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The HOV lanes that we’ve paid for but seldom use are just another reminder of junk science gone mad. But for the sake of argument, let’s pretend they actually do what they’re supposed to do, which is to get people out of single-occupancy vehicles. If we then allow single-occupancy drivers into those lanes, at a premium of course, that will completely undermine the supposed value of the HOV lanes.

So anyone who advocates for HOV lanes and is in favor of HOT lanes is admitting that their stated goal really wasn’t the stated goal after all. So what was the goal? What’s the purpose of HOV lanes if they’re opened to anyone who is willing to pay for it (again)?
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I just got the license renewal notice for my car. It’s going to cost me $95 plus the cost of the emissions test. What happened to those $30 tabs we voted for in 1999?

Then, after opening that little bombshell I find out that there’s a survey up at Sound Transit. It’s obviously a precursor poll to crafting a ballot measure for the fall elections. It is a very badly written survey for several reasons.

The bottom line of the survey is ‘how much should we expand’. Nowhere did they ask the question ’should we expand’ or ’should we just go away and stop wasting taxpayer’s money’ (Think: monorail). They also lumped potentially good solutions in with bad ones and then forced a choice (example: lumping buses and commuter rail in with light rail). Almost every question offered selections that forced me to pick the least objectionable answer, while only a few offered options that I favored.

Since their survey was so narrow-minded I thought I would help them with the questions they should have asked.
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