Mass-transit investments vital to region's growth

If anything keeps the Seattle metropolitan region from being truly great, it is the lack of sufficient mass transit. I'm speaking not only of a great city in the present, but more importantly, a great city in the future.

The scenic beauty, robust economy and urban amenities of Washington state have resulted in strong growth for the past half a century. Our quality of life is a comparative advantage that attracts new industry and a skilled work force. Our most effective form of economic development is to preserve and improve the livability of the region, and as any commuter knows, broadening our transportation choices is one of our best investments in that regard.

As the Seattle area matures, the growing pains of traffic congestion, long commutes, rising housing costs and vanishing open space must be addressed. Our smart growth policies and long-range planning efforts seek to maintain our quality of life for generations to come.

Although finding real, long-term solutions may be expensive, inaction will cost more. We can't afford to pass on this problem to our children and grandchildren. Ten years ago, we chose to invest in regional mass transit, and if we want to become a world-class metropolitan area, we need to think holistically about the challenges we face, and make wise choices about our future.

Criticizing particular components of Sound Transit ("Grandiose rail schemes do little to reduce congestion" Times op-ed, Feb. 21) overlooks two important details. First, Sound Transit is more than a rail service; it's an integrated system of buses, HOV direct-access ramps, railways and rail cars that bring people to their destinations. Each piece of the system supports the others and is designed to grow and adapt to the challenges of the next century.

Second, the true costs and benefits of mass transit do not just include the dollars spent and the income from fares. The ability to move people to and from places of work, downtowns and residential areas is a tremendous public benefit. The rail corridor currently operates at a tiny fraction of its capacity (while our freeways are clogged to their limits) giving us the room to grow gracefully and profit from our investment in the future.

The point is that piecemeal fixes and more of the same are not going to solve our regional transportation puzzle, nor are they going to keep this a great place to live, work and play for generations to come. People from across the region recognize that real solutions require long-term investments in mass transit that are so vital to our continued growth.

In 100 years, these same rails will be carrying our grandchildren to work and play, and delivering new goods to the world market. As an integral part of our economic future, the value of a mass-transit system is extraordinary, and as ridership increases over time, costs per trip decrease dramatically.

Development of a mass-transit backbone (of which the Sounder is part) helps focus growth and development in key areas and stimulate investment. Rail transit complements efforts like the Cascade Agenda, which takes a 100-year view of regional growth and looks for the best ways to maintain the quality of life that makes Puget Sound such a special place despite the expected doubling of population.

Our reliance on freeways and automobiles must diminish — think of trying to accommodate twice as many cars. Not only will it be prohibitively expensive to create parking in the downtowns, but expanding the street and highway capacity will cost untold billions.

Rail corridors blend easily with parks, open space and pedestrian facilities as well as fostering commercial and industrial developments. In addition, the efficiency of rail transportation is a hedge against future energy-price increases, further ensuring the economic vitality of our region.

It's time we followed the lead of cities like Atlanta, Portland, St. Louis, San Diego and, most recently, Denver, which have made real investments in mass transit systems and removed hundreds of thousands of cars from the roads. These systems stretch into new centers of sustainable high-tech jobs and bring suburbs closer to the urban centers, creating interconnected regions where small and large cities link their futures.

These successes didn't come about because of one group pushing an agenda. A successful 2004 effort to expand Denver's regional rail network by 119 miles would not have been possible without the backing of business interests that recognized the benefits of getting people to and from work regardless of weather or traffic.

The appeal of quality transit projects transcends political labels and geographic boundaries. These regions have recognized the bigger picture of growing together to position themselves to succeed in today's global economy. Puget Sound needs to join their ranks. Let's move beyond petty attacks on our transit system, build up some steam and catch up with the rest of the country.

Ron Sher is the Northwest managing partner of Metrovation, owner of Third Place Books. He develops and manages commercial real estate, including Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue.