Ellington

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.

Mass transit expansion has been a long time coming.

Seattle considers itself to be a world-class city — but without a viable mass transit system, we are not even close to achieving this status.

Sound Transit’s Proposition 1 will increase Sound Transit bus services and expand the capacity of Sounder trains between Tacoma and Seattle.

But the real crux of the proposition is the addition of another 36 miles of light rail service, which will expand the yet-to-be-completed light rail system to include service to Lynnwood and the Eastside.

A current light rail link from downtown Seattle to SeaTac airport is nearly completed, and a link from the UW to downtown will be completed by 2016.

The costs of such a project would be great; in fact, the numbers vary significantly depending on whom and when you ask.

Figures have ranged from $18 billion to $160 billion in taxpayer dollars. The money would come from federal grants and sales tax: five cents out of every $10 purchase.

A proposal like this won’t go away. Last year, Sound Transit nearly passed a similar proposition, even though the costs at the time would have been six cents out of every $10 purchase.

The long-term benefits of a practical mass transit system are enormous and outweigh the costs: Students would be able to commute more effortlessly to the UW from different areas, and the environmental and economical impacts would be largely positive.

Jobs would be created in the short-term with the construction of the links, and jobs would also be created in the long-term with the maintenance and engineering of a functional light rail system. People would be less inclined to use their cars, decreasing the amount of fossil fuel we consume regularly.

We should ride on the momentum of Sound Transit’s light rail plan.

While it may not be realized for several years, a proposition like this is necessary for us to increase our standing as an environmentally-forward city. Places like Portland, San Francisco and Vancouver, Canada all have reliable and efficient light rail systems.

We need to join their ranks. Vote yes on Proposition 1.

— The Daily Editorial Board

For more information on Sound Transit’s Proposition 1, visit future.soundtransit.org/documents/mailer.pdf