I would have thought that Mr. Gillis, with two masters degrees from Stanford dealing with transportation issues, might recognize the fact East Link is a long ways from an effective “rapid transit system.”

Rapid transit is a Paris subway with 10-car trains running every four minutes. East Link is a two- or three-car train running every nine to 15 minutes.

Rapid transit is a system that is easily accessible to thousands of riders. The vast majority of cross-lake commuters will have very limited access to East Link. Those attempting to park in the only P&R lot with access (South Bellevue) will face huge traffic problems getting to parking in the morning and back on 1-90 in the evening. (The plan to increase P&R capacity to only 1475 cars also limits number of potential riders)

Mr. Gillis criticizes the idea of “throwing a lot of new buses at the problem.” Exactly what does he propose to do about the current congestion along 1-90 and I-405 that commuters face daily? East Link will do absolutely nothing except force them all onto the outer bridge, a sure recipe for gridlock.

His concern about “daily labor required, congestion, pollution, loss of productivity etc.” ignores the fact that a single bus can allow 65-75 drivers to park their park at their local P&R lot, relieving congestion throughout the area. Surely adding 100 such buses providing express bus service into Seattle all the Eastside P&R lots starting in 2010 or 2011 is preferable to East Link.

Bill Hirt, Bellevue