About 200 people, including many elected officials, attended Sound Transit’s first public meeting of its Board-approved “listening tour” to hear concerns about the impacts that East Link light rail and the I-90 center lane closure will have on the ability to get on and off Mercer Island.

Mayor Bruce Bassett and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Secretary Lynn Peterson sat in the front row of the meeting, along with about a dozen Sound Transit staff members and representatives from King County Metro. Bellevue Mayor Claudia Balducci, King County Councilmember Jane Hague, 41st District State Rep. Tana Senn and many Mercer Island City Councilmembers and challengers were also in the audience.

“We needed a big turnout,” Bassett said. “This is an important community moment.”

Bassett said that before the center lanes close, the city and the transit agencies need to work to understand traffic flow on the Island and improve access to public transportation.

There were more than 30 speakers, with many saying they support the efforts of newly formed community group Vision Mercer Island. The group aims to educate citizens about transportation challenges, given the Island’s “unique geography” and “long-standing contractual rights.”

“It was impactful to hear from diverse voices: residents (new and decades long), small business (Island Books, Lice Knowing You, RKK Construction, etc), long-time Island workers who live in other parts of the region, and Islanders who work in the region (as life-saving doctors, innovators at Amazon) and more,” said Lori Otto Punke, the executive director of Vision Mercer Island.

Punke said it was “very clear that Islanders expect the City Council to negotiate fiercely and find win-win solutions.”

One commenter said that Mercer Island is facing “almost a perfect storm” of issues, and one suggested an interesting, but expensive, solution: to build another lid over I-90 and the proposed light rail station, and build a bus turnaround, parking garage and pedestrian walkway on top of it.

Other suggestions were more specific. Sound Transit is proposing to build traffic lights near Town Center as part of traffic mitigation measures, but one Islander asked that they consider roundabouts instead. Others advocated for improved lighting around the transit center, as it can feel unsafe to walk in that area at night.

There were many comments that mobility is critical not only for Mercer Island residents, but also for employees. A teacher hired at the Stroum Jewish Community Center had to turn down a job because of traffic. Businesses charge a “Mercer Island premium” for services because the city is inconvenient to reach, one resident said. Mercer Island also needs better bike safety and less noise pollution, according to commenters.

One idea is already happening: permit parking at the Mercer Island Park and Ride, which is one of the busiest in the area. The program, which the Sound Transit Board approved on Sept. 24, will be in place for carpoolers by fall of 2016, and guarantees that at least 50 percent of parking spacwill remain free and available for transit riders with permits on a first-come, first-served basis. Transit customers must have and use a valid ORCA card to apply for a permit.

Some said that East Link was “a failure from the beginning” and argued that self-driving cars may soon make the train system irrelevant. Others said they were excited about the prospect of an improved regional transit system, but said that there needs to be a better way for Islanders to access it. Park and Ride spots are limited, so the idea of a shuttle running from the South to the North end of the Island was proposed.

Those who did not speak at the podium were encouraged to submit a paper comment, go online or attend a drop-in session. Sound Transit representatives said that, “all comments will be considered equally.” For more, see http://www.soundtransit.org/mercer-island-listening-tour.

Follow the conversation on social media with hashtag #Listen2Mercer.

Vision Mercer Island requests:

•Permanent access to I-90 HOV/HOT lanes for all Mercer Island traffic to or from Seattle and I-405 and sufficient direct access ramp capacity to minimize lane weaving.

•Permanent exemption of Mercer Island traffic from tolls and congestion pricing on our only route on and off the Island.

•Sufficient, Mercer Island dedicated parking capacity at the Park & Ride and Town Center, with convenient shuttle, pedestrian and bike access from all over the Island.

•Immediate availability of bus seats to Seattle for Mercer Island commuters, then when Light Rail opens, minimized bus congestion on Mercer Island streets and the East Channel Bridge.

•Immediate reduction of I-90 cut-through traffic that clogs local streets and ramps and increases merging, worsening highway backups.

•I-90 construction closures isolated to late nights to prioritize the needs of all I-90 commuters over contractor convenience.