Seattle Area Voters: Yes To Transit; No To Road Measure

"Voters in Puget Sound counties...approved a $22.8 billion transit expansion package, the biggest in several decades. And state voters were saying that highway car pool and bus lanes should remain open only to car pools and transit, rejecting the latest Tim Eyman transportation initiative.

Sound Transit's Proposition 1 was its second attempt in two years to expand its rail and bus system beyond what it already operates or is building.

Voters rejected an even larger package a year ago that included a highway-im(Washington state) vprovement levy."

"The car pool lane measure, the Eyman-backed Initiative 985, would have opened car pool lanes to all traffic in nonpeak hours and required local governments to synchronize traffic lights on arterials.

But opponents said cities and counties already synchronize signals, and opening the car pool lanes to all traffic for part of the day could fill those lanes with more traffic."

From "Sound Transit hashing out details":

"Voters in the urban areas of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties approved the expansion measure Tuesday, with more than 58 percent of them voting yes. The approval gives the agency authority to collect an additional 0.5 percent increment of sales tax, starting next year and continuing for at least 27 years.

Thanks to Nathan Landau