Good afternoon Mayor Lee and Council Members,
I know some of you are out on spring break and enjoying time off with family and children and I debated whether I should intrude into that time.
After careful consideration, I decided to write since this topic is extremely important, not just for neighbors in Surrey Downs but the City as a whole.
Last Monday, we watched the Steering Committee’s presentation and council’s discussion on the 112th /SE 4th options.
We were very disappointed to hear the recommendations made by the Steering Committee.
Some of you may have personal preferences on the options before you, which is natural.
However, before any of you form a final opinion one way or the other, I simply request you to carefully consider all the factors, supporting data and historical events in mind.
I say this because the ramifications of this decision are very serious and will be felt for a hundred years till the East Link operates, long after you all may be gone from public life.
I sincerely request and urge you all to take the time to answer the questions I have listed below. Better yet, take a print-out and write down your answers so you could compile them at the end.
My hope is that your answers to the questionnaire will help you arrive at a pragmatic decision based on facts.
If, after answering the questions below, you arrive at the conclusion that an at-grade crossing is acceptable to you, then my humble suggestion to you would be to simply revert to the FEIS Adopted Project Alignment and spread the pain, injuries and deaths to all the users of the City’s road instead of punitively putting these on the backs of a 300-home neighborhood.
Questionnaire:
- Is it true that Grade-Separation was the publicly stated Number One reason the City of Bellevue asked Sound Transit to consider “City-Requested Modifications to FEIS Alignment” per the Term Sheet signed on August 9 & 10, 2011?
- Is it true that in Oct 2011, Sound Transit presented before you all a Technical Memorandum “112th Avenue SE Alternatives” whose stated purpose was to “assist Sound Transit and City of Bellevue in identifying a preferred option along 112th Avenue SE”?
- Is it true that during the Technical presentation, you saw a comparative chart of for the options that included all aspects of light rail, including “Project wide ridership”, “Segment B and C Daily Boardings”, “Segment B & C Travel Time”, “Traffic Impacts”, “At-Grade Crossings along 112th Avenue SE”, “Acquisitions”, “Displacements”, “Visual” impacts and “Noise Impacts”?
- Is it true that, according to that analysis presented, Option B with Trench was the ONLY option that achieved Grade-Separation with the added benefits of Highest Ridership, the highest Daily Boardings, the Least Travel Time, the Lowest Parkland Permanent Impacts, Lower Noise Impacts, and lower number of Acquisitions and Displacements?
- Is it true that during the Council’s deliberations in the Extended Study Session on 24 Oct 2011, most of you recounted all the virtues of grade-separation and the benefits it brings with it?
- Is it true the some of you noted that night that accidents with the Central Link line in Seattle had reinforced the importance of Grade-separation?
- Is it true that after careful consideration of all the facts and after full deliberations, on 24 October 2011 you all voted to adopt “112th Avenue SE Option B” that included the trench, described in the MoU as “b) An undercrossing of SE 4th via a retained cut alignment”?
- Is it true that the motion passed on 24 Oct 2011 mentioned “Including information about the 112th Avenue SE Option B selection that sets forth the conditions reflected in the 6-1 vote earlier in the evening”?
- Is it true that the MoU signed by the City contains an Item “Category 3: Contingent Contribution” described as “City Cost – New General CIP: Up to $60 million cap” and that the Item’s “Timing” mention “City funding would be last $ into project; due after project completion/cost reconciliation – 2025”?
- Is it true that during the deliberations on 24 Oct 2011, some of you made suggestions on how to achieve this contingent including “sending a funding package to voters” whose “impact would be approximately $100 per household annually”?
- Is it true that the presentation made by the Joint Steering Committee this Monday DID NOT contain substantial information similar to what was presented to you all in Oct 2011 that helped your decision-making to adopt Option-B with the trench?
- Are you familiar with or have been made aware by staff about U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration’s document titled “HAZARD ANALYSIS GUIDELINES FOR TRANSIT PROJECTS” and that the “These guidelines apply to all transit projects that are directly related to the transport of passengers”?
- Do you know whether or not Sound Transit staff or City of Bellevue’s Transportation Director conducted the required “hazard analyses to assist local authorities in developing a safe and secure transit system.” before arriving at and making their recommendations to you on 8 Apr 2013?
- Are you familiar with or have been made aware by staff about the US DOT FTA’s Office of Safety and Security report titled “Rail Safety Statistics Report 2009” for “rail transit agencies for the years 2003 – 2008” which reports that “The rail transit accident rate has increased by 80% over the last six years.” and that “rail grade crossing (RGX) collisions” was the HIGHEST contributor to accidents involving trains?
- Are you aware of the high rate of accidents/collisions/injuries for Sound Transit’s Central Link that involves rail grade crossings?
- Are you willing to sacrifice your publicly stated principle of “Grade-separation” and all of its virtues?
- Are you willing to violate the City’s latest and greatest Land Use Code Amendments that include Light Rail Best Practices and that you so recently adopted?
- Are you willing to stand by your commitments and promises made to neighborhoods when you signed the MoU or are you willing to back off of your promises?
- Are you consciously, knowingly and willingly prepared to put the City of Bellevue’s citizens in harm’s way to save a few million dollars?
- Do you realize that knowingly or inadvertently, by accepting an At-Grade Train Crossing at SE 4th St, you would be creating a free “Death and Disability Lottery” for your citizens and that every time there is a “winner”, you will be remembered?
If, after answering the questions below, you arrive at the conclusion that an At-grade crossing is acceptable to you, then my humble suggestion to you would be to simply revert to the FEIS Adopted Project Alignment and spread the pain, injuries and deaths to all the users of the City’s roads instead of punitively putting these on the backs of residents of a 300-home neighborhood.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Arjun Sirohi, Surrey Downs
