Cascade Bicycle Club Advocacy: I-90 Bridge Trail

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I-90: Keep Your Promises

On July 15, the I-90 Steering Committee voted to add two narrow lanes to the bridge across I-90 (R-8A) as their “preferred alternative.” The Steering Committee vote ignored strong resolutions passed by the Seattle City Council and the County Council that urged the adoption of the safer I-90 alternative “R-2B.”

This weak decision puts everyone at risk. “R-8A” calls for re-striping the bridge with narrower lanes to fit two HOV lanes in the outside lanes. The re-striping would result in 50-100 more deaths and injury accidents each year and force trucks carrying hazardous cargo to take other routes around the lake, through our neighborhoods. R-8A also jeopardizes the future for High Capacity Transit (HCT) across I-90 by kicking buses out of the center lanes and allowing more solo vehicles to gain access to the center lanes. If we lose the center lanes to autos, don't believe anyone who tells you we can get them back for transit!

Because of your e-mails, calls and letters, the Steering Committee agreed to negotiate a new “Memorandum of Understanding” to determine how to get High Capacity Transit in the I-90 center lanes. This process can still have a successful outcome if HCT in the center lanes is “simultaneously implemented” with the construction of R-8A.

Please let your elected officials on the I-90 Steering Committee know that you are disappointed by their failure to protect public safety and keep the transit promises. Urge them to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding that calls for the simultaneous implementation of R-8A and High Capacity Transit in the center lanes of I-90.

If you live in Seattle, click
here: http://actionstudio.org/
?go=314

If you live in Bellevue, click here: http://actionstudio.org/
?go=316

If you live elsewhere in King County, click here: http://actionstudio.org/
?go=315

What does Cascade want in ANY project on the I-90 Bridge?

Any alternative must maintain the bicycle / pedestrian path at its existing width. The path should be kept in operation during construction. Consideration should be given to expanding the width to the federal standard of 12 feet.
Planning should begin immediately for implementing light rail on I-90. Light rail should be implemented as an integral part of any implementation of Alternative R-8A. The parties should request simultaneous funding of light rail with the project in the proposed Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID), in TEA-21 reauthorization and other potential funding sources.
No general-purpose traffic should be allowed into the center lanes or new HOV lanes. Restrictions on the use of transit/HOV lanes on I-90 must remain. Consistent with the 1976 Memorandum Agreement, WSDOT should operate I-90 with no more than eight motor vehicle lanes.
No Sound Transit funds should be spent unless light rail is funded at the same time. Significant legal and policy risks would arise if voter-approved transit funds for transit were diverted to automobile use.