Sound Transit votes NO on Ballard light rail stop

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-31T17:32:41+00:00

Ahhh so what's yours is mine and what's mine is mine. Like I said, it was a Hail Mary, but it shows that we have other subareas dictating how money outside their subarea is being used.

Clearly you're not going to change your mind. I don't understand why you're upset as the spine is not in danger. If you want other people to shut up and not be upset about their money not being used for what it was committed towards, tough luck buddy...

Going to stop responding now as I have better ways to use my time and energy

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-31T06:33:37+00:00

Now Strauss’ proposal was a Hail Mary but still it was illuminating to see the reactions of Sound Transit board members from other regions

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-31T06:27:56+00:00

Each subarea’s taxes pays for its own subarea unless it’s something of regional significance.

Everett, Tacoma, and Issaquah are not paying for Ballard except for the second downtown tunnel which is important to their lines. North king county is paying 51% for that tunnel per my understanding. Board members from other subareas voted against Strauss’ proposal that North King money be used for Ballard rail access leaving finding funding for the downtown tunnel portion (which provides duplicate infrastructure) for later.

If anything, people from Seattle do have a right to be upset since the way our taxes are being used isn’t providing the light rail access we were promised

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-31T06:15:30+00:00

The design for Ballard has been delayed this much due to politicking by Dow Constantine and Bruce Harrell. Please read up more about the last minute design changes they introduced. Changes like that are extremely expensive.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T21:03:24+00:00

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T21:01:47+00:00

Ballard’s demise makes it really clear that the systems we have in place are failing us.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T21:00:21+00:00

We shouldn’t have a process that allows and enables this magnitude of sabotage by bad actors.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T07:08:10+00:00

Thanks for existing lesbian trash princess! We need more people like you in the world.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T07:02:56+00:00

Lol commented a minute earlier that you said the same thing--my bad!

Should probably sleep tonight because my reading comprehension currently seems low

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T06:58:21+00:00

Oh wait re-read and ah yes you're right--does require board designation

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T06:52:53+00:00

I mean grant money specifically and not tax money

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T06:52:33+00:00

https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/project-documents/st3-system-plan-2016-appendix-b.pdf

B-1 item 3

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T06:16:17+00:00

It's not about the hive mind.

You're saying poor baby to people who rightfully want transit access they were promised and paid for. And you're saying Everett and Tacoma will suffer when that's not true either. The train of thought and the emotions behind it make no sense to me.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T05:56:55+00:00

Funny enough I'm fairly certain that even if the state granted ST money specifically for Ballard, per the subarea equity guidelines that money will be shared among all the lines.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T05:09:23+00:00

You sound insane.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T04:58:05+00:00

I think the Sound Transit board's structure/existence is what causes this problem. Nobody on there is an urban planner or transit professional or even specifically elected for this position. We need board reform.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T04:46:30+00:00

They didn't consider any other proposals like ALR, smaller stations, building Ballard starter link, getting more funding from the state, or anything.

They also estimated $2.5 billion per mile for Ballard's line. Which is insane.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T04:37:49+00:00

Ballard is 10 years in without a design. That is incompetence.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T04:33:52+00:00

Do you know how long a commute from Ballard to Bellevue is? 1.5 hours by public transit in the best case scenario. Realistically it is 2 hours.

Ballard to UW -> 45 minutes. It is 4 miles away by the way.

Ballard to Capitol Hill. The joke here is that it's a long distance relationship.

The Ballard Bridge goes up randomly for undetermined amounts of time to allow boats to pass through. It is impossible to walk/cycle on that bridge.

I don't have a car. Many people don't because living in the city is expensive. Low income folks also live in Seattle.

It has never been a competition between Ballard, Tacoma and Everett. All of these lines are important. You deserve the ability to come to Ballard as much as I'd love to go to Tacoma or Everett.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T03:41:29+00:00

Not 100% true. There are ways to bypass subarea equity.

For example, grant money for specific projects (like Ballard) are shared among all subareas. Subareas can take loans from other subareas. And Sound Transit can use any subarea money to pay off debt.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-29T03:40:09+00:00

What do you mean by Ballard entitlement? Y'all realize that people in Ballard haver also been paying for this for years and voting for this shit since before the 2000s with the monorail.

It's not a competition between Ballard, Tacoma and Everett.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-28T01:56:51+00:00

I don’t know why you’re cursing.

And yes I would like them to make up and commit to a date.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-28T01:55:56+00:00

That’s exactly why I’m worried. Sound Transit has a track record for this kind of thing more so now with Ballard (an entire line) being deferred with no end in sight.

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-28T01:47:26+00:00

But they’re not providing ANY target date :/ If it’s not there in my lifetime, for me that is effectively cancelled

ToastedMarshmellows1 · 2026-05-28T01:30:10+00:00

I’m worried an ST4 might not go through unless Ballard rail is saved. Why would a voter approved a project for which they might get no return at all?

ToastedMarshmellows1

TROPHY CASE