King County Metro is having a banner year in terms of sales tax revenues, collecting $32 million, or almost 7.5 percent, more than anticipated. But the agency still petulantly plans to eliminate 72 bus routes and reduce service on 84 other routes because voters rejected a tax increase a couple of weeks ago.
The unanticipated revenue could provide half the money the agency says it needs to maintain bus service. But rather than keep the buses running, it says it will put that extra revenue in a “rainy day fund.” “Isn’t Metro’s rainy day happening right now?” asks the Washington Policy Center. In addition to using those revenues to keep some of the buses running, the Policy Center suggests that Metro cut costs by, among other things, buying regular buses instead of expensive hybrid-electric buses.
“Diesel buses are dirtier and cost more to operate,” chides a Seattle blogger. But, as the Antiplanner has documented before, the tiny cost savings from using hybrid buses comes nowhere near repaying their operating costs. Transit agencies that buy hybrid buses are letting ego blind them to the reality that hybrid buses just aren’t very efficient.
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Transit unions strongly oppose letting agencies contract out services, assuming that the contractors are non-union (which isn’t true for at least some of Denver’s contractors). But King County Metro is currently negotiating its next contract with the unions. As the Seattle blogger observes, those negotiations aren’t going well; perhaps contracting out some bus routes or even just threatening to do so might make the union a little more reasonable in its demands.
What it comes down to is the agency is operating unsustainably, requiring revenue growth that is faster than the region’s economic growth just to maintain existing levels of service. You can bet that, if the voters had approved the sales tax increase, the unions would have demanded a significant chunk of those taxes, reducing or eliminating the agency’s ability to expand to serve the region’s growing population.
Given that the agency threatened to cut service if voters didn’t give them more money, it can’t very well back down now. Perhaps the only solution is to fire the general manager who got the agency into this corner and then replace the board that hired that manager in the first place. The newcomers can then repudiate the agency’s previous propaganda and implement reasonable policies that safeguard both transit service and the public purse. As the Washington Policy Center concludes, “if King County Metro leaders feel they can’t manage rising revenues without cutting service maybe we need different leaders.”
Ever notice that government agencies behave like little children when they don’t get the money they wanted? How disappointing for them that taxpayers weren’t conned by all the propaganda spewed forth by Metro. They spammed leaflets all over, including bus stops, and even stewed up some astroturf to go around asking liberals for a yes vote. Even my brother, who doesn’t take the bus ever, was accosted by some random dude telling him to vote yes for buses.
The illustrious former mayor of Seattle ranted and raved that Republicans in the state Legislature were holding transit “hostage to highway construction”, as if light rail, streetcars, and buses aren’t mainly funded by car drivers (yes, they get sales tax too). All I know is that we need more Tim Eyeman’s. He once tried to get a ballot measure passed that would, among other things, require that all traffic lights be synchronized for smooth traffic flow. In the most bizarre episode of shooting themselves in the foot, King County liberals, most of whom drive cars of course, voted it down after a firestorm of propaganda from planners & assorted scum.
Hey, I find myself agreeing with The Antiplanner on this. Regardless of what my detractors here might say (baaaa! baaaa! oink! oink! heehaw! heehaw!) or believe, just because I am a strong supporter of transit doesn’t mean that myself and my “ilk” give transit operators carte blanche to do anything or put the interests of the bureaucrats, bus drivers, etc. before transit users.
And not every rail or streetcar project coming along warrants support, believe it or not. Far from it. One of the worst is BART’s $500 million+ Oakland Airport Connector which was opposed by EVERY transit advocate I can; in this case $50 million towards BRT in the BART Coliseum Station to Oakland Airport would suffice. I note that the current connector bus operates at a small profit or very near breakeven on operating costs, while the rail Connector will be lucky to get 40% at the farebox sucking up another $8 to $10 million per year from BART’s operating budget (better spent improving regular train service, improving maintenance, etc.
And I think Robert Cruickshank, a Democratic political operative, is a sycophantic fool who has his nose rammed far up the California High Speed Rail Authority’s nether regions as illustrated by his California High Speed Rail Blog (http://www.cahsrblog.com/. His current post is a classic distortion (http://www.cahsrblog.com/2014/05/house-republicans-remind-america-they-hate-passenger-rail/).
While the House Republicans as a group may “hate” passenger rail particularly as red meat for their Tea Party friends, I know for a fact that almost all Republican congress-critters representing the San Joaquin Valley strongly support upgrading the existing San Joaquins train service, as opposed to the current, half-baked, ill-fated HSR proposal. Cruickshank is one of those knee-jerk cheerleaders willing to accept whatever crap he’s fed by those who see HSR as a gravy train for their friends, or are convinced that we have to have “full-fledged” HSR to prove the U.S.’s “manhood” on the topic, never mind the generally sad state of conventional rail and the many basic improvements needed before ever getting to 186 or 220-mph HSR.
More on the BART Oakland Airport Connector, http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Sky-high-cost-of-BART-Oakland-Airport-link-5428538.php.
The particularly damning thing about this project is that the projected ridership ~3,000 per day is ALREADY what the current bus route reportedly carries at a small profit or near breakeven (haven’t seen latest finances for it).
Every streetcar is a complete waste of money. Light rail is 100 year old technology that has not advanced significantly (to paraphrase the Antiplanner), but streetcars is like taking a time machine back to the 17th century. A horse & buggy can outrun one.
Of course, there are big profits for the contractors, and a nice shiny phallic symbol for the local politicians to go bonkers.
Metrosucks wrote: “A horse & buggy can outrun one”
Back when I lived in Boston (and I was a fit 18-min 5K runner) I could easily outrun the street-car T coming down Commonwealth Avenue. At least during morning rush hour when the train had a good sized group boarding at each stop. I also had to run the red lights to stay ahead of the train.
Of course, means little, I was in a bus in NYC and was passed by an old man with a cane barely shuffling down the block.
Unlike certain braying ideologues of libertarianism, the “right” (sic) or the “left” (sic) who unthinkingly and categorically support or oppose a given project of whatever merit, the correct answer from a reasonable, objective person (that’s DEFINITELY NOT you, Metrosukky) is “it all depends.”
For the record, there are probably at least two orders of magnitude more bad street highway projects out there than bad transit projects, if only because of the auto/highway system’s (current) overwhelming dominance of U.S. surface transportation.
And according to some renegade civil engineers at http://strongtowns.net, often the worst offenders in the bad road project department are small towns and cities who accept grant money for road “enhancements” forgetting about when the maintenance and renewal costs come due 20-30 years later, including many bad road projects built years ago and so overextended that they cannot afford to maintain.
As for Metrosukky’s nonfactual that a horse and buggy could beat a streetcar like Portland’s or the SLUT in Seattle?? Perhaps over the first quarter mile, but not over sustained distances. And certainly equine power cannot beat “rapid streetcars” (LRT junior) or conventional LRT. According to at least one online educated guess, a sustained speed for a horse and buggy might be around 4 mph (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070912192016AAppLzX). Perhaps a fast trot, 5 mph for a while, but certainly not 12-18 hours per day.
Further proof that some people are idiots: the wheel is at least a 3rd millenium b.c. technology; concrete was a technology invented by the Romans. People (or is it a trolling Eliza program) make mindless, ignorant of technological history claims such as “…but streetcars [are] like taking a time machine back to the 17th century.” I think he (it?) means Queen Elizabeth I’s stagecoaches, which were an innovation at the time? The rantings of someone who apparently has throbbing technofilia in its pants for such things as robocars, PRT and the like. Like, “Dude, where’s my flying car?”
Also, as usual someone here has his phallic symbol in the wrong direction. In urban America, most phallic symbols are vertical, such as who has the tallest skyscraper. Historically many chambers of commerce got off on that comparison.
Portland Streetcar and the SLUT run at 6-7 mph.
Can’t account for slow MBTA surface streetcars except to say traffic signal priorities are needed, and exclusive lanes if not already provided.
“But rather than keep the buses running, it says it will put that extra revenue in a ‘rainy day fund.'”
The State of Texas has a rainy day fund. I don’t get it. Transit systems can’t put federal dollars in a rainy day fund. If you don’t spend your grant money the feds take it back. My experience is that for transit systems (public or private) or State governments for that matter, it is always raining. IMHO, if you’re not going to spend the tax revenue then you shouldn’t be able to take the tax revenue.
FYI, this is the first time I’ve heard of a transit agency rainy day fund. As a staunch supporter of public transit, particularly bus service oriented to cohorts that display characteristics of transit dependency, this news in Seattle is troubling. Revenue is supposed to be spent serving your customers. Spending money on what some would consider “wasteful” projects is one thing, hoarding money is another thing altogether.
Michael “dog shit” Setty thus bloviates:
blah blah blah light rail good and holy cars bad etc
Here’s one for you dog shit:
Joseph Rose vs. the Portland Streetcar: Walking wins in showdown of city’s poky commuting modes
When I said horse & buggy or just feet alone could outrun it, I was serious and basing my claim on facts, unlike dog shit here.
And for the record, a horse & buggy averages between 5 and 8mph. Handily beats the $140 million wonder boondoggle!!
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D11/Pages/AmishSafety.aspx
Hey, Metrosukky you now are obsessed with #2? Eeewwww! Crrreeepppyyy…
Walking beats the Seattle and Portland streetcars over short distances, e.g., 1/4-3/4 mile, but not over more than a mile. You’re figuring in the wait time in the comparison; this is why Jarrett Walker among others emphasizes the importance of frequent service. This is true no matter what it is you’re waiting for, a 6 mph streetcar or 60 mph taxi. And Amish buggies with trotters can’t go 8 mph for more than a few miles at a time, certainly not all day without a change of oat-burner(s).
You think you can beat me but you can’t, punkass.
From the article, not only was his route 1.5 miles, but he even gave the streetcar a 12 min headstart. As for dog shit, I’m just reminded of it whenever I see your name or read your drivel. Don’t know why. I guess I could be reminded of bullshit too.
Back to rational discussion.
Here is a link to a map showing percentages voting for the King County measure. Obviously low turnout in Seattle defeated it, since the map shows a direct relationship between yes votes and where transit ridership occurs. If they had tried, say, in November 2012, it likely would have passed. Regardless of its merits, I wonder if they won’t try again in November, when Seattle et al turnout will be somewhat higher.
Of course it always helps to have the link http://a.tiles.mapbox.com/v3/oranv.i63j984i/page.html?secure=1#10/47.4550/-121.8398.
“Back to rational discussion” equals:
I am a pathetic loser who lost the argument (even with all my expert lying) and wants to redirect peoples’ attention to anything else.
Better than scheduling such a ballot measure in an off-year election is the ongoing saga with Bertha. My, my.
DS
The plug needs to be pulled on Big Bertha. No one I talk to here wants that tunnel. It makes no sense. It will make traffic worse downtown with no entrances or exits. It will make it harder for people to get to Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Ballard as getting to 15th will be a mess via Alaskan Way waterfront or Mercer.
And now the contractors want hundreds of millions more. For what?
It’s no secret that developers want the land beneath the viaduct for condos.
Shut down the project. Convert the existing part of the tunnel into a giant indoor grow and use the proceeds to offset losses.
/end big birtha rant
Frank, I think we can all agree that scrapping Big Bertha is an excellent idea.
In the long run, the tax revenues from those condos where Alaska Way used to be is of a lot more benefit than the tunnel. Of course, they’ll need a six lane arterial along the waterfront, but that is two orders of magnitude cheaper than the tunnel fiasco.
There isn’t room for a six-lane arterial along the viaduct. There’s barely room for the existing narrow 4 lane road. Would have been better to modernize 1-5 thru the convention center and divert traffic back to 99 somewhere in the mercer way area.
Seattle should have built a convention center/ Supersonics Statidum over I-5, but that day has past.
As I keep saying, the AntiPlanner’s strongest argument is how these projects hurt normal bus service. If that message got out, it would gut these fancy “transportation” projects.
Of course I could easily defeat such an attack if my development friends paid me enough. I would just film actors on TV saying “There is no way this would reduce bus service”. Thirty years later, if anybody noticed, I would just say “whoops” that mistake was caused by politicians, not planners.
I see what you did there Sandy, people always ignore how much power planners really have, and planners blame politicians. Well, who is advising those politicians; they don’t have the first clue about anything planning related until some planner lays it out for them.
Metrosucks, even when you’re being rational, you’re wrong.
Looking at the satellite view of Google Maps, at the narrowest point near Colman Docks, there is at least 200 feet width from the seawall to the first row of buildings between the surface road and the first line of building to the east of the viaduct. I meant when the viaduct is TORN DOWN, which it will be anyway. There is also room to restore the waterfront streetcar in two-track configuration, even though you’ll absolutely hate THAT.
Instead of looking at Google Maps, you should drive it (if you can afford that, seeing as how you can’t afford to buy into the high density lifestyle you espouse). It will be immediately evident that with a line of condos covering the location of the viaduct, there’s no room for an adjacent expressway. And a streetcar there, with the low foot traffic on the waterfront, will be a bigger joke than the SLUT, which is lucky to have a single passenger on it every time I see it.
Was thinking and reading about alternatives to Bertha. Cut-and-cover was one, which was a disaster in Boston. Replacement was another, which with seismic engineering and rebuilding of the seawall may have been the best option. Would have taken a long time to complete and may have turned into a boondoggle.
With the current state of the seawall, the proposed development of the land under the viaduct, the ferry terminal traffic, etc., there simply isn’t room or stability for a six-lane arterial.
As far as foot traffic along the waterfront, it’s often quite high, especially on weekends and during the tourist season, and I’ve often waited for large crowds in crosswalks and dodged many jaywalkers. Not only are tourists going to the Great Wheel and tourist traps, but they’re walking on board ferries, along with thousands of pedestrian commuters. This might be the on place in Seattle where a short streetcar line (from Olympic Sculpture Park to the ferry terminal) might make sense, but I’d think the tacky tourist shop owners would oppose it because it might decrease foot traffic in front of their tacky shops. However, it would be used mostly by tourists, so they should directly pay for it. But if they have to pay the entire cost at $xxx million per mile, the fare would be too high, and they wouldn’t ride it.
Perhaps something along the lines of a privately financed gondola is in order.
Frank,
I was under the impression that most of the foot traffic there was ferry-related?
According to this Seattle Times article, there were “1,500 jobs and 4.5?million visitors along the waterfront in 2013.”
In this article, the president of Ivars, who made the statement above, expects visitation to double after the seawall construction/viaduct destruction.
Most arrive needing parking, which the second article discusses, and it’s another reason why there’s no room for a wide arterial. (And don’t forget the train tracks—another reason space is tight.)Many people come down from Pike Place Market. There’s also all the visitors to the aquarium (800k a year), Argosy Cruises, World Trade Center, restaurants and so on. Many walk the waterfront, and many cross Alaskan Way to get from parking to the waterfront.
I avoid traveling through the area at all costs not only because of the heavy pedestrian traffic and the train crossing near the Olympic Scupture Garden, but also because of the slow-driving and unpredictable tourists looking for parking that make me miss green lights.
Whatever happens with Bertha, when the Viaduct comes down, I’ll miss it—that is, if I’m still living here.