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Monorail Swooshes to Ballot
By Curt Firestone
Aug 15, 2002 -- This November, the voters will make a final decision on the future of the monorail. I am betting that the third time's a charm, and we will say: "Build it!"Proposition 43 was passed in 1997 calling for a private/public partnership for a 41-mile monorail system crisscrossing the city. But Dick Falkenbury, the author of the initiative, chose not to put any money into planning. The city put in $200,000 but that was only a taste of what was needed.
Proposition 51 corrected the funding error and $6 million dollars was allocated to prepare a comprehensive plan. The Elevated Transportation Company (ETC) was given 24 months to have the plan ready for the voters' approval. We have now arrived at that moment.
The monorail plan and ordinance presented to the voters will have three major components: a new permanent governance model, a funding mechanism and a monorail route.
The new agency will be named, Seattle Popular Monorail Authority (SPMA). (If it had been named "Seattle Popular Authority on Monorail," we would have called it Spam and had a laugh forever.) A nine-member board of directors will govern SPMA. Two of the members will be elected starting in 2003 and the mayor, city council or SPMA will appoint the other seven. This is called a blended board and it is hoped that it will ensure public accountability. If it does not, by 2009, the voters can change to a fully-elected board.
Twenty-five-year bonds with a maximum of $1.5 billion will fund the monorail construction. Seattle residents paying an excise tax on their motor vehicles equal to 1.4 percent of the vehicle's value will retire the bonds. This is the type of progressive tax that Seattle voters have supported in past elections.
The route will wind between West Seattle and Ballard. This is the one area in which the ETC had trouble determining all the absolute specifics in time to meet the November election deadline. The route is firm in most locations except around the Seattle Center. Also, the ETC did not make a decision regarding the future of the existing monorail. Should it be retained or replaced with the new monorail? The new SPMA will make these decisions.
The route, north to south, goes from Crown Hill down 15th Avenue NW across the ship canal and along Elliott Avenue in the Interbay. It will then serve the Seattle Center and proceed down Fifth Ave. At Stewart in downtown, it moves over to Second Ave. and heads to Pioneer Square and the stadium complex. It takes the West Seattle Bridge going to the Alaska Junction and then south to California and Morgan SW. There will be 19 stations. Trains will run every four to five minutes.
The plan and ordinance is now under review by the City Council which has promised to put a final version on the November ballot. It appears that the Council will make some changes that will give the city legal protections while agreeing to the basic concepts as outlined above.
This is an amazing plan considering the amount of work to be completed in two years. As with all plans, there are more decisions to be made, but the basic concept and protections are in place.
The voters should continue to love the monorail. The plan is far more complete and includes funding guarantees that far exceed the Sound Transit proposal approved by the voters almost ten years ago.
Seattle has seen internal city congestion get worse and worse. Sound Transit and the State have not eased it by even one car over the past decade. Seattle voters will take action.
The current monorail is a landmark in Seattle. It moves people and keeps cars out of downtown. In 1962, a citywide system was promised. Finally, the voters are going to see to it that the dream becomes reality.
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