By Gwen Davis

The West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting Tues. night was fiery. Trans. Prop. 1 and Petition 1, which creates a city transportation authority for a new monorail were discussed. Both hit a vote: the coalition endorsed Trans. Prop 1 and did not endorse Petition 1.

Here is what you need to know:

--> "This is the best opportunity we’ve had to improve transit for Seattle,” said Tom Rasmussen city council member about Trans. Prop 1, which will greatly reduce transportation cuts by raising car tab fees and increasing a sales tax. “We are the fastest growing system in the U.S. and this will go a long ways to meeting the need. The council did look at other options but believe this was the best thing to do. Now, do you want to continue the debate or move forward and vote yes for this?”

The proposition also allocates two million dollars for reducing fair of low-income transit riders. Additionally, the measure will end in six years.

There will be a citizens oversight committee to assure accountability for the transit dollars, he said. “Every dollar is accounted for, every promise is kept.”

Abigail Doerr, with the city of Seattle also said:

“Council members have written an op-ed in support of this measure. The most regressive thing we could do is cut bus service. The bus systems matters to low-income people, seniors, people with disabilities and everyone. We all know transit is vital to this city. We need to stand up and support this.”

--> “This is the wrong proposition at the wrong time,” said Michael Taylor-Judd who spoke on his own personal behalf (not as a member on WSTC or other organizations). “The county had to choose tabs and tax increases because those were their only choices,” he said of the former Prop. 1 that failed last spring. However, the city right now has other options they could consider.

The sales tax in particular is troubling. “We have one of the most regressive tax systems in the country. Why, when given the choice of other options, did our city council decide that we are to be even more dependent on sales tax?” he asked. “The least among us can barely afford to live in this city – this would effect low-income folks the most.

“It’s a great time to ask businesses to step up and give their share for the buses. If 44 percent of employees are coming downtown by transit,” they should be responsible for contributing.

People should consider not voting for this because the city council could pass other options to get extra services for our buses, he concluded.

--> Petition 1, which would create an authority responsible for a potential monorail was discussed. “West Seattle and Ballard need to be connected,” said the first speaker who was anti the monorail authority, Jonathan Hopkins. “I ride the monorail, I love it, it’s a great part of our heritage,” he said. However, this plan wastes money and is not credible.

According to Hopkins, the petition creates a costly new agency, it adds the costs of more bureaucracy, adds the cost of "failed lessons we should have learned in the past", adds the cost of studying Ballard and adds the cost of not seeking federal funds, which could be a billion or a billion in a half which Seattle will have to eat, he said.

“And this is all for a monorail that we do not have,” he stated.

Hopkins further emphasized that it lacks credibility, for instance, the petition quotes that it would cost two billion dollars. This was the same quote two years ago, he said. It was not able to be built within that budget then, let alone now with the added inflation factor. It will also not go along the waterfront, which is key to providing access to workers downtown.

“What if you’re in a wheel chair and can’t walk up the blocks needed to take busses needed to where you need to go?” he asked.

However, Elizabeth Cambell, author of petition said there were two sides of the story.

The impetus behind doing this is it allows for better transportation, she said. It allows for the creation of a board, which would be comprised of citizens all over Seattle.

“In addition, when you go to a Sound Transit meeting they say, go out and participate in these types of studies,” she said. “They have a pool of money set aside for citizens so they can engage [in the meaningfully.”

But board members had strong words for Cambell’s petition.

“Have you given real consideration to with Sound Transit?” said board member Michael Taylor-Judd. “This is a great funding stream that could be added to Sound Transit’s budget and then they could eventually help build this,” he said.

“But the thing is,” Cambell responded. “There’s nothing in this that says you can’t [partner with Sound. They should actually be our best friends, because they don’t have the funding sources that this has.”

However board members were skeptical about the specifics of her plan. “I’m for transportation in any form we can get,” said board member Amanda Kay Helmick. “We keep hearing that Sound Transit is possibly getting something on the ballot by 2016… What is your timeline for designing a monorail?”

The design phase, would take two to three years, she said. The project would be done in the early 20s.

Put on your calendar:

Oct. 22: Safety concerns open house meeting at 35th Ave S.W. around 6 p.m.

Oct. 25: SDOT and West Seattle business association meeting at 217 SW Oregon St. at 6:30 p.m.