Metro (Transit) met opposition to its proposal to realign its No. 17 route at a public outreach meeting Thursday, Jan. 31 because it did not approach the 32nd Avenue corridor people right. It did not cover the needs of the Seaview Avenue corridor people and it completely missed the opportunity to capitalize on the long-awaited Burke Gilman Trail extension.

A concerned group of Seaview residents had studied the problem of no transit and crafted a recommendation to Metro which would have realigned the No. 17 route, which has 45 daily runs and 34 weekend day runs that depart from and return to 32nd Avenue and Market Street to the end of the route at Loyal Heights. Rerouting only six midday, two evening and 11 weekend day runs from 32nd Avenue and placing them on Seaview Avenue is a mere 19 percent decrease in service from one already well-serviced route to another route that has no midday, night or weekend service.

Metro was proposing only midday service on an hourly basis to Seaview as its program. This is inadequate. With the study group's recommended program, Metro could serve Golden Gardens Park (the only one of 207 city parks without nearby bus service), Shilshole Marina (the only one of 20 marinas in Seattle without bus service for liveaboards, visiting ships or day sailors), the $1.7 million remodeled bathhouse designed for teens (they don't all have hotrods or Buicks to drive down there), of the new Burke Gilman Trail extension.

The rest of the Burke-Gilman Trail has bus service nearby all the way from Ballard to Kenmore. Here the walkers will have a two-mile return walk to the nearest bus, as well Golden Gardens and Marina visitors. Additionally, there are 35 businesses (with two large restaurants) with about 400 employees and about 1,200 residents that would benefit from some limited daily and weekend transit service where there is none now.

Metro's proposal flies in the face of Seattle Mayor (Greg) Nickels request "to get out of our cars and utilize transit" and King County Executive (Ron) Sims' goal of having "everyone in the county within 20 minutes of a Metro bus." Are these leaders to be overlooked?

The expanded proposal above requires no additional costs. No extra drivers, no extra coaches, no extension in schedule time, no additional miles of travel and no additional carbon footprint.

How can Metro be so blind to a service change that would cost nothing, serve more people and meet the goals of the mayor and executive? Will Seaview people remain "orphans?"

Jack R. Ellison

Seaview