Sound Transit is ‘not interested’ in alternatives

After attending the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce meeting on Sept. 4, it is clear that the Sound Transit train has left the station.  They are willing to spend $8 to $18 million to build a bus terminal on Mercer Island so that buses do not have to cross two lanes from the HOV lane on I-90 to exit to Bellevue Way to the S. Bellevue Park and Ride. They have more than one half mile to safely accomplish that task.  I guess it is OK to cross two lanes to get to the HOV lane but not to leave it.  That trip would be 3 miles shorter per round trip and a much faster train commute to and from Seattle by avoiding the I-90 back up across Mercer Island.

Sound Transit has a plan and is on the road “selling”.  They are not interested in an alternative that costs much less and does not disrupt the north end of the MI Tow;n Center.

The newest plan is to utilize 80th Avenue over I-90 as the bus terminal.  They say that the number of buses on MI will be about the same as now.  At the same time they say that during peak travel time the number of buses will be 24 per hour.  That is a bus every 2.5 minutes for at least 2 hours in the morning and evening. Can you imagine trying to use 80th in your car and having a bus coming and turning around every 2.5 minutes?  It will be like a “demolition derby”.

With trains coming every 8 to 10 minutes that will mean that there will be 4 to 5 buses parked on 80th waiting to pick up passengers.  Is there enough space for 5 buses to make the turns and park on the over pass?  Will the overpass carry the load?

Once the light rail goes through Bellevue, the number of buses using Bellevue Way will be greatly reduced.  There will be room for buses from the Eastside to park at the S. Bellevue Station.  They have an unrestricted path to the Park and Ride, which is less than a half mile from I-90.  They will only have to travel less than one quarter of a mile on Bellevue Way without causing disruption to a business center or neighborhood.

Unless we let our City Council know, that they should fight for NO bus terminal on MI, Sound Transit and Metro will literally ROLL buses over us.  Metro is already planning to reduce bus service on Mercer Island which will increase the demand for parking in the Town Center. We should be negotiating for improved bus service on the Island, to reduce the need for Islanders to drive to the Town Center.

I doubt if additional parking at the Community Center will solve the parking problem.  Sound Transit needs the additional parking on Mercer Island while they re-build the S. Bellevue Park and Ride.  We should not give Sound Transit what they want.  It is a BAD exchange.

JUST SAY NO to the Bus Terminal.

John Scherzo

Urge KCLS to cancel plans for library

The King County Library System Board of Trustees is entrusted with our community libraries. In the past they have responded favorably to communities that were passionate about their library, such as Vashon Islanders, and have supported those communities.

Over 1200 patrons who use and love Mercer Island Library as it is have signed petitions, which were delivered to the KCLS Board in April, requesting that the Mercer Island Library not be closed for up to a year for interior demolition and renovation. These patrons love our beautiful community library, which one of our City Council members has called a “quintessential small town library.” Our library functions well and serves the community by providing resources, meeting space, computer access, and safe and comfortable places for quiet reading and research.

If our City Council sends a letter to the KCLS Board representing these 1200+  constituents, and asks the KCLS Board to honor the goals of the 2004 bond issue we voted for–limiting the changes to (1) “necessary updates”, (2) “access to more books and materials”, and (3) receipts for returned books, WHILE canceling the planned major renovations–I trust the KCLS Board to dialogue about this and have the courage to cancel the plans for major renovations.

New York Public Library had the courage to cancel the major renovation of their main 5th Avenue “flagship” building in response to community objection–after 6 years and over $19 million spent on planning. I hope that the KCLS Board will follow their lead and cancel the major renovation of our library–after only one year and $60,000 spent on planning.

I trust our City Council to represent their constituents and send a request to the KCLS Board to cancel renovation of our building, providing instead only necessary updates requiring minimal closure time. And I trust the KCLS Board to honor and approve a request by a City Council that represents their constituents.

Meg Lippert