|
Sound Transit Admits Flaws In Transit Technology Report
The Seattle Times and Seattle PI report that Sound Transit has discovered a $2 billion error in the cost estimates of bus technology as compared to light rail. This is obviously a huge mistake that does serious damage to the credibility of their recent report that comparing light rail, monorail, and bus technology for transit expansion in east King County.
We've been pouring over the report as well, trying to understand how they could have reached conclusions that so favored the more expensive and intrusive light rail system over monorail technology. Unfortunately, the report is seriously lacking in the level of detail that would explain their results. Three weeks ago we filed a public information request with Sound Transit to get all of the background information they used to generate the report. We expect a response to that request by the end of the month and will get back to you with the details we find.
Among our areas of concern:
• It appears that Sound Transit used incorrect information to conclude that monorail couldn't fit in the Mt. Baker I-90 tunnel
• Monorail was calculated at a higher cost than elevated light rail, even though light rail requires more land, concrete, steel, and labor
• No consideration was given to the smaller environmental footprint of monorail along narrow, populated corridors such as the Burke/Gilman trail
• A lack of apples to apples comparison for transit on 520 vs. I-90
Have something to add?
|
