Hi Capitol Hill,
Here are three polls to gauge how the blog-reading residents of Capitol Hill are voting in November 4th’s elections. This only includes that top three elections that are probably of most interest to Captiol Hill residents. Other issues this November include legalizing doctor-assisted suicide, Tim Eyman’s carpool lane elimination initiative, and various legislative elections.
If you need to register in Seattle or want to check to see if you’re still registered and what will appear on your ballot, check here or call 206-296-VOTE (which might be easier to ensure you’ll get a ballot, since the website isn’t that great). You only have until October 4th (next Saturday)!
First: Who are you voting for president? During Slog’s debate Liveslog from Cafe Presse yesterday, 99% of the respondents said they were voting for Obama. Can we beat that?
Second, who are you voting for Governor? Dino Rossi has been running ads nonstop and Gregoire’s campaign seems to be asleep. Hopefully my grassroots banner for Gregoire will turn the campaign around.
Third and finally, how are you voting on the light rail measure? Confusingly named Proposition 1 (the same name as last year’s roads-and-transit measure), this year there’s a much smaller, cheaper plan focusing on transit (light rail and new Sound Transit bus service only).
Since a lot of people don’t know exactly what’s going on with light rail, here’s a brief summary. Light rail will open next year (2009) from Sea-Tac airport to Tukwila, Columbia City, Beacon Hill, and downtown. In 2016, light rail will extend to Capitol Hill (Broadway & John) and Montlake (near Husky Stadium). If this year’s Proposition 1 does not pass, light rail will stop there for now. If Proposition 1 passes, light rail will massively expand to:
- University District (two stops in Brooklyn and Roosevelt) in 2020
- Northgate Mall area in 2020
- Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood in 2023
- Rainier, Mercer Island, and downtown Bellevue in 2020
- Several stops in Bellevue and Redmond (including Microsoft) in 2021
- Three stops in the Des Moines/Federal Way area in 2020-2023
This year’s Proposition 1 will also add other transit services that will be nice in Capitol Hill:
- Immediately expand Sound Transit Express Bus service by 17%, up to 30% on the busiest routes
- New “Bus Rapid Transit” from Downtown and Montlake to Bellevue and Redmond
- Specifically enhances the 545 route from Capitol Hill (and downtown and Montlake) to Redmond (Microsoft)
- Increases frequency of buses to less than 10 minutes during peak times and 15 minutes on off-peak times
For more information, see the “Mass Transit Now” web site. The measure would cost each person about $69/year in new sales taxes.
