ANTI-MONORAIL LIES

Lie #1: Monorail opponents claim that the new monorail authority is being given a blank check.

Reality: The new monorail authority has a $1.5 billion (2002 dollars) cap on the amount of bonds that can be sold. Voter approval would be required to exceed the cap. In addition, no tax proceeds may be used for operating and maintenance after 2020. This is an unprecedented step forward in public accountability that will build the confidence necessary to complete the entire citywide monorail system.

Lie #2: Monorail opponents claim that Seattle households will pay a monorail tax of $280 per year.

Reality: Seattle households will pay $116 per year.

If you want to see the math here it is. The average Seattle household has 1.23 cars according to the latest records at the Washington State Department of Licensing. The typical value of a car in Seattle (typical defined as the dollar amount at which 50% of Seattle cars are worth more and 50% of cars are worth less) is $6,700. Therefore the typical Seattle car owner will pay $94 per year and the average Seattle household will pay $116 per year. Every car owner can determine her car tax by multiplying her car value by 1.4% (with itemized deductions, the after tax cost falls to approximately $84 per household).

Lie #3: Monorail opponents claim that there will be no parking at monorail stations.

Reality: The monorail budget has $25 million for parking at stations. In addition, almost half of the station locations already have parking available within close walking distance.

Lie #4: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail’s projected ridership is not possible if compared to Vancouver’s elevated SkyTrain.

Reality: Vancouver's SkyTrain does seem like a useful comparison. It's an above-grade technology in a city with nearly identical population--half a million. Monorail opponents argue that the SkyTrain is "twice the length of Seattle's proposed monorail," but "has about 65,000 riders a day--4,000 fewer than the ETC is predicting." But according to Larry Ward, a spokesperson for the SkyTrain (which has been up and running for about 16 years), the Vancouver system has 140,000 to 150,000 riders a day, not 65,000. That's twice as many riders as the ETC projects for the monorail. So, the monorail--a system half as long as the SkyTrain--will, according to ETC projections, attract half as many riders as the SkyTrain by 2020.

Lie #5: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail will not have enough capacity to meet ridership projections and will need to run standing room only.

Reality: To reach this conclusion, the opponents intentionally cut the numbers of passengers each train can carry by over 50% and they assume that everyone who rides the monorail would ride the whole 14 miles on every trip. After correcting for these faulty assumptions, it is apparent that the monorail has more than enough capacity to carry 69,000 rides per day, running every 4-6 minutes at rush hour and every 8-10 minutes the rest of the day.

Lie #6: Monorail opponents imply that the monorail just takes people from Ballard to West Seattle.

Reality: The proposed monorail has stations in Ballard and West Seattle but it also has proposed stations at Interbay, Magnolia, Queen Anne, Seattle Center, Belltown, Downtown, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, King Street Center, the new Seattle public school headquarters, SODO, Delridge, Safeco Field, Key Arena, or Seahawks Stadium. The monorail will dramatically increase mobility around Seattle neighborhoods and in and out of downtown.

The monorail connects people to buses, light rail, commuter rail and ferries. People in southeast Seattle, for example, will conveniently take the light rail downtown and transfer to the monorail to get to events at the Seattle Center.

Lie #7: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail authority will not build the whole 14 miles.

Reality: The ETC plan guarantees that the new authority will build the full 14 miles. If the authority cannot build the full 14-mile Green Line, then it can not proceed with the construction without voter approval of this change.

Lie #8: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail Green Line won’t solve any problems.

Reality: The monorail solves the most basic underlying transportation problem facing Seattle residents, being stuck in traffic. The monorail will give people an alternative to traffic congestion. The monorail will guarantee that people can move around the city regardless of the traffic mess below. The monorail is the only plan on the table that will clearly add capacity through Downtown.

Seattle’s most pressing transportation problem is lack of north-south capacity. The Green Line adds 20 million north-south trips per year without reducing any current traffic lanes. The monorail Green Line will create new capacity above the traffic in one of the most congested parts of the region.

The Green Line is the first phase of an exciting citywide system. We have to start with the first line before we can build the second and third lines.

Lie #9: Monorail opponents claim that building the monorail is like moving the viaduct to 2nd Avenue.

Reality: The viaduct is a double-decker, multi-lane concrete highway over 35 feet wide. The monorail in comparison is comprised of two beams each less than 3 feet wide.

As compared to the existing Seattle Center monorail, the new system will have columns that are smaller around and are farther apart, and beams that are higher in the air. This will have more street appeal than today's monorail. There will be many opportunities for stations to be incorporated into new buildings. This will be good for riders and good for the streetscape.

Lie #10: Monorail opponents claim that “5th Avenue looks like Beirut.”

Reality: The current Seattle Center monorail carries 2.5 million rides per year. The stations are vibrant. The manager of the Westlake Station has endorsed the new monorail proposal. Between the stations, there are new office buildings where people work and live. There are several successful restaurants. The owners of the Palace Kitchen, Icon Grill, and Nara Grill, and 15 other businesses all located under the existing monorail endorse the new monorail proposal. Clearly they would not support the project if their businesses were "blighted" by the monorail. According to Tom Douglas, owner of the Palace Kitchen, "Our patrons love the monorail. In fact on nice days we open the restaurant windows so diners can hear the trains glide by." The monorail stations will add vitality to neighborhoods, bringing more pedestrians and retail to city streets.

Lie #11: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail hurts property values.

Reality: There are many studies from Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco and other cities that show that transit systems increase property values along the route. Here in Seattle, the manager of the Westlake Center has been supportive of the monorail and has spoken out about the positive impact the monorail has on his building.

Lie #12: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail construction budget only has $4 million per station.

Reality: The monorail plan clearly states that there is $135 million for stations. Dividing this by the 19 proposed stations allows for more than $7 million per station.

Lie #13: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail will be a mugger mover.

Reality: This is an appeal to people’s baser instincts – a fear tactic used by people trying to block projects by suggesting that people from poorer parts of town will use public transportation to travel to more affluent parts to commit crimes. This was used to keep Metro, the Washington D.C. subway, from going to the tony neighborhood of Georgetown, - a loss that Georgetown residents have since regretted.

In fact, the Monorail will be very safe. There will be full time station attendants, security guards and closed circuit cameras at all stations.

Lie #14: Monorail opponents claim that only 18% of projected monorail riders will be new to transit.

Reality: Actually, 25% of monorail riders are new to transit. This translates to over 5,000,000 new transit trips per year on the monorail.

The monorail will get people out of their cars and above the traffic. It will remove buses from downtown streets. Monorail’s pollution-free electric engines will reduce smog in our city.

Lie #15: Monorail opponents claim that there is only a 50% chance of completing the project.

Reality: The City of Seattle hired an independent consulting team to conduct a review of the monorail plan and to assess the risk of completing the project. That risk analysis showed that there is a 90% chance that the proposed monorail plan will be delivered as promised without the need for additional funds. This study looked at dozens of things that could go wrong, normal things like delayed permits but also things like a terrorist attack or a severe earthquake during construction.

Lie #16: Monorail opponents claim that no transit system runs without an ongoing operating subsidy.

Reality: The current Seattle Center monorail carries 2.5 million rides per year and is profitable. Vancouver’s SkyTrain required start-up subsidies but became profitable last year. Monorails in Japan are profitable. The new monorail system in Las Vegas is projected to have a substantial operating profit.

Lie #17: Monorail opponents claim that there is no mitigation budget in the monorail plan.

Reality: The monorail plan has $86 million budgeted for project specific mitigation in the capital cost budget. It is included under specific categories: Stations (intermodal improvements for bike, bus, pedestrians), Guideway (night time premium to reduce impacts, special structures, aesthetic improvements, street repaving, sidewalk repaving, landscaping, maintenance of traffic, and traffic improvements), and Parking. In addition, the monorail cost estimate includes $76 million for agency reserves for non-designated construction cost items.

Lie #18: Monorail opponents claim that this is the most expensive project in Seattle’s history.

Reality: The $1.7 billion monorail project is much smaller that most other major transportation projects currently under consideration, such as the Viaduct, 405 expansion, or Sound Transit. The monorail may be one of the least expensive transportation projects being discussed but it has very significant value.

Lie #19: Monorail opponents claim that the monorail will be run by a private club.

Reality: The Monorail Board will be a blended board, which includes 2 people elected by Seattle voters, 2 people selected by the City Council, 2 people selected by the Mayor, and 3 people selected by the Monorail Board. This will give an excellent balance to the Monorail Board so that no single group can “take over” the Board.

By the way if you want to know why we are so excited about the monorail check out our website at www.riseaboveitall.org or check out the ETC website at www.elevated.org or call us at 323-5655.

Our top reasons for supporting the monorail are:

1) Monorails never get stuck in traffic.

2) Good for the environment. With its electric motors and rubber tires, the monorail will be quiet and non-polluting.

3) Good connections to other types of transportation including ferries, buses, light rail and commuter rail.

4) Cost effective transportation. Monorails are relatively inexpensive to construct and can operate without ongoing operating subsidies. According to a recent Downtown Seattle Association study, the proposed Seattle monorail has the same cost per trip as a bus, and is much lower cost per trip than the other rail alternatives.

Thank you.

Rise Above It All