The News Tribune (Lite) - Transit-priorities debate could use a little spring cleaning

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Transit-priorities debate could use a little spring cleaning

MIKE O’BRIEN AND BLISS MOORE
It’s time for spring cleaning.

You know the drill: Spend half the day emptying out closets and drawers to organize them – but everything just seems messier. Only when you take stock of what you have, set goals for what to keep and make goals for decluttering, will you see progress. Then, if you keep at it, everything is clean, neat and works better than ever.

The public debate on transportation is now in the “messy” stage. With RTID’s failure at the polls last November, we threw out highway expansion as the answer to our congestion problems.

Gov. Chris Gregoire and the Legislature have changed the way we look at transportation and global warming – making huge strides towards dealing with the problem. A new state law requires reducing vehicle miles traveled by 18 percent by 2020, building to 50 percent by 2050. With rising gas prices, the public is clamoring for more commuting choices.

What will our transportation “house” look like if we meet these goals? If we make the right decisions, we can transform our communities and free America from our dependence on foreign oil and big oil companies. We need to get started on programs that will provide alternatives.

Know what we’re doing: Planning agencies need to consider the impacts of their projects on greenhouse gas emissions. We need to know that our investments will serve our transportation needs and fight global warming pollution.

Efficient highways, not more highways: We can make the most of our valuable highways with electronic tolling, such as the Tacoma Narrows bridge high-tech transponder technology. Variable pricing, like the pilot HOT lane project about to start on Highway 167, will provide incentives for drivers to use transit, car pool, time their trips for off-peak or eliminate unneeded trips.

A King County study shows variable tolling will reduce delay and raise money for necessary road maintenance and bridge replacement, as well as for frequent, reliable, transit service between our regional centers. Rush-hour commuters will pay a little more, but they will spend less time in traffic and get home to their families more quickly.

Improved transit options financed by tolls means that households can reduce the enormous expense of car ownership, which averages $8,000 a year, and it can provide new mobility options for those who can’t afford, or are physically unable, to drive. Taxpayers will save billions by avoiding the expense of new highways. We can reduce air pollution, water pollution and global warming impacts by taking cars off the road.

Prioritize local streets: Take a fresh look at the arterials and local streets in our communities, where every trip starts and ends. Tacoma has shown the way with Link light rail, giving it priority on downtown streets. In Seattle, we can eliminate an aging and unsafe Alaskan Way Viaduct by using the street grid for better transit. Seattle, Kirkland and Redmond have adopted “Complete Streets” policies so streets will accommodate walking, biking and transit, not just autos. It is successful in Portland, and it is a tool that should be adopted statewide.

Put homes near job centers and transit: Providing affordable homes in walkable, transit-rich communities makes it easy to leave the car at home. Zoning changes and infrastructure investments can support ample, affordable housing near job centers and transit stations. Again, Tacoma leads the way with its downtown revitalization.

Invest in transit: High gas prices mean that commuters are using transit in record numbers. As to the question of light rail, bus rapid transit, streetcars or plain old bus service, our answer is: “Yes.”

The Sound Transit board needs to show the public a great plan in 2008 for light rail, commuter rail and express bus service. A proposed extension of the Link light rail to the Stadium District and Tacoma Community College would jump-start the re-establishment of a highly effective streetcar system that can reduce car trips, traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions in Tacoma.

County transit needs to roll out buses to meet growing demand, and the state needs to give towns, cities and counties the authority to raise money for local transit and great local streets.

The link between global warming and our driving habits can’t be swept under the rug. Once the dust settles, the solutions that will work best for our region are crystal clear. We can develop a well- running transportation system that is fair, clean and dependable.

Our children will thank us for getting our house in order.

Mike O’Brien is chairman of the Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club. Bliss Moore of Tacoma is the Sierra Club’s Tatoosh Group chairman. To learn more about the Sierra Club’s efforts to reduce climate pollution, visit www.CoolStateWashington.org.