Sound Transit’s 40-page presentation showcasing its “East link Preferred Alternative” makes it clear it has no interest in even considering the Bellevue City Council’s preferred BNSF alternative for South Bellevue. It is also clear that whichever “alternative” is selected, East Link’s construction and operation will devastate large areas of our community.

It is also obvious that Sound Transit refuses to even consider East Link’s effect on most cross-lake commuters. East Link will never have the capacity or the accessibility to handle more than a fraction of cross-lake traffic. Forcing all traffic onto the outer bridge will doom the vast majority of cross-lake commuters to future gridlock.

What is tragic is that ST could have spent a fraction of the money used for its latest presentation for evaluating converting the center section for two-way, bus-only use. Any competent consultant would have quickly concluded that two-way bus routes would have 10 times the capacity of light rail, at 1/10th the cost, and could be available 10 years sooner.

Bill Hirt, Bellevue