Park & Ride symbolic solution; more bus service is what’s needed

By Scott Hamilton

As Sammamish drivers try to cope with congestion in the city, increasing transit service is often suggested as one solution.

Proponents of the developer STCA plans for the Town Center have, in part, pointed to the possibility of including a park and ride (PNR) in the plans as a reason to lift the building moratorium and let STCA file its applications for development.

Without getting into the pros and cons of the overall STCA plan for the Town Center, inclusion of the PNR at this point is more symbolic than substance. Here’s why. Continue reading

First candidates emerge for City Council, 45th State Senate seats

City_of_SammamishWe’re only two months into 2017 and already some names are emerging for the November 7 off-year election.

City and County council races occur this year. A special election for the 45th State Senate seat, which includes the north end of Sammamish roughly along a line of SE 8th St., will also be on the ballot.

Sammamish Comment gave a full rundown of the local elections in January. In Sammamish, two City Council Members upended the dynamics of the election when they announced at the Council retreat in January that they would not run for reelection. First-term Council Member Bob Keller and Mayor Don Gerend, who has been on the Council since the first election in 1999, said they will retire at the end of this year.

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“Voters have forgiven Sound Transit”

Voters have forgiven us for past troubles:” Sound Transit CEO. That’s the headline of a story on MyNorthwest.com.

The CEO is reacting to the latest vote in favor of Sound Transit 3, the $54bn project, $27bn tax plan over the next 25 years.

The CEO needs to take another look.

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Final Nov. 8 election results; Precinct analysis to come

Final results for the Nov. 8 election, posted last night by King, Pierce and Snohomish counties and Washington State, for the races and propositions affecting Sammamish, show no surprises from initial election night results.

Sammamish Comment called all but a handful of races on election night and the Too Close To Call races within the first week.

The only race that maintained suspense was for the 5th Legislative District State Senate race between incumbent Democrat Mark Mullet and Republican challenger Chad Magendanz. Mullet led by nearly 3,000 votes on election night with a six point spread in the percentages. The Comment called the race for Mullet then, noting that since 1999, final results didn’t waver by more than 1%-2% from election night.

In this case, however, Mullet’s lead shrank as votes were counted to a low of 509 and by less than a one point spread. The race concluded with 515 votes and 0.69% separating the two. Magendanz conceded Nov. 23.

The 5th LD includes the greater Klahanie area within Sammamish.

Sound Transit 3

The $54bn Sound Transit 3 proposal passed by a 54% result, but this was no area-wide mandate for the agency. Pierce County voters thumped the $27bn tax hike, giving only a 44% approval. Snohomish County barely approved the plan, with a 51%-49% result.

King County, largely on the strength of Seattle, approved it by a 57% margin.

Midway through counting, Sammamish was rejecting the plan by a 51% margin.

Certification and Precinct breakdown

Certification of the comes today. King County releases the precinct voting results tomorrow. Sammamish Comment will analyze Sammamish voting in selected races and report later this week.

The full election tally for selected Sammamish races is below.

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ST3 failing 51.69% to 48.31% in Sammamish after first week of vote count

Analysis of one week’s worth of voting results from Sammamish shows Sound Transit 3 losing here by a 51.69% to 48.30% margin.

Vote counting continues to Nov. 29, when the election results are certified.

Sound Transit 3 is the $54bn mass transit plan that includes $27bn in tax hikes over 25 years.

Sammamish gets reduced bus service out of the plan and a prospective park and ride at the north end.

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