Political Buzz - Ladenburg leaning toward 2010 transit measure

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Monday, March 24th, 2008

Ladenburg leaning toward 2010 transit measure

Posted by David Wickert @ 01:47:22 pm

Sound Transit’s governing board will decide soon whether to take a transit expansion plan to voters later this year.

Though a final decision may not come until June, the board must decide on a draft expansion plan by April 10 if it hopes to bring it to voters in November, according to agency spokeswoman Linda Robson.

Last November voters rejected an $18 billion roads-and-transit construction plan for Pierce, King and Snohomish counties. The plan included an extension of light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to Tacoma.

Since then the Sound Transit board has been weighing when to offer voters a transit-only expansion plan.

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, who serves on the Sound Transit board, said some members believe it makes sense to place a scaled-down measure on the ballot this November. They believe the big turnout of a presidential election year would work to Sound Transit’s advantage.

Ladenburg is not convinced.

[More:]

“It’s never a good year to be on the ballot with the wrong plan,” he said.

A proposal under consideration would postpone extending light rail from the airport to Tacoma. Instead, light rail would stop at South 200th Street in King County.

The proposal would extend the Tacoma Link line from downtown west to Tacoma General Hospital and perhaps as far as Tacoma Community College. It could include an extension of the Link east to Fife. And it would expand Sounder commuter rail service.

Ladenburg is not impressed with the plans. He said it may make more sense to take a more ambitious plan to voters in 2010.

By then, the light rail line from Seattle to the airport will be open. Ladenburg said that will allow people to see what they’re buying.

“I don’t think there’s a big public desire to build light rail to the hospital,” he said.

Categories: Roads & Transit

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