decrease service

The Ballard News Tribune coverage of the streetcar meeting in Ballard (July 16) was good to see, but it missed some important details.

None of the residents who would possibly be impacted by the Local Improvement District taxes were notified of the meeting by mail. The only announcements of the 4-6 p.m. meeting were press releases.

More than a few of the public comments were made by residents of Magnolia, Capitol Hill, and other neighborhoods which will not be paying for it.

The route displayed at the meeting showed the streetcar running right up Ballard Ave. and through the Ballard Farmers Market.

Finally, while the streetcar puts more control in the hands of the Seattle City Council, it does not put much needed additional transit service hours in Ballard and would reduce service on buses like the (Route)17.

It is critical when discussing transportation systems to know if we are increasing or decreasing overall service and the streetcar would decrease the overall service in Ballard.

Michael Snyder

Seattle