City Council can stop East Link

Sound Transit Officials would like Eastside residents to believe their East Link Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) represents the results of more than 10 years of study by transportation experts, consultants, commissions, and others who examined all the various aspects for improving public transit in our area.

The reality is the DEIS conclusions for the most basic issue, namely, how to connect Seattle with the Eastside are fatally flawed. The DEIS is filled with gross misstatements and fabrications about East Link light rail cross-lake capability.

Sound Transit’s conclusion that the way to meet current and future cross-lake commute problems is to squeeze all the vehicle traffic onto the outer bridge structures and install two light rail tracks center on the center section is patently absurd.

Many Eastside residents believe that East Link as described in the DEIS is a “fait accompli.” The truth is that within Sound Transit’s pile of “stuff” in the DEIS is a pony that can stop it. The DEIS pony is two pages listing 10 different permits or approvals Bellevue must agree to prior to any construction. Bellevue can stop East Link cold if they refuse.

Neither the Washington State Department of Transportation nor our feckless local legislators are ever going to oppose East Link. The Bellevue City council is the only organization with the ability to stop this debacle. They need to hear from their constituents.

Bill Hirt, Bellevue

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