The Bellevue City Council continues to oppose the 112th Street route unanimously selected by the Sound Transit Board. Enough is enough.

It’s time for the council to accept the fact that their battle on route selection has effectively been lost. It’s time for the council to accept that 112th Street route and shift focus to making sure the underground tunnel is optimized to best serve the citizens of Bellevue.

The narrow majority of council members supporting the rejected B7 route option must accept the fact that their arguments have failed – and failed for good reason – simply lack of merit. All B7 options and variations they prefer have either been more costly, less efficient as a transportation system component or have posed unresolved technical issues (e.g., wetlands, added traffic congestion, etc.) than the selected Sound Transit 112th Street route.

The council must also recognize that the only reasons for opposing the 112th Street route are the NIMBY related protests by Surrey Downs residents and those folks in the Bellevue business community who would prefer to see the transit system either fail or be less effective than it could and should be. Both opposition groups hope to assert a narrow and selfish self-interest over the best interests of the citizens of Bellevue.

It is my hope that the Bellevue City Council can move forward on this transit siting issue and commence to once again serve the interests of the great majority of Bellevue citizens.

R. T. (Dick) Haelsig, Bellevue