If passed, would authorize the Elevated Transit Company to become an independent private development authority (PDA), called the Seattle Popular Transit Authority (SPTA), which would succeed the ETC. It authorizes $6,000,000 from the Seattle General Fund to develop a citywide monorail plan and prepare any “necessary” environmental impact statement (EIS) on the proposed ”Seattle Popular Transit Plan” which must be approved by the voters within 24 months. The city would be required to reserve up to $200 million of councilmanic bonding capacity to be used for construction if the plan is approved by the voters.

The Plan will propose a method of appointing members to the SPTA to succeed the ETC. Until there is a Plan a quorum of 60% of the existing ETC members will appoint new members by a majority vote of the remaining ETC members, with the City Council allowed to affirm or reject only ETC approved candidates. An alternative method of selection by election is suggested but not required.

For:

• Keeps the ETC alive. Proposition 2 continues the effort to improve and expand the Monorail and determine how to do it. This was approved by the voters when they passed Initiative 41 in 1997.
• Requires the ETC to prepare a plan for funding, constructing and preparing an EIS for the next step.
• Provides $6 million from the City’s general fund for planning and administration and reserves $200 million of Seattle’s bonding capacity for future construction.
• Lets the Seattle voters decide on whether the prepared plan should be funded and built.

Against:

• The Initiative creates a totally independent Monorail Seattle Popular Transit Authority with no accountability.
• The plan is not required to coordinate or be consistent with any existing city, regional, or state transportation comprehensive plans.
• $200 million in city bonding capacity is reserved without consideration of other city capital needs.
• Two years is not a reasonable deadline. More time is required for project planning, for adequate public involvement of communities impacted and for preparation of a DEIS and a FEIS.
• The voters, the Mayor and the City Council will have to make the tough financing decisions after the SPTA has determined the policy.
• It perpetuates a controversy with no clear resolution. It continues the frustrating monorail stalemate which has been going on for the past 3 years.

In 1997 52.6% of Seattle voters passed Initiative 41 to create an Elevated Transportation Council (ETC) to study and recommend to the city a plan to extend and update the existing 1961 Seattle World’s Fair’s one-mile Monorail. The 12 member Elevated Transit Council was appointed by the Mayor, the Council and the Governor in February 1998 to prepared proposals for implementation. The city provided $200,000 for the first two years of the ETC since the Initiative did not provide any funding. 

After seeking "expressions of interest" in March 1999 for building a project, the ETC sent out a “Request for Partnership” to perform a feasibility study. The three potential corridors were: a Lake City, Northgate, Queen Anne and West Seattle corridor, an east-west corridor from Laurelhurst to Ballard to Shilshole, and a short line connecting the CBD along the Pike/Pine Corridor to Capitol Hill. In early 2000 the Seattle Council conditioned matching $50,000 in city funds with ETC raising $61,000 in private funds to continue the project. The ETC also requested $50,000 from Sound Transit’s Research Funds. They were turned down by the ST Executive Committee after being supported by the ST Finance Committee. No private funding surfaced. The next step was that the ETC sent a letter to the Mayor and the City Council requesting $2 million for a feasibility study and administrative expenses. In August 2000 the Seattle Council dissolved the ETC as of September 1, 2000.

In July, 2000, contending that Seattle officials have constantly fought against the Monorail, it’s supporters (www.riseaboveitall.org) filed Proposition 2 before the deadline for the November General Election. They had gathered the 18,630 (19,393 validated) signatures needed to place the issue before the Seattle voters. They also filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court challenging the County Elections department’s rejection of duplicate signatures. They agreed to postpone the court hearing while waiting for the City Council to act on 9/18/00.

Seattle City Council members discussed an alternate proposal to the Monorail Initiative, which they could have presented to the voters under the city home rule Charter. It could have been placed on the same ballot with the Initiative at a future election. This was not done, however, and Proposition 2 will be on the November ballot for Seattle voters. Since new monorails might cost $30-60 million per mile, Council members have stated they are concerned that the city might be making a commitment to fund a monorail which could ultimately cost Seattle over $1 Billion. They are also concerned that including Proposition 2 on the November ballot might impact passage of the Seattle Parks levy.

The Municipal League Board was not able to reach the 2/3 majority vote necessary to take a position on this issue, but voted to write a letter to the Mayor and the City Council requesting that they properly fund a study of the monorail in the context of the Seattle Transit Initiative and Sound Transit.

Rationale

Monorails have popular support, but they should be integrated into a comprehensive system. Fitting a monorail into Seattle’s transportation system rightly belongs in the Seattle Transit Initiative. 

Since 1998, six agencies have been working together to improve transit and mobility in Seattle to create a “seamless system” to move people and reduce auto trips. Examples of current programs include a comprehensive parking study, high school trip reduction, FlexCar, neighborhood small business Transportation Demand Management (TDM), measures to reduce transit time, increase reliability and reduce auto trips. Future projects include transit/HOV lane conversion and improvements on city streets, street signal priority for transit, and waterfront intermodal connections.

For more information

External Links : This page contains many links to other web sites.  The Municipal League of King County is not responsible for the content of external web sites, and does not necessarily endorse the points of view expressed. When you click on an external link (denoted by ) the site will open in a separate browser window.

• City of Seattle Voting Guide - Has statements for and against, official ballot and title and full text
• Rise Above It All - Web site supporting this measure
• CityClub debate tackles monorail as transit system - Seattle Times Article, October 13, 2000