lot in the past few years about what they want from Sound Transit. But the community will be engaged with more by sound Transit.

By the end of the meeting, the board simultaneously made big decisions and kicked the can down the road for a final decision. Everything seemed to stay the same by the end of the meeting, keeping the “Confusion in the Community.”

By Connor Nash

Low Income $1 Fare Expanding to Pierce Transit Soon

Pierce Transit Bus Seattle

The $1 low-income fare is soon coming to Pierce Transit as well. The Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners recently approved a proposal to finally join Seattle’s ORCA LIFT program for low-income fares. The unanimous vote extended Pierce Transit’s low-income fare services to all areas that use ORCA with the exception of Washington State Ferries. ORCA LIFT fare for Pierce Transit will just be $1.

Other transport companies currently running the program include Sound Transit Services, King County Metro, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit, Seattle Streetcar, and other intra-county ferries. Pierce Transit plans to start charging the $1 low-income fare starting from April 1, 2023.

The proposal was presented to the board by the senior planner at Pierce Transit, Lanai Tua. According to statistics, 2% of Pierce Transit users are riders who already carry the ORCA LIFT card since they frequently transfer between Sound Transit and Pierce Transit. In a recent poll, 88% of respondents supported PT’s change while just 2% opposed the idea.

Almost 30% of the respondents are already users of the ORCA LIFT program. There was only one public hearing testifier, Laura Svancarek who lives in Downtown-On-The-Go. She fully supported Pierce Transit’s decision to join the ORCA low-income fare program.

The low-income fare program has been gaining ground for some time now. The Sound Transit Board made a decision to make its $1 fares permanent at the end of January this year. This was after the company’s pilot program had reduced the low-income fare to a dollar.

The ORCA LIFT low-income fare has been welcomed by many across Seattle. You qualify for the low-income fare if you are aged between 19 and 64 and if your income falls under 200% of the federal poverty level. The qualification provides you with the chance to pay $1 in fare for a period of one year and can be renewed annually.

If you are above 65 years old, you are entitled to the Regional Reduced Fare Permit, which has the same low fares as the low-income fare program. Children and other riders below 19 years ride free because of the new state grants offered to transit. The grant is offered to every public transport company that accepts the ORCA LIFT program, except the Seattle Center Monorail which charges $1.75 for riders aged between 6 and 18.

The ORCA LIFT program was launched in 2015 by King County Metro, Seattle Streetcars, and Link Light Rail. The low-income fare program had been around for years. Kitsap Transit had been running its own low-income fare program from as far back as 1985. Kitsap Transit was used as a model for the ORCA LIFT program.

There are still other transit services that charge over $1 for low-income riders, such as Seattle King County Ferries, Community Transit, Seattle Center Monorail, and Kitsap fast Ferries for their westbound services.

Low-income fares are also not unique to Seattle. They are available in other cities including New York City, Miami, Dallas, Jacksonville, Columbus, Portland, Denver, Salt Lake City, San Francisco Bay Area, and Austin just to mention a few.

Photo is provided by Atomic Taco

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Seattle’s Free Riders Are Creating a Strain on the City’s Transit System

Sound Transit Map

Passengers who refuse to pay for the city’s transit system are causing problems. A recent study showed that almost two-thirds of all passengers in Seattle are free riders.

Most stations lack turnstiles. This being the case, passengers have to either buy tickets or use pre-paid cards as they enter the station. As a result of the low number of users who are willing to pay, only 5% of the system’s operating costs are covered by fares, a far cry from the required 40% by Sound Transit.

The departing CEO of Sound Transit, Peter Rogoff gave a succinct summary of the issue at a recent Board meeting. “Our fee collecting system depends largely on an honor system,” he stated. “And our extremely severe issue is that our passengers aren’t following the system.”

Estimates show that close to 70% of passengers in the city ride free. This is just an estimate because fare enforcement measures have not yet been implemented. In the wake of a study revealing a disparity in the amount of money fined to passengers of color, Sound Transit eliminated its fare enforcement officers.

There’s however a new “fare ambassadors” system currently in place. If you’re on the light rail system, you’ll only see a few of these vehicles. The fare ambassadors’ approach only works on 2 percent of all the transit system users. They currently only work with 2% of all riders.

When fare ambassadors board a train, they inquire as to whether or not passengers have paid their fare. Usually, not everyone has. Rather than removing ticket evaders off the train, fare ambassadors begin the conversation by requesting proof of identity. It is hard to issue a warning since 76 percent of the free-riders fail to present a valid ID.

Prior to issuing the first fine, Sound Transit provides two warnings to the offender. However, penalties are seldom issued and even less commonly paid due to a lack of identity. Fare ambassadors may not be able to persuade many free riders to pay their fare, but they do gather useful information about them. Non-payers are compelled to provide personal information such as their home address, race, and gender.

Councilmember Reagan Dunn views the lack of enforcement as only a piece of the greater issue in the transportation system in King County. “We are currently experiencing a form of decriminalization of many things, including farebox recovery and even failure to register known sex offenders under the pretext of equity and social justice,” said Dunn. “And the result is an increase in crime”.

Several additional light rail systems, like those in Portland, Denver, and Dallas, depend on the honor system. The first time a fare evader is found, they are all going to impose substantial penalties.

A majority of the Sound Transit Board do not show a lot of concern for the decreased fare collection problem. Claudia Balducci is one of the few who applaud the nonchalant approach of the ticket ambassador. “It’s less scary for people to utilize our system because of the lack of fare enforcement,” said Balducci.

The Sound Transit Board’s only Republican, Bruce Dammeier, says taxpayers who paid more than $168 billion for the system are being scammed. “This is the largest waste of money we’ve ever seen,” said Bruce Dammeier.

Photo: “Sound Transit System Map” by Oran Viriyincy is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0

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Staying Safe on the Road as Seattle’s Wet Season Returns

Seattle Rain Wet Roads

Whether this is your first or umpteenth season driving in Seattle rain, be warned that, according to the Washington State Patrol, collisions are most prevalent on Western Washington roads following the first rain after a long dry spell.

The region’s wet season has begun, with up to 2 inches of rain anticipated between Friday and early Monday on 21st September in the Seattle area.

The first fall rain sends a summer’s worth of lost oils and fluids to the road’s surface, making the road slippery and traction tricky. People seem to have forgotten how to drive in the rain after a long dry spell, says Trooper Rick Johnson.

He noted that it is not uncommon for traffic collisions and disasters to occur all across the region once the rainy season arrives for the first time.

Winter Forecast: How About Some Rain and Snow?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced its updated winter prediction for the country on Thursday 17th September and offered some excellent news for those who enjoy cool, wet – or possibly even snowy – winters.

Long-range forecasts are increasingly confident that a large portion of the Pacific Northwest – particularly Western Washington – is on track to see a cooler and wetter than average winter season.

For the Seattle area, analysts believe there is a better than 40% likelihood of the overall temperature ranging about 0.75 degrees below usual, a roughly 33% possibility of temperature averages falling within 3/4 of a degree, and a 20% chance of a warmer than average winter. There is a similarly high degree of certainty that rainfall will exceed normal — at least 2 inches or more than the standard 3 inches of winter rainfall.

When these two factors are combined, the likelihood of lowland snow events increases-though the danger is still relatively low, just not as low – and this provides an optimistic picture for the ski season. The estimates are based on the rising evidence that the world will experience La Nina conditions for the second consecutive winter, dubbed a “Double Dip” La Nina, with an 80 percent probability of La Nina arriving by winter.

La Nina occurs when the central Pacific Ocean’s waters become colder than usual, initiating a cascade of global weather conditions. One result is that the jet stream is shifted northward to suck up cooler air, which is then pushed into the Pacific Northwest, keeping us chilly and wet during the winter.

Last winter saw above-average precipitation, a healthy snowpack coupled with a lowland snowstorm. While the La Nina prediction does not ensure a similar outcome, the odds are stacked in favor of it.

Keeping Yourself Safe on the Road

After a rainstorm, rainwater can form large puddles and a slick road surface. This makes the slightest error, or even momentary hesitation, lead to a total loss of control.

“We’re lousy drivers in general and things get a lot worse in the rain,” says the Chief Executive Officer of the Driver Training Group, Joe Giammona.

To stay safe in Seattle’s rain, the Washington State Department of Transportation reminds drivers to reduce speed even while driving a 4-wheel SUV, maintain a longer following distance, use headlights at all times, inspect tire treads and ensure that your windshield wiper fluid is fully charged before the rainy season officially begins.

You can also leave early and provide enough travel time to avoid feeling rushed. If you’re annoyed or angry, pull over and take a break, as this is frequently when people are tempted to make a poor decision.

Photo: “After the rain” by user kewing is licensed with CC BY-NC 2.0.

How To Get Around The Emerald City

Getting Around Seattle - Transportation

Like any major city, getting from point A to point B comes with hectic street ways, pedestrian filled sidewalks, bumper to bumper traffic, and of course road-raged civilians. Do not be weary, Seattle has a way around this. From mass transportation to private car services, you’ll be where you need to be in a jiffy.

Link Light Rail
For those commuting to Downtown Seattle and wanting to avoid the high levels of morning interstate traffic, the Link is an easy and affordable way to get on your way. Travelling between University of Washington Station and Angle Lake Station, there are 14 stops, running about every 6, 10, or 15 minutes. Plan your trip ahead of time for easy travelling! The Link even voyages through the Sea-Tac area, making a straightforward commute for your airport needs. Fares: $2.25-$3.25

Streetcars
This quick and easy way to get around Seattle is an electric, earth friendly choice of commuting. There are currently two Streetcars, with lines located in South Lake Union and First Hill. Learn how to ride and track these Streetcars here. Taking ORCA cards, credit cards, and cash, paying for your trip is easy.

Monorail
The Seattle Center Monorail runs along a mile long stretch from the Westlake Center Mall station (located in the Westlake Center Mall’s upper floor) to the Seattle Center Station (located right by the Space Needle). One-way fares cost only $1.25-$2.50 and children under 4 ride free! When riding the monorail, remember to always have cash on you, since they do not accept ORCA cards or other forms of payment besides cash.

The Sounder
The Sounder trains commute between Everett and Seattle, and Lakewood, Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent, Tukwila, and Seattle. These trains run Monday through Friday during peak hours and some weekends depending on events happening in Seattle. For an every weekday commuter, the Sounder is probably the best option for you. Large parking lots are available at every station for your convenience. Ticket vending machines are located at every station for easy ticket purchasing. ORCA cards are accepted to ride the Sounder, and may make sense for an everyday passenger (you’ll save money this way). Take your bike on the train with you for a free commute from your destination train station to your office. Planning on going to Saturday or Sunday’s Seattle sporting event? — look no further, ride the train with your fellow sports fans.

Buses
The King County Metro Transit allows for easy and affordable commuting within the city. The Metros website has a user friendly Trip Planner to help find bus stops and departure times near you. Individual bus stops have signs of the route and fare pertaining to that specific time and run. Peak run times have ticket prices ranging from $1.00-$3.25, while non-peak time prices are $1.00-$2.75. An Access Pass can be purchased, allowing unlimited rides for $63.00/month.

Zipcar
Need a car in a pinch but don’t want the hassle of rental car paperwork?—Zipcar is just around the corner. Joining Zipcar can be easily done on your phone or computer. Driving plans range from occasional, monthly, or extra driving plans. Rates range from $7.75/hr and $73/day to $6.98/hr and $65.70/day. Gas and insurance included with all plans as well.

Uber/Lyft
Perhaps one of the most popular car services in the US, including Seattle, is Uber — with Lyft following close behind. At the tap of a button on your smartphone, a care can be out front of your location in two minutes. Just download the app, plug in your credit card information, and the rest is easy. Uber’s cars can fit all your needs with UberX (the least expensive), UberXL (seats at least 6 passengers), UberSelect (a luxury sedan), or UberBLACK (their most luxurious service). Lyft’s services include Lyft Premier (a high-end, four seater), Lyft Lux (a black car service), and Lyft Lux SUV (a black SUV with up to 6 passengers). For a short ride home from the airport, or a longer ride across town, Uber or Lyft can get you there.

Wherever it is that you’re going in Seattle, getting there swiftly and painlessly, will be no problem for you.
For more resources on Seattle Transportation, please visit: https://www.visitseattle.org/visitor-information/getting-around/

Vote no on the $930 Million dollar Levy in November

Seattle Levy Vote No

LIONS (transportation levy) TIGERS (Tunnel flooperoo), & BEARS (Seawall) – OH MY
Your tax dollars are heading right for the RABBIT HOLE(Taxpayer sinkhole)

The very reason to vote NO for the transportation levy is the city/county/state etc have no idea what they are going to spend it on. That is just to large an amount to ask for with all the problems they are having with the money they have been given to build a tunnel and a seawall. When they passed the car tab fee raise they admitted afterwards they didn’t know whether to buy new buses or shorten time between trips etc. In other words we gave a huge chunk to “kids to go to toys R us” and decide what THEY WANT to spend it on. Not fair to taxpayers to pay for ten years on a $930 million dollar levy and we won’t even know as they spend it where its going. They are still doling out favors from the Bridging the Gap we have been paying on for years. Right in my neighborhood they just handed out $1.3 million to start a festival street in Georgetown. So they have had plenty of money and don’t know what to do with it. Make them split the $930 million up into different levy’s. How much for streets, how much for bridges, etc. Their record of the Tunnel and Seawall should be enough to make you know they can’t handle taxpayers money wisely if they are not held accountable for anything. The City Council and the Mayor have lied to us and to each other and that should weigh in too.

A completely unrelated story brought up my reason to write this article. The headline said, “School districts attorney to retire”. He wants to spend more time with his family. In the fine print it tells how he has been on administrative leave since February because of undisclosed reasons and was on leave when he gave notice he was retiring. His name is Ron English. It said investigation is closed. I.e. he has been on paid leave but when time to face the music he retired. He will have a clean record and can just more on to another job, and all is forgotten. Same thing with Lois Lerner at the IRS. When you are caught red handed just retire. The reason this jogged my memory is about the ex Governor Gregoire when she was pushing the Hi Way 99 Tunnel. The public didn’t want it. they wanted a surface street, but the governor raved and ranted about how she had studied the contract and the taxpayers never have to pay for any cost over runs, or any problems along the way. She stressed over and over that is was an iron clad deal. Almost like cross my heart and hope to die promise lol but she knew it was a lie but she would be long gone and not accountable or have to do any explaining at all.

Now on to the tunnel. It was forced on the taxpayers. As of June the state has paid $1.04 billion (with a B) of its $1.35 billion tunnel contract which included the price of the machine. Berth’s price new was $80 million. For all of that money what do we have? Bertha sitting in her grave a/k/a knows as the tunnel. This broken down machine has traveled 1,083 feet of its 9,270 foot path. Insurer’s are now saying Bertha’s design was inadequate from the start. They are refusing to pay $143 million to repair an $80 million dollar machine. Its like spending $20,000 to fix a $10,000 new car. We would go for the lemon law and get rid of the lemon for sure.

Oh well, not to worry. If Voters are stupid enough to pass the $930 million levy in Nov. the Mayor can just piddle it away trying to get the work at the tunnel going again. Lawmakers approved $2 Billion tunnel project to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct that they said would fall down almost immediately but that was several years ago and the tunnel has made it even worse and the also forgot to give much thought to buses. Now they realize with the money almost gone the tunnel design will actually hinder buses. When they try to exit to downtown Seattle they will have to weave across two lanes of general traffic. The Mayor will have some experts look at it(we pay them high fees). The viaduct is sinking, streets are sinking, water pipes are bursting. Those are just the things we have found about accidentally with some good reporters work. The stuff we are not hearing about is far worse I am sure. This is the only chance to get Bertha out of the tunnel(if that is even possible now), because if she gets moving she will be under historic buildings and no place to build another repair pit if she breaks down again. This has been a total sinkhole for tax dollars. No one person is accountable. They will start to sue each other and it will cost millions in legal fees, fines and penalties. Don’t be fooled as to who pays for all of that, WE THE TAXPAYERS. No lawmaker, worker or expert will have to pay a dime. If they do find someone they can sort of blame he/she will retire to spend more time with their family and get a pension or bonus for the hard work they have given.

Now to the Seawall. Seattle Times headlines were, “Mayor said the $71 million in cost overruns can be covered with unallocated source of funds”. Where were those funds sitting when he asked for the amount for the seawall?. He asked the taxpayers for $71 million more than he needed. We have been paying higher property tax for him to stuff under his mattress or put in his piggy bank. NOW IS THE TIME FOR TAXPAYERS TO ASK HOW MANY MORE MILLIONS ARE SITTING IN UNALLOCATED FUNDS before we pass any more levy’s. Of course Murrey calls this unfortunate and is going to hire experts to look into what his other experts must have missed. Are you getting the pattern here? Clowns running the circus, monkeys running the zoo?

Voters approved a $290 million bond measure. As of today the cost is $410 million. They have not even started on half of the seawalls length. Mayor Murray knew of this back in June but did not bother to tell the City Council or public.

Do not pass the levy no matter how much you are for transportation or tunnels or seawalls until someone (God only knows who) gives us a clue as to where our levy money is going. That is way too much to let clowns like we have just blow it away on cost overruns, a tunnel that will probably never be finished, a sea wall that may never be finished. Make them break it down where the money they want is going to be spent. make it in millions not billions. There is no way they have a real plan for that much money.
LLL

Car Tabs With The Seattle Council

Seattle Car Tabs Taxes

I thought the City Council worked FOR the voting public. I thought your job was to get the best deal for the taxpayer dollars. I guess I was wrong about that because we were definitely hood winked into passing a $60.00 car tab fee that was to improve transit. It was passed because of the promise that was tacked on that the low income people would get a $20.00 rebate.
Now, you admit that a $20 rebate will cost taxpayers $37.00. That should have been stated on the ballot. Nobody but a fool would approve something like that. Sounds like you are running our transportation money through the Slick Willy, Hillary, Chelsea foundation. They too only give 15% to charity and use the 85% to live like millionaires. Council member Tom Rasmussen who chairs the transportation committee said it seemed high and non profits usually charge 15% for administrative costs but the committee including Jean Godden and Mike O’Brian recommends going forward with it. The advisor to mayor Murray says its expensive to give rebates. Then why would you put on the ballot to give rebates?

They are worried now that not enough people have signed up for reduced fares and rebates etc and are going to spend $718,000 to make sure more people hear about the lower fares. In other words they want to give away as much free stuff or reduced price stuff as they can so these people will vote for them next time. No one is working to use taxpayer money wisely.

The transportation department has NO plan as to how to spend all this money so it doesn’t bother them that a $20.00 will take $37.00 from what the taxpayer’s thought was for transportation, not to buy next election votes. DOT is like a kid with a fist full of money from a birthday party heading for Toys R Us. They don’t know whether to add more rapid rides, reduce time between buses. They should have had a plan before the ballot was presented to be voted on and we should have been told how much you would screw away. Why should we help Wells Fargo bank make money issuing debit cards. With people like this running the show there will never be enough money. Need to get rid of every council member that goes along with this . Someone should demand the $60.00 tab ballot was passed by misleading the public. Enough is enough.

I don’t have a dog in this fight. I don’t drive. But we have one bus in Georgetown that goes every half hour and none that go down highway 99 and to town on 4th. The transportation dept. has the 131 and the 132 go from town to Burien go down 4th, both turn at Michigan and end up in Burien. One of them could come on down the highway and turn on the new South Park bridge and pick up riders all along the highway. I have written to them about that but they are so “extremely” busy they have never answered. Too busy figuring out how to get more money and make other bus routes go every 10 or 15 minutes. I would be happy if I had a bus on the highway that would get me to town or to Burien if it ran once an hour. I am 91 and have to walk clear to 4th and Michigan to get a bus and back home to Corson when it turns to go over the first ave bridge. Usually both big buses are almost empty. One could pick up a few passengers along the highway, but there are none to pick up on the 1st ave bridge or until they get to South Park.

Seattle Ride Sharing Rules Coming Soon

Seattle Ride Share Sevices

December 13, 2012 the City of Seattle Council held a public meeting regarding ride share services. These new services are popping up everywhere now and the taxi drivers are getting mad because they are offering a lower, faster, CHEAPER, and in reality better service.  They are saying they can’t compete and they are not safe ect.  Some of these new services include Sidecar, Lyft and Uber for example. However, city taxis of course are regulated by the city and they want the new ride share services to be also. I certainly can understand that frustration if I was an owner.  The city is holding them back.

As I’ve mentioned several times now on the Emerald Journal when an opportunity presents itself for more tax revenue the Council with certainly take you up on that opportunity. Here is another example of how these services are deemed “illegal” and we need to come up with a “fair” solution to regulate and tax them appropriately.

Seattle talks a big game about wanting riders to share, use buses, bikes, ect but when something new and innovated comes around and provides a real service of doing just that – they are quick to knock it down.  These services are really innovated and have the business down not like the old taxi systems in place.  These companies use apps on their phones, easy to use, and much cheaper.  It’s sad but the reality is that it’s all smoke and mirrors with the City of Seattle Council to make the public opinion positive about them and what they do for the city.

The City is proposing an annual license fee of $50,000 for these companies. Well that sounds “fair” to me (not). That sure is horrible for these companies and obvious sign the City Council is all about regulation, control, and revenue. It’s not about better air, less traffic, or anything like that – it’s about revenue first.  This effort pretty much puts them out of business and/or makes it extremely difficult to do business here in Seattle.  I thought the goal was to increase transportation and encourage great ideas to solve the traffic, parking, air, car issues in Seattle.  This move in licensing just kills that effort.

If they really wanted to solve this problem they would simply lower the regulations on Taxi owners and let them all compete evenly. The best service will win over the public. That would just be to easy, however, and would limit the cash flow and regulations which the city would never agree to. Sad but true. Take note just another case of grabbing more cash and not really caring to come up with innovated solutions which are available right now.

Next time you vote to support those businesses or public transportation just remember the City killed these cheap innovated companies so they can continue to control and regulate this area.

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Seattle Taxi Drivers Losing Business

Seattle Taxi Drivers
Local Seattle taxi drivers are angry. The complaint comes from the new rideshare type companies in Seattle. Taxi owners feel they are stuck because their prices are controlled by the City of Seattle while these other type of transportation services are not. Mike Judd, the owner of Yellow Taxi, has a good point in my opinion and he says, “These guys don’t have business licenses, the drivers, they don’t have proper insurance, they’re doing a tremendous bite into our business and undercutting our rates that are regulated by the city and undercutting the safety of the public…” I do agree with that for the most part. I don’t agree with the public safety. Taxi’s are no safer than any of the other newer transportation options available. Common Mike Judd we all know how these Taxi drivers drive around town lets be real.

The Seattle Council has a meeting scheduled tonight with the committee on taxi for-hire and limousines. Who knew there was a committee to handle Taxi’s! Sounds like more wasted money to me. None the less, that is the situation for now. What I find most interesting is that in public, TV, and in ads they push and encourage more options for riders. They want the public to use the other public transportation options available. They want people to rideshare to work. Leave your car at home and ride to work or ride the bus – we have all seen this type of propaganda. EXCEPT – when they start to lose money because they are overpriced and new companies/solutions are readily available. That is NOT ok with the City and they must be shut down or highly regulated quickly.

What happened to capitalism and entrepreneurship? These companies have found a solution that a lot of Seattle residents are embracing. The demand is high and this is what American is about. It’s about being creative, finding a new solution, and that includes competitiveness for businesses. They are considerably less and easier to work with. You can order a ride from you mobile phone! Some of these newer solutions just ask for a donation for the driver. Another named UberX charges similar rates as the taxi’s but doesn’t require tips. These are just creative options and in my opinion the more options and competitiveness the better.

It’s a shame I feel the City is going to side with the taxi drivers on this one due to the money and regulations involved for the City. I feel, however, if the taxi drivers would actually clean up their acts, lower their fees, and COMPETE they actually may do quite well. With the monopoly in place there are no reason to do anything. They can continue to be rude, blow off pickup times, keep their cars filthy, and continue to only shower once a week. Why change anything when you’re the only option available? Time for a change and time to allow entrepreneurship to grow. This is supposed to be America after all.

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Seattle Streetcar Ten Million Dollar Plan

After the shock and disappointment of the election, I thought I would try to make a fresh start in my thinking and try to accept the fact that i just don’t fit into the way most Washington voters think. I thought I might just sort of give up and go with the flow, then the Times runs this big article that Mayor McGinn and the City Council are going to spend ten million dollars planning where some new street cars would go. This is just planning, and they don’t really have a clear cut idea of what they are planning so for sure they will run out of money fast. They say the city is broke. Had to re-do the bus routes and cut service to thousands of people. Georgetown had 3 buses and now we don’t have one bus along the highway or 4th ave. We have to either walk a half mile or so to get to the only bus stop in Georgetown that will get us to town without transferring. We have a little community of residents that the 131 got us downtown and to Burien for years but now it comes from Burien over the 1st Ave Bridge and the only stop at what they call their new and improved service for Georgetown is at Keep Reading

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