Bellevue EL Proposals

B - EL - levue

Bellevue Washington would be considered a big place in almost any state. It includes almost every kind of business and diversion known to any typical American City. It even has some stuff you would expect to find in cities located in foreign lands.

One thing missing is a rail transit system. We know there’s a rail line that traverses the city because they used to run the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train on the track. Some local (loco) leaders think we should run commuter trains on the line.

But in the palatial Bellevue City Hall recently there was a meeting to review options for a light rail connection to the Sound Transit Link yada yada yada system. It’s a mouthful.

They refer to the Bellevue connection as “East Link Light Rail Project” or East Link for short. See the word “Link” has somehow become the keyword for light rail within the Sound Transit regional purview. You’re probably surprise I’d use a word like “purview” but if you did I’d call you pusillanimous.

OK, OK, let’s get right to the funny part: The Bellevue City Council meeting reviewed the “Light Rail Best Practices Final Committee Report” at a meeting. It was the first of three meetings to review the report. Only a committed committee could come up with a name like that. It took them a year to complete the report and the first three months were devoted to hammering out the title.

The Bellevue mayor, Grant Degginger (whose name is also the result of a committee) asked “How do we make our voice known and engage the community?” Grant is such a card. “Use a megaphone!” is pretty much my answer. I usually don’t include politicians’ last names because it normally doesn’t matter, but this guy’s name is a hoot.

So now everyone on the east side of Lake Washington knows the light rail proposal will be known as the EL, short for East Link. Ever been to Chicago? They have the El and it’s been around since French explorers from Québec discovered the Calumet Skyway in 1066 BC. I may have my history a little fogged up, but don’t forget one of my rules: Accuracy – Optional.

The committee also provided some principles: “the light rail system should enhance, not diminish, the quality and character of Bellevue; the system needs to connect places where people want to go; the city should anticipate project impacts and advocate for exceptional mitigation;…” Holy moly, does it get any deeper than that? Still awake?

It took these nimrods a year to come up with this stuff. And here I was loafing and enjoying my retirement. I could have been on that committee. Man I dodged a bullet there!

But, as if that’s not enough: They will get the second briefing on July 14 and after some review and public comments (those should be rich) they plan to vote on something on August 4. I read it seven times and could not really get what they plan to vote on. Maybe politicians understand, but then that just validates my lack of understanding, right?

Sound Transit is expected to release the Environmental Impact Statement in Mid-September. Ok, here’s a question: How can anyone project information on an “environmental” impact if they have no clue what the actual design is? This is just a pretend study of a committee proposed idea of a political concept of a blind faith fad of the week. Sound Transit will have 45 days to allow public comments. Mine is, “huh?”

Sound Transit Board will provide its preferred alternative in spring 2009. But voters may be asked to approve funding in the November 2008 election. Following the Sound Transit announcement the Bellevue City Council will then make its own selection of a preferred alternative. Then King County will announce theirs, followed by Kirkland, Renton, Redmond, Issaquah, and finally Newcastle. The Newcastle alternative will be adopted. Glen, the Lake Boren Carp, will have the final say. Seems fair.

Following each announcement the Newcastle City Council will also announce yet another configuration for the combination City Hall, Library, Post Office, Condo, and Transit Parking facility to be built on a one acre parcel in Newcastle. Each one will be different. It’s a committee.

Al