JOHN CURLEY AND SHARI ELLIKER

Even visionaries have given up on Seattle monorail, but it’s on the ballot in November

Jul 29, 2014, 11:15 AM | Updated: Jul 30, 2014, 9:23 am

November will be the fifth time Seattleites will cast a vote on a publicly-funded monorail plan. (K...

November will be the fifth time Seattleites will cast a vote on a publicly-funded monorail plan. (KIRO Radio Photo)

(KIRO Radio Photo)

For even idealistic Seattle visionaries, voting on yet another monorail proposal is maddening.

Proposition 2 is slated to appear on Seattle’s November ballot and would again establish a new city transportation authority with the power to levy property taxes and license fees as well as issue revenue bonds, in order to study whether a monorail would be feasible in Seattle.

The new plan for a monorail would connect West Seattle to Ballard. In theory, KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney and Jason Rantz agree, it’s a great idea to connect the two neighborhoods.

The last monorail campaign began almost 15 years ago and it’s the fifth time Seattlites will be casting a monorail-related vote. The last monorail project was well on its way to construction when voters rejected a long-term financing plan in 2005.

This time, Prop. 2 would start with a $5 car tab fee in order to just begin the planning process.

The Dori Monson Show


“You may recall, a few years ago, the City of Seattle spent $124 million on another monorail plan,” says Dori. “They stole that money.”

Read: Dori’s take

Tom and Jason say that we’ve already learned a monorail is too expensive and its technology is no longer the dream of a World’s Fair, making it hardly a “visionary” project, as Tom put it.

Jason says connecting two of Seattle’s “hardest to get to” neighborhoods is a challenge that should be addressed. “Let’s figure that out, but do we need to go down this route that has been proven in the past not to work here? Because no one has the appetite for that kind of cost.”

Tom says in the end, the monorail already proved to be a boondoggle. “The problem is, nine years ago we already studied it to death and it took more go-arounds before we finally had a feasibility study that said it wasn’t feasible,” said Tom. “Even for somebody like me, who would like to find a justification for it, even the people behind this proposal say, ‘Well, we don’t know how we’d pay for it, that’s why we need to do all these studies first.’ Come on!”

Elizabeth Campbell, known to some as a “serial initiative filer” as well as an anti-tunnel activist, is spearheading the monorail effort and says we can learn from the mistakes of the previous mass transit efforts.

Campbell tells KIRO Radio she plans to file initiatives in Shoreline, Burien, Tukwila and Renton in the next two months to start the process of extending the monorail out of Seattle.

KIRO Radio’s Tim Haeck contributed to this report.

John Curley and Shari Elliker on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to tom and curleyTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for John Curley and Shari Elliker.

John Curley and Shari Elliker

John Curley and Shari Elliker

Photo: Scott Fitzsimmons' "I-1THIS" license plate....

KIRO Newsradio staff

‘I didn’t even feel it’: John Curley shares astonishing story of local winner

The "I-1THIS" license plate is more than creative, it comes with a story of triumph. John Curley told the story who won the winning plate.

12 days ago

seattle nightmare tenant...

Frank Sumrall

Seattle homeowner’s ‘nightmare tenant’ situation resolved one year later

A Seattle homeowner's "nightmare tenant" situation, causing him to live in a van instead of his home for a stretch of time, has finally been resolved one year later.

13 days ago

curley dancing naked...

John Curley

John Curley’s life advice: Start your day by dancing naked to Andrea Bocelli

This has been a part of my regular morning routine for some time now: getting up in the morning and dancing naked every day.

14 days ago

...

MyNorthwest Video

Video: Let’s Talk About Eagles

John and Shari discuss the hatch watch for a bald Eagle named Jackie as she sits on her eggs. Then, the conversation goes in a different direction about snakes eating eggs and eagles eating cats. You want to listen to this one! Listen to the John Curley and Shari Elliker Show every weekday at 3pm […]

19 days ago

...

MyNorthwest Video

Video: Bradley Cooper Walks Around His House Naked

Apparently, Bradley Cooper walks around his house naked a lot. The John and Shari Show talks about their experiences growing up with their parents. Listen to the John Curley and Shari Elliker Show every weekday at 3pm on KIRO Newsraio 97.3 FM Listen to KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more! […]

25 days ago

...

MyNorthwest Video

Video: The Naked Man Festival Is No More

If you had travelling to Japan for the annual Naked Men Festival on your bucket list… we have some bad news. After more than 1000 years, the festival has been permanently canceled. Listen to the John Curley and Shari Elliker Show every weekday at 3pm on KIRO Newsraio 97.3 FM Listen to KIRO Newsradio 97.3 […]

1 month ago

Even visionaries have given up on Seattle monorail, but it’s on the ballot in November