I urge every Eastside resident to support the Eastside Transportation Association’s suit to block Sound Transit East Link, a $4 billion fiasco for the entire Eastside.

South Bellevue and the business district will be devastated; first by the years spent in installing light rail tracks and 5000-volt power lines and later by noisy light rail trains rumbling through the area every 4-5 minutes. If you think Bellevue traffic is bad now, just wait until they start construction and later operation of light rail.

Cross-lake congestion is a problem that will only get worse with East Link. The only people able to ride it will be those who live in downtown Bellevue or have easy access to the South Bellevue P&R. Since most of them currently ride the bus, light rail will not significantly reduce the number of cars crossing the bridge.

What light rail will do is force all of the other traffic onto the outer bridge section, a sure recipe for future gridlock. Sound Transit?s idea that adding a fourth lane to the outer bridge can accommodate all of the other traffic is absurd.

Sound Transit’s $4 billion does absolutely nothing for current and future congestion along 405 and I-90. Not only does that expenditure make it more difficult to fund other improvements, but also it stops the only effective way to improve traffic throughout the region – express bus service. Converting the bridge center section for two-way bus only operation will allow 720 buses per hour capable of carrying 45,000-50,000 riders in each direction. A number that dwarfs the 1,500 seat light-rail capability and more than enough to meet current and future cross-lake requirements.

Express buses could use the added cross-lake capability to provide non-stop connections from all the P&R lots in the area into Seattle and from downtown Seattle out to Bellevue and Overlake. Every bus has the capability to keep 65-75 cars off our highways, relieving congestion throughout the area.

Sound Transit should be “persuaded” to provide 100 express buses. The cost would be trivial compared to East Link expenditures and they could be available in two years not 12. Future growth will eventually necessitate more buses and added P&R facilities; a far better alternative than adding freeway lanes.

Bill Hirt, Bellevue