Why are we building light rail? Who will ride it? Where will they be going, and why will they choose light rail over other transportation?

Many reaching the conclusion that light rail would be a waste of time on the Eastside are asking these questions. They are using their experiences and knowledge of the city as it is today and making solid arguments as to how it does not fit with Bellevue as we know it.

Reasonable as it is, this is the wrong approach.

Light rail is not for the city we have, it is for the city we want and need to become.

Transportation is immensely important in all aspects of modern life. In it is determined where people will live, work, shop and recreate. It is also one of the main sources of per capita energy usage, and thus has great environmental and economic effects.

Our city was built solidly and has been a beacon of growth as well as simply a great place to live, but in order to maintain its vitality, we need to go forward holding the future in equal consideration with the present. Wide avenues and multi-lane freeways were fine ways to get around when Bellevue was more of a sprawling suburb, but the myriad cons to this arrangement grow stronger every day.

Bellevue is a destination in itself now and has a population and density that reflects that – there is no going back.

Everett Phillips, Bellevue