Mass Transit Now

Some of those opposed to mass transit have attacked Proposition 1 with misleading numbers and -- in some cases -- outright lies. Make sure to know the truth, and be sure to share this page with your friends, so the same-old tactics don't work.

See the list of all debunked myths

# Myth: "The Sierra Club opposes Prop. 1"

The Truth: The Sierra Club has endorsed Proposition 1, and fully supports the plan. Opponents are misleading voters -- don't be fooled. Read the Sierra Club endorsement » Read about the "No" campaign's misleading tactics »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 doesn't reduce congestion"

The Truth: Congestion is reduced by Proposition 1. Light Rail fed by additional Express Bus service has the capacity to carry more than one million people -- taking cars off the road and reducing congestion for everyone by 30%. Seattle P-I: Proposition 1 "plan may cut traffic 30%, says study" » Read the plan »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 costs too much"

The Truth: Proposition 1 costs the average person just $69 per year -- or about the cost of a fill-up. This is one investment we can't pass up. Read the plan »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 doesn't help the environment"

The Truth: Proposition 1 will cut greenhouse gas emissions up to 178,334 tons per year. Our environment will be protected by expanding clean, electric Light Rail and replacing diesel buses with hybrid buses. The Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Voters, and other leading environmental groups have endorsed the plan. Read the Sound Transit 2 Sustainability Assessment » Read the Sierra Club endorsement » Read the plan »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 doesn't do enough now"

The Truth: Proposition 1 provides immediate relief. Express Bus service will be immediately increased by 17% across-the-board and up to 30% on high-ridership routers. Sounder trains will be more frequent and have higher capacity, expanding service by 65%. Read the plan »

# Myth: "Prop. 1's sales taxes never end"

The Truth: Sales taxes begin to roll-back after project construction is completed. Any future Light Rail extension must get voter approval. Read The Stranger debunk this myth »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 costs $107 billion"

The Truth: Proposition 1 costs $17.9 billion, or just $69 per year to the average person. The Seattle Times has called the number "conjecture." A ballot title challenge was dismissed without prejudice by a King County Superior Court judge who wrote that "there is no evidence" that Sound Transit's $17.9 cost is wrong.

Using the same-old fuzzy math, opponents are misleading voters by double-counting taxes, manipulating inflation, and includes revenue that Sound Transit is legally prohibited from collecting because of Proposition 1's build-in tax rollback.

The Seattle Times has concluded that the number uses silly-season accounting. The Times wrote: "It turns out the $107 billion is not really a cost estimate. It is mathematical conjecture by Jim MacIsaac [...]" The report that "even MacIsaac says he doesn't expect cumulative taxes collected by Sound Transit to reach $107 billion."

King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick threw out a ballot challenge that claimed the price of Proposition 1 was $107 billion. He ruled there was no legal or factual basis for the challenge. Erlick wrote: "Sound Transit relied on methodology provided by the Washington Department of Revenue to support the conclusions presented to voters in the explanatory statement that the 0.5% sales tax increase will cost the average adult approximately $69 annually. There is no evidence in the record that this number is not an accurate estimate."


The misleading numbers include both Sound Move costs that will be collected regardless (dark blue) and revenues that Sound Transit cannot legally collect (red) in the cost of Proposition 1. The large area that these two colors cover show the gross inaccuracy of the $107 billion number.

The number is also inflated by bad data and vastly over-estimates the average income and spending habits of people in the Puget Sound region. The opposition's absurd household cost figures would require a family to spend over twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) on taxable items. Does that sound like your family? Read The Seattle Times call this number "conjecture" » Read the Sound Transit response regarding this inflated cost claim (pdf) » Read The Stranger debunk this myth » Read The Stranger debunk this myth... Again » Read Seattle Transit Blog debunk this myth »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 will cost families $60,000"

The Truth: Proposition 1 costs the average person just $69 per year. The absurd cost of $60,000 would require a family to spend over twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) on taxable items. Does that sound like your family? Read Seattle Transit Blog debunk this myth »

# Myth: "No one will ride light rail"

The Truth: Light Rail will have the capacity to carry one million people each day. Light Rail will run in corridors where demand is highest, congestion is the worst and growing, and where buses face the biggest challenges in moving passengers quickly and reliably. Read about Light Rail expansion »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 doesn't benefit the entire region"

The Truth: 70% of homes and 85% of businesses in the Sound Transit district will be near rail stations by the end of construction. Proposition 1 requires that all money is spent in the community where it is collected. Read the plan »

# Myth: "Light rail takes too long to build"

The Truth: Light Rail expansion will begin service seven years earlier for some projects compared to last year's proposal, and it will be rolled out in phases. Proposition 1 will connect Bellevue and Northgate to Seattle by 2020. There's been enough talk, it's time to invest in our future and build a real solution to congestion and work toward ending our addiction to oil. Read about Light Rail expansion »

# Myth: "Extended bus service, called bus rapid transit, would be better than light rail"

The Truth: Light Rail is generally more cost-effective and reliable than buses. In fact, the operating cost for Portland's light rail system is 39 cents per passenger mile, which is less than half of the 82 cents for their bus system. Light Rail doesn't get stuck in traffic and is the best option to connect our region. However, for some corridors, Bus Rapid Transit makes sense which is why Proposition 1 would fund a SR-520 Bus Rapid Transit line. Read the Sound Transit response regarding bus-only service (pdf) » Read the plan »

# Myth: "Light rail across I-90 will create congestion and is dangerous"

The Truth: I-90 capacity is unaffected. Proposition 1 adds an additional lane in each direction on I-90 across Lake Washington, resulting in no loss of lanes (see the below graphic). Studies have shown that I-90's middle span is safe for Light Rail since it was built with high-capacity rail transit in mind.

Read the Sound Transit response regarding I-90 capacity (pdf) » Read Times' op-ed regarding I-90 rail safety & feasibility »

# Myth: "This Prop. 1 is the same as last year's Roads & Transit"

The Truth: 2007's Roads & Transit measure cost more than twice as much, took nearly a decade longer to complete, included a higher tax increase, include car tab taxes, and was opposed by The Sierra Club. 2008's transit-only Proposition 1 is slimmed-down and has received endorsements from leading environmental groups. It also provides immediate relief, with 100,000 additional Express Bus hours added in 2009. Read the Sierra Club endorsement » Read the plan »

# Myth: "Sound Transit can't be trusted, and light rail is behind schedule and over-budget"

The Truth: Link Light Rail begins service next summer, and is on schedule and under-budget with the plan adopted in 2001. While Sound Transit stumbled in its early years, it has learned from experience. Proposition 1 mandates strict and independent audits of Sound Transit. Read "State Auditor's independent audit [...] gives agency high marks" » Read "Sound Transit earns another clean bill of financial health" »

# Myth: "Prop. 1 raises car tab/MVET fees"

The Truth: Proposition 1 doesn't raise car tab fees.

# Myth: "Sound Transit has not listened to the will of the people"

The Truth: Sound Transit has held seven public meetings and received more than 15,000 comments from the public since the defeat of last year's measure. Sound Transit riders' top complaint is the need for more rail service.