It is unfortunate that the inept actions of the monorail board and Seattle city government killed off the monorail project by making voters question the project. It is truly a sad day for West Seattle since it is more unlikely that efficient mass transit will occur here before the Alaskan Way Viaduct is torn down. The concept of elevated monorail rapid transit is a good one, the financing plan wasn't.

However, my hope for our community is that there will be the political will to build a spur of Sound Transit's Link Light Rail to West Seattle. While the Herald's editor has been for monorail and skeptical about light rail to West Seattle, light rail doesn't have to be a bad alternative.

Admittedly, at grade light rail would not be as fast as monorail. However I have ridden the light rail systems in Portland, Salt Lake City and Dallas and have found them to be quite efficient. In all of these cases, the trains are not stuck in traffic as the trains control traffic lights to change to green so they can cross intersections.

So even if light rail were built to West Seattle, it would still have an advantage over automobiles, when we lose the viaduct.

Marshall Dunston

Highland Park