Transit on Top

Photo: Elaine Corets

The Sierra Club was involved in a couple of recent anti-transit ballot initiatives at opposite ends of the country -- one in Seattle, and the other in Charlotte, N.C. Happily, in both cases good old-fashioned on-the-ground organizing won the day. Voters in Seattle and Charlotte made the connection between sound transit policies and global warming.

Said Sierra Club organizer Kathleen Ridihalgh of Seattle's Proposition 1: "This is the first major public works proposal I know of to be defeated because it would worsen global warming."

Comments

[Gern Blanston]

You're kidding yourself if you think global warming was what killed Prop 1 in Seattle. The main thing was the length of the light rail extensions included in the package - 50 miles of it. Way to go SC. You won't have another chance this century to vote on this much transit at once again.

[Andrew]

That's ludicrous, Prop. 1 was not anti-transit, but massively for transit. According to the Sierra Club's own definition of "good roads", 85% of the spending was either on "good roads", ie, HOV lanes, Bus lanes, etc. or transit.

And the Sierra Club is proud of having a hand in the defeat of a massive, progressive transit ballot initiative?

[Lee Bennett]

I am greatly disappointed in Sierra Club's decision to oppose Proposition 1 in Washington. The chance to improve transit doesn't come often here and is always fought by road builders. Who was driving that decision?

[alexis jones]

SC: to one who does not know the details of the issues in Seattle/Charlotte, there seems to be debateable issues on the proposal. How about some clarification on both locations?

[Jo]

Congratulations on being anti-transit around Seattle. The pro-highway folks could not have done it without you. No light rail, no more HOV lanes, no fixed choke points, more gridlock (transportation and political). What a stunning achievement. I'm sure everyone is suburbia will just move to exactly within walking distance of their children's schools and both spouses' jobs. I mean that's easy for everyone, right? Won't your spouse quit his job and work outside his career so as not to produce any extra CO2? Doesn't everyone have a spare $700K to drop on an small apartment in Seattle? No? Then beat it. Go pollute somewhere else - like Tacoma (since the Sierra Club has deemed Tacoma not worthy of light rail). Oh wait, not all is lost ... look! The Governor is riding in to save ... the roads! The polar bear hugging County Exec is using up the Prop 1 tax capacity to encourage people to live on an island by increasing ferry service! Bye bye light rail!

[Brad]

I'm a 20-year member of Sierra Club and am dismayed and ashamed by the role this once proud organization took in defeating Prop 1 in Washington--it was a real chance to provide necessary transit options in our region. Seattle has very little clout in Olympia. To develop an alternative package is going to take years. Kathleen Ridihalgh is living on Mars if she thinks this prop was defeated due to Global Warming. Sierra Club was nothing more than a shill for eastside developers. Please, get your head out of the sand.

[72feetabovesealevel]

As a past Excomm member from the Tatoosh group and someone that worked on many political campaigns for the Sierra Club I can't see Sierra having the effect it claims to have had. Prop 1 probably would have failed even if Sierra campaigned vigorously for it.

[Neal Fuller]

You missed the boat in Seattle...or the train. I have been here 25 years as we have studied transit to death...when we finally get frustrated enough to act, to add trains to add HOV lanes to add things that actually lessen global warming...who is on the other side...the Sierra Club? The same organization which I had just joined at a Think Green event in Everett?

As Yoda would say, "Disappointed, I am."

Green as they come
Supporter of proposition one
Daily train commuter
Edmonds, WA

[Gil Ward]

I didn't agree with SC's gunning down prop 1 in Puget Sound. We are already behind most other major cities in developing light rail systems. How is SC going to help now to get a better plan passed? It's not going to be easy, voting history here bears that out.

[Gil Ward]

I didn't agree with SC's gunning down prop 1 in Puget Sound. We are already behind most other major cities in developing light rail systems. How is SC going to help now to get a better plan passed? It's not going to be easy, voting history here bears that out.

[Steve C]

SC has become out of touch with reality by bragging about the poor choice they've made related to Prop 1.
Any chance there will be a light rail plan we when we need it?
What will SC do to help the plan?
How can anyone trust them again?