Sound Transit: First Hill first

Thursday, July 28, 2005

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

It's impressive to climb out of a hole, as Sound Transit has succeeded in doing to overcome financial, management and credibility challenges. But the agency appears on the verge of an embarrassing stumble over a hill: its planned service to Seattle's First Hill.

The regional governing board could vote today to abandon a long-planned First Hill light rail station to serve medical centers, Seattle University and high-density housing just east of downtown. Sound Transit Chief Executive Officer Joni Earl wants the switch as part of an effort to win federal funding to extend light rail north to Husky Stadium.

Although any decision would not be final, the move feels hasty. The board risks a rupture in public credibility. Seattle residents, city officials and Sound Transit leaders need more time to digest whether the change, raised seriously only this month, makes sense after long promising a station near the Madison-Boylston intersection as part of going north.

As we have noted before, Earl's plan has merit. Dropping the station might save $350 million. The site's soil presents challenges. Sound Transit has talked about service alternatives. The idea of a streetcar is particularly intriguing if linked to a South Lake Union streetcar and light rail downtown. But there must be a credible alternative.

Earl views the decision as confronting reality, something the agency once ducked. A better analogy might be with the silliness of a south line that was, for a time, projected to stop a mile short of Sea-Tac Airport -- and still conceivably could.

It's important to extend light rail north to the University of Washington. It's also important to build the system right, by serving the region's densest population, work and activity centers.


Is dropping a First Hill station an acceptable tradeoff for extending light-rail service from downtown to Husky Stadium?
31.8% Yes	57.4% No
10.8% Don't care or not sure
Total Votes: 371