Seattle To Vote On Roads, Transit Package

"Because of dramatic growth in population, highways in the Puget Sound region are expected to get far more crowded in the coming decades, no matter what voters say about the $47 billion roads and transit proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Supporters of Proposition 1 argue that without the plan, traffic jams will be fiercer still. Proposition 1, they say, will make things less worse -- and the 50 miles of new light rail in the package will offer many travelers an escape from gridlock.

Opponents say it's ridiculous to spend that kind of money on a transportation plan that fails to make significant headway on the region's most critical transportation problem. "It costs too much and does too little," said John Niles, a Seattle consultant on transportation policy.

Niles and others maintain that there are cheaper alternatives that make more sense.

The region's drivers collectively lose about 260,000 hours per workday to traffic delays, compared with travel at the speed limit, according to a recent state transportation audit. If the Nov. 6 ballot proposal fails, that is expected to increase to more than 600,000 hours per day over 20 years. But even if Proposition 1 passes, the total is still expected to nearly double, to more than 500,000 hours."