Monorail running short

At long last, reality sinks in. The Seattle City Council finally faced the stark facts of the monorail project. The council, with some members twisting and turning until the last minute, voted unanimously to withdraw support for the project. It's over, or should be.

The council's decision is the absolute right one for taxpayers paying nearly $1 million a week for a system that most likely will never offer a single Seattle commuter a ride. Under pressure from Mayor Greg Nickels, a late arrival to monorail opposition, the council decided to tell a tone-deaf Seattle Popular Monorail Authority the city is unwilling to allow construction on its streets.

Monorail board members rushed into session after the council vote to say, after all, the board would be amenable to a public vote in November, one seeking permission to shorten the line. It's too late. The board and the project have lost all credibility with elected officials and voters.

Taxpayers will accept the fact that they have to pay a monorail tax a year or more to retire monorail debts. That is what it takes to be rid of this misguided project.

A stubborn, heads-in-the-clouds monorail board prompted strong action from the city when the board refused Thursday night to agree to abide by a public vote that might torpedo the project or build the project in phases.

The monorail never generated enough tax revenue to build the 14-mile line promised. The council, albeit in an election year and under intense political pressure, joined the mayor and took strong action. The city is better off for it.