What makes Sound Transit’s way superior to Bellevue’s

The Sound Transit (ST) blog editor’s guest commentary complaining about Bellevue City Council “wasting” money studying alternatives to ST’s current East Link routing raises questions [“Bellevue light-rail study wastes time, money,” Opinion, Nov. 23].

Who made the “finding” that the ST board, none of whom where elected, have the authority to ignore the council in selecting the light-rail route through Bellevue? What happens if Bellevue decides not to grant ST the 10 building permits it needs for construction.

How can ST use the argument that the council’s preferred alternative costs too much when only a small part of the money ST gets from the Eastside — 40 percent of ST funding — will ever be spent there?

Lastly, why did ST spend millions of dollars and years studying nearly every conceivable route through Bellevue to Redmond, but not one dime evaluating two-way, bus-only lanes on the bridge instead of light rail?

— Bill Hirt, Bellevue