As an Eastside resident and frequent Lake Washington commuter, I am gravely concerned by Sound Transit’s plan to run light rail across the center lanes of i-90 beginning in 2017 with a shut down of this center roadway for a projected six years.

Reverse commuters can attest to the hassle of traveling without these lanes, and we can all look forward to gridlock if all I-90 travelers are denied access. I am a proponent of mass transit, but is six years and billions of dollars worth Sound Transit’s stated goal of increasing transit ridership from 40,000 to 50,000? The U.S. Public Interest Group (PIRG) recently classified the Seattle Tunnel Project as the No. 1 transportation “boondoggle” in the country. East Link not only will cost nearly the same to construct, but also its high operating costs along with Sound Transit operating schedules will require a subsidy of $285 million every year to operate. Now that’s a boondoggle.

Unlike the tunnel project, this project has not commenced, and if residents educate themselves on Sound Transit’s plan they will see that money is just the beginning of the debacle.

Sebas Tian, Bellevue