Want to know what the Sound Transit 3 proposal would cost you? Our online news partner The Seattle Times has prepared this calculator here.
Sound Transit says its fall ballot measure would cost a typical adult $14 per month in new taxes, “which is a friendlier way of breaking down a yearly estimate of $169,” the Times said. The story goes on to note that “your own lifestyle, though, is surely anything but average.”
The No on ST3 campaign has already published its own calculator, and a message that “all these taxes will NEVER solve our traffic problems.” Sound Transit says it will also create a tax calculator soon.
The $54 billion measure that will appear on the November 2016 general election ballot features light-rail extensions to Everett, South Kirkland, Issaquah, Tacoma, West Seattle and Ballard, as well as added South End commuter-train capacity, and bus rapid transit in the Interstate 405 and Highway 522 corridors.
Sound Transit’s Link light rail system is already being extended to Lynnwood, with a stop at the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center, with expected completion by 2023.
Wow – the result I got on the calculator was eye-opening.
LQQK at the calculator…ST3 will enslave us to three levels of very high increased taxation…car tabs, sales tax, and property taxes[which renters will see in rent hikes]…with little, or very delayed, return.
There is a lot of smoke and mirrors with this levy request…
Vote NO on ST3
It may not solve the traffic problem – but riders won’t care: they’ll be getting to Seattle quickly and efficiently, watching the traffic jam as the rail cars whisk along.
As a former Board member of Community Transit I have real concerns about this issue. More mass transit is simply “feel good”. But for the majority of citizens this amounts to misapplication of transportation opportunities. What if the same amount of funding was directed toward the current freeway system? It is a mess- I-5, 405, I 90, Hiway 2, etc. That, I would vote for. 2-3% of the population is all that will ride mass transit. With s sales tax increase proposed for this and more cops in the county—where does it stop? And what real relief will it offer? The worst reason to vote for the issue is to assume that voting for ST3 is to assume that it will mean more room on the freeway system for your car. The solution may well be additional mass transit BUT only coupled with improvements to the freeway system. This proposal is simply too myopic
Ouch – just received my property tax bill today – it’s ugy!
I’m meant ugly, but maybe ugy works too.