Editor’s note: The Daily will be endorsing local initiatives and candidates all week. Read and consider our perspective and, as always, we welcome your letters.

Initiative 985, spearheaded by perennial initiative sponsor Tim Eyman, is evidently supposed to reduce traffic congestion by six to seven percent, but the costs and waste of precious tax money do not justify its passing.

The initiative, which would open high-occupancy vehicle lanes during non-peak hours on mostly Seattle-area highways, would require more than $600 million in sales taxes over five years.

$600 million is a surprisingly high cost for such a small and essentially pointless thing, especially considering most people drive to and from work in the morning and evening, not in the afternoon and late night.

Several things stick out that should encourage not passing this initiative.

First off, if the initiative is passed, residents all over the state would have to pay for a change that will affect only a small amount of highways that are mostly in the Seattle area. That is simply unfair.

Secondly, city bus-only lanes would be open to cars, which could actually cause more congestion, make bus trips slower and possibly create new crash hazards.

Finally, the high price tag for such a minimal change that most people in the Pudget Sound region won’t even utilize isn’t justifiable. The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration have both said the initiative could end up costing Washington State even more than the projected $600 million down the line when it comes to building other, more important transportation projects.

I-985 is a waste of precious money that should be spent on real traffic solutions.

Vote ‘no’ on Initiative 985.

— The Daily Editorial Board