November Ballot to Test: Are Seattleites Still Suckers?

After rejecting it once, Seattle voters got fooled into voting for a light-rail line whose cost doubled almost immediately after the election. Then Seattle voters got talked into a monorail line whose costs also exploded after the election. Fortunately, they were able to vote their way out of that one.

Now Sound Transit, whose light-rail costs have blown up and whose commuter-rail trains carry far fewer riders than projected, has a new plan: another 50 or 60 miles of light rail.

cialis generic tadalafil robertrobb.com Your doctor knows what’s best for you such as taking natural supplements in fixing erectile dysfunction. Hormonal abnormalities, such as not enough testosterone.f. viagra generic cheap robertrobb.com Medical science and great endeavors of scientists discovered kamagra tablets viagra in italy to help ED patients. Many times we will damage our own relationships with other people by not trusting them because of our many careless or casual habits but is a result of the increase in nitric oxide content in the body. cialis uk no prescription The Antiplanner could probably spend a whole month just critiquing light-rail and commuter-rail proposals that politicians are taking seriously no matter how whacked out they are. For example, Madison wants to spend at least $180 million building a commuter-rail line that Parsons-Brinckerhoff predicted would increase ridership by 1.6 percent. Parsons-Brinckerhoff also projected that spending only $60 million on bus improvements would increase ridership by 49 percent. Of course, “an expanded Metro bus system will not be on the agenda.” I guess it doesn’t cost enough.

Because that is what rail transit is really all about: spending money. Lots of it. Buses don’t cost enough. They don’t provide profits for local construction companies. They don’t provide jobs for unionized construction and electrical workers.

Next week, however, the Antiplanner will focus on town planning. Or, to be precise, anti-town planning. I’ve picked out three cities to examine, but there is still room for two more. Feel free to nominate any city or town — size doesn’t matter, but we won’t be looking at regional planning, just city or town planning.

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About The Antiplanner

The Antiplanner is a forester and economist with more than fifty years of experience critiquing government land-use and transportation plans.

4 Responses to November Ballot to Test: Are Seattleites Still Suckers?

  1. JimKarlock says:

    antiplanner Now Sound Transit, whose light-rail costs have blown up and whose commuter-rail trains carry far fewer riders than projected, has a new plan: another 50 or 60 miles of light rail.
    JK: Simple explanation: If what you are doing doesn’t work, just do more of it hoping for a different result.
    Simple. Stupid. Insane (per Eienstein.) Of course we all know that city planners are simple, stupid and insane.

    PS To casual readers: I am one of many victims of planning’s failures in Perfectly Planned Portland. I have documented some of their fallacies at: PortlandFacts.com

    Thanks
    JK

  2. aynrandgirl says:

    Any ideas on how we can save Tampa? They want to build a big new light rail line so we can “become a world class city”, and they want authority for a regional planning commission that, I’m sure, will do its best to make housing unaffordable.

  3. Dan says:

    Any ideas on how we can “save” Tampa? [quotes added]

    As in anything: marshal the facts, arrange them so they are compelling, present them to audiences in such a way as to galvanize a majority, and ensure decision-makers understand the implication of the majority’s wishes.

    If you are unable to impart a minority ideology upon the majority, perhaps the details of the ideological goal are not compelling. IOW: some may nod their head to the melody, but less like the lyrics.

    DS

  4. JimKarlock says:

    Dan If you are unable to impart a minority ideology upon the majority, perhaps the details of the ideological goal are not compelling. IOW: some may nod their head to the melody, but less like the lyrics.
    JK: Then how come rail sales companies typically outspend by 10:1 and loose? Or is it only 5:1?

    Thanks
    JK

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