We asked readers what they think of Mayor Greg Nickels' decision to withdraw his support for the monorail. Here are some of their comments:

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"Kudos to Mayor Nickels! From the outset, the Monorail was a "feel good" project that had no chance. Anyone who has read the fine print understands that the project simply, and irrefutably, is not financially feasible. Why continue to throw good money after bad merely to try and save face?"

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"I am sick and tired of all of these Monorail haters. Mayor Nickels has shown zero leadership (yet again) in times where tough decisions need to be made. To send this back to the voters after we have approved this measure 4 times has got to be the most spineless copout of any public official in this town in recent memory. Mayors of years past aren't remembered for what they didn't do for their cities. They are remembered for what they did."

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"I'm glad the mayor is putting an end to what is clearly a badly planned, high spending (without anything to show for it) project. If we're going to have alternative transportation, we need people who are willing to think out of the box, and it seemed like no one on the planning committee could do that. I never understood why we don't build the monorail (or light rail) on I-5. I-5 already goes right through downtown Seattle; traffic on I-5 is primarily what we're trying to solve, right? Well you've got the space over the freeway - use it! I've been in other cities where the light rail goes right down the middle of the highway with bridges under or over for pedestrians to safely get to the stations. (e.g. San Francisco). Why wouldn't that work here? Just an idea."

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"The Viaduct is way more important than the Monorail AND the Lightrail combined. If and (more than likely) when the viaduct topples, It's not just going to adversely affect traffic going through downtown, but it will also wreak havoc with the ferry system, AND since the Viaduct passes right over the north entrance to the train tunnel under downtown, the Port of Seattle will be cut off from the northern rail route. Don't keep stalling on the Viaduct issue, people! It NEEDS to be addressed much more than the Monorail AND the Light Rail."

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"I support the mayor's decision. I have always voted for the monorail, but with the recent announcements about the cost of funding it, I have changed my mind. Having the Seattle Schools scrambling for a tiny fraction of that amount to keep schools open also changed my perspective on the relative value of the monorail. Last but not least, I'm receiving excellent bus service in West Seattle. Before moving to my current house a year ago I was receiving excellent bus service from the east side of Ballard. Therefore, the potential benefit just doesn't seem that significant to me anymore."

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"I have been a holdout of moving to Seattle because I don't want to support an out-dated technology that costs so much money. We will never get the use out of a Monorail that the investment requires. The problem isn't getting around Seattle once you are there, it's just the getting TO Seattle where there is a problem! I can't believe Nickels had the courage to do what needed to be done. Look to Salt Lake City Utah if you want a good example of a complete tear down and reconstruction of freeways and addition of light rail to move them forward for 50+ years!"

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"Finally it is almost over. Nickels has finally woken up to the fact that this project is silly. Really how can you trust the SMP when the tax for the monorail goes up? Who would guess that my 1993 car appreciated last year? In 2004 I paid $50 for the Monorail tax and in 2005 I paid $54. Go figure!"

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"I am opposed to the monorail and voted both times against it. I firmly believe the money can be better spent on other, more important transportation projects that will serve a larger number of people and provide a greater public benefit. I don't think it's realistic to expect to be able to build a monorail in this urban, developed area. And I feel other transit, through both Metro and Sound Transit, are much more viable and sensible projects. All of the monorail supporters (which isn't many people!) are draining dollars from other more pressing needs. I'm not always a big Mayor Nickels fan, but I fully support him on this! Thanks for the opportunity to comment."

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"I am a Seattle native, I am outraged by this decision. The city of Seattle can find the funds to build two new sporting facilities, but cannot find the funds to rebuild a landmark that has been part of the Seattle culture for many years. The monorail was in place long before the Kingdome. Everytime I come back home to visit I make sure I take a ride on the monorail, I loved it when I was a young child and still love it now as an adult. I say, find the funds and do something for the culture for once and not for a sports team."

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"Goodbye Seattle. I grew up with you, I love(d) you but I happily leave you. I have gone to a city (not a town) that understands Transit. I will sadly watch from afar as your economy and quality of life are lost in traffic. Your inability to make decisions on transportation will destroy all that you think great about your city and Washington State as a whole. Maybe someday you'll learn to implement transit systems like cities have done for Hundreds of years. But until then, I pity you. It is time for hard questions: What will you (West Seattle, Ballard) do when the Viaduct comes down? What will Microsoft do when 520 goes away? What will happen to your forests as sprawl swallows them? Do you want a car- based society or one where most of you can walk to work, shop and play? When will you realize that transit investments pay for themselves in ancillary development and quality of life? Many other cities know this; when will you learn? I am so sorry to see you failing."

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"How many times do voters have to get it into those council members' heads that they want a monorail!? I left Los Angeles because the people here actually have a dream of what they want their city to be. If you want Seattle to look like Los Angeles, then the city's next move should be to kill the Green Line. You want to see what real traffic looks like when there is no mass transit or light rails? Take a look at L.A.'s own I-5 and I-405."

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"Nickles' action continues the pattern of postponing the development of effective public transportation which has been ongoing for decades in Seattle. Yes, public transportation is expensive, but not compared to personal transportation (unless you choose to bicycle or walk everywhere). We voted for the monorail and we voted for the mayor - therefore it is his responsibility to make sure it happens. Why not apply the 1.4% car tab tax to new cars as well? That would close the funding gap considerably and improve the fairness of the tax."

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"Thank you, Mayor Nickels. I have cast my final ballot. I've disposed of my voter registration card, and have called the Elections Department to cancel my voter registration. Voting in Seattle/King County is truly a waste of time and my effort. (If your vote gets correctly counted in the first place.) Elected officials build what we don't want or need and now kill something necessary and voter approved. Why should I vote?"

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"The monorail remains the most cost-effective way to build rapid transit in Seattle. The only problem with the current plan is the debt cost resulting from the revenue shortfall. It's a pity that our leaders were not willing to search out any additional funds to drive down the debt cost. Citizens will end up paying even more in the long run (in gas & other less cost-effective transit & roads) if we abandon the monorail project."

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"Deadlines are important to have, but I am concerned that after more than a year of putting together the plan and proposal put to the public on July 3rd and then (rightly so) rejected. There is now a director that is competent and has an honest history of helping with his expertise. It does not make sense to cancel the monorail agreements before giving the current consultants the time that is needed to change what others have put together over a period of more than a year. It is a shortsighted move that needs to be reconsidered with more time and information."

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"I am pleased that Mayor Nickels finally sees the light (and I hope most of the citizens do too) with this overpriced folly. May it die ASAP instead of wasting more money."

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"It is about time someone decided to do the right thing! I agree with reader Rob Hone, have it serve UW, the airport and the I-5 corridor and you will have a whole new group of supporters!"

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"If this is truely being withdrawn to construct the Monorail at this time, then us as taxpayers should be reimbursed the costs we are being charged on our car tab licensing taxes. It's not right that the citizens that don't live in the surrounding area of the Monorail are being taxed for this to begin with. I don't deem the Monorail as a safe way for transportation nor do I feel that the Sounder Train is safe either."

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"This agency has abandoned its roots and has become a secretive, self-interested, self-sustaining juggernaut that insists we must let it plunge headlong into disaster because of its populist roots. No public agency should be allowed to present a financing plan based on '50-50' assumptions; if that isn't gambling, I don't know what is. Kill this thing now and stop wasting money prolonging it."

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"From the beginning, the Seattle Monorail was a boneheaded boondoggle. It solved no transit problem, and now it has utterly failed the triumvirate tests of form, function & finances. It's time to move on to the more pressing needs of replacing the viaduct and the 520 bridge, and adding a rail link across lake Washington. Only then will we start to see viable transportation alternatives in the Seattle area."

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"The Seattle Monorail" was simply a bad idea, poorly executed. It remains an expensive example to us--of what happens when you have blissfully uninformed voters acting out; and unqualified goverment bureaucracies seeking to perpetuate themselves.

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"Thank goodness. The stupidity is finally over. However, I'm sure it's too much to ask politicians for my tax money back, huh. I could use the $500+ of MY MONEY you've all wasted."

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"I hope the voters ride him out on a rail. The voters want the Monorail. Bring on the lawsuits."

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"The mayor's cancellation of the agreement to allow the Monorail to use city streets is the right decision. SMP continues to spend $1,000,000 of our tax dollars every week. This boondoggle has already gone on too long. Please stop this project now, and dissolve SMP."

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"Finally Nickels shows some guts on this horrendous, ineffective solution. For the impact on the community handsdown the biggest waste of money. Put the time and effort into improving the roads and bridges. Add more bike paths and HOV lanes. The good people of Ballard don't have any problem getting into downtown Seattle at any time of day. Have the monorail serve the UW, the airport, and the I-5 corridor and I would be a big supporter."

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