Earth Share of Washington

Transportation Choices Coalition is gearing up to support high capacity transit

- Submitted by Melissa Briody from Earth Share organization Transportation Choices Coalition

In 1996 voters in the urban areas of King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties approved “Sound Move,” a ballot measure to build the first phase of a regional transit system to connect regional employment and population centers in the Puget Sound area.

Sound Transit Phase 1 included Sounder commuter train service from Everett and Tacoma into Seattle and back (with limited runs), Sound Transit regional buses connecting Seattle and Bellevue with Everett, Tacoma and many other cities, Tacoma Link light rail line which began operating in 2003, and the 14-mile Link light rail initial segment, which will connect downtown Seattle to the airport that’s now under construction in Seattle.

Right now Sound Transit is in the planning stages for its next round of regional transportation investments for King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, called Sound Transit 2. There is a good possibility that there will be a regional transportation package including Sound Transit 2 on the Fall 2006 ballot.

Transportation Choices Coalition is lending our expertise and support for a Sound Transit 2 that promotes healthy, connected urban centers and real transportation choices. We’re working with Sound Transit to include high capacity transit (light rail or bus rapid transit) to the Eastside, light rail to Northgate, more frequent Sounder and Regional Express bus service, bicycle and pedestrian paths, and strong transit-oriented development and commute trip reduction incentives in the next ballot measure.

They’re also working to ensure that Sound Transit 2 includes innovative proposals to increase ridership and improve access to Sound Transit stations and services. TCC is advocating for:

• Discounted bus passes for people living near stations.
• Increased development density near park-&-ride lots and transit centers. More people living and working near stations means more riders!
• More local bus service to and from Sound Transit stations, so people can get where they need to go.
• Considerable pedestrian and bike improvements to encourage active transportation choices and facilitate transit use by those who cannot drive.

Stay Tuned! The time for action is near, but not quite here. There will be numerous chances to submit public comments and attend informational open houses around the region on Sound Transit 2.

To be notified of action opportunities and learn more about Sound Transit 2 and the potential 2006 ballot measure, sign up for Transportation Choices Coalition’s email Action Alerts on their website, www.transportationchoices.org.

Posted in the October 2005 Earth Page

Protecting People and Property

- By Tom Geiger of ESW organization Washington Environmental Council

Recently, at our three-year old son’s childcare, I was reading a story about a certain wolf trying to ruin the quality of life of a threesome of little pigs. The kids were entranced. As I read, I realized that we have a great honor as we work to preserve what is great about the quality of our state. Their future really does depend on what we do today.

And today, our quality of life is soon to be threatened. Land speculators and others who would benefit from the removal of effective land use laws are getting poised to strike at the heart of our state’s bedrock land use law.

What am I talking about? Let me explain. In Washington State we have protections that keep our growing population from resulting in California-style sprawl, even more gridlocked traffic, and loss of our open space and rural communities. The state’s Growth Management Act, while far from perfect, has done a fairly good job over the last decade at stemming out-of-control and poorly-planned growth. It continues to help us grow without losing our quality of life.

What if these protections were taken away? What if a huge mall was allowed to be built in your neighborhood, or next to the farm that grows food for your local market – and there wasn’t anything you could do about it? Unlikely, you say? Can’t happen?

Well you might think twice before you say that. Oregon used to have laws that protected its communities from irresponsible development. But last fall an Initiative (Measure 37) passed there that overturned three decades of good protections. It allows certain property owners to demand a ransom from the taxpayers whenever basic zoning laws curb development. If the public can’t pay, the protections go away. Maintaining existing safeguards could cost billions and, because Oregon’s local governments lack the funds to pay, it’s expected that many of the state’s land use restrictions and environmental protections will be waived.

Take the example of land in a residential area, which has a higher dollar value as a shopping center, and was purchased before it was zoned residential. In this case, taxpayers would either be required to pay the property owner the difference between what the land is worth for a shopping center and what it is worth for houses, or else allow the shopping center to be built in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Indeed, the Polk County Board of Commissioners recently approved a proposal to pave over 1 million square feet of land in a farming community to make way for a massive mall-like development. And there are over 1,000 other applications in process throughout Oregon to approve other types of land use changes.

And now there is an effort underway in Washington to bring that Initiative north of the Columbia River to our state. You might remember Tim Eyman, who already has decimated local government finances in Washington. Well, he and others, like the lobby for industrial farms and big-time land speculators, are looking to put this type of initiative on the ballot in Washington next year.

That’s why Washington Environmental Council has joined forces with conservation organizations like Futurewise and Washington Conservation Voters and others to make sure they don’t succeed. We know that people want to protect themselves and their property. We feel that balanced and fair local protections that lead to better communities, safer streets and cleaner water are worth keeping.

Posted in the September 2005 Earth Page

Big Wins for a Healthy Washington - A legislative wrap up

- By Tom Geiger from Earth Share organization Washington Environmental Council

For the third year in a row, leading conservation groups working at the state level have successfully advocated for new and improved laws to better protect people, land, air and water in Washington.

A new law to promote green building, as well as a law to clean our air by limiting auto emissions, will help people and nature breathe a little easier. Progress was also made on helping promote the health of Hood Canal and Puget Sound, and eliminate some very toxic chemicals from our household products.

The conservation community’s development of four common-sense Priorities for a Healthy Washington for the 2005 session was crucial to this success. (To learn more, go to www.environmentalpriorities.org) Instead of going to the Capitol with a laundry list, the short list made a splash from the get-go. The Seattle P-I’s editorial on December 27th called our proposals “a smart approach that should help lawmakers of both parties focus on a few areas where action can make a difference.”

Now we are celebrating some great success. After lots of hard work by the conservation community, all our partners and key legislative supporters, the Seattle Times opined: “Give the environmental community credit as well. For the third session, asking for less has meant more success.”

We are making progress and are being successful in getting real improvements to the laws that will help millions of people live healthier lives.

Here is a summary of what happened to each of the four 2005 Priorities for a Healthy Washington.

High Performance Green Buildings

On April 8th, Governor Gregoire signed this bill into law. The new law requires state buildings, schools, and universities to be built and certified as high performance, green buildings. This will result in buildings that save energy and water, are cheaper to operate, and improve student learning and employee performance.

Cleaner Air - Cleaner Cars

The Governor signed Cleaner Air - Cleaner Cars into law on May 6th. We’ll all breathe easier with cleaner cars - that’s a win worth smiling about! Cleaner Air - Cleaner Cars will reduce cancer-causing emissions and global warming pollution from new cars, increase consumer choice, and save consumers a bundle at the gas pump.

Sound Solutions - Saving Hood Canal and Puget Sound

While major bills did not pass, the conservation community secured over $6 million dollars for local clean water projects, including funds to clean up Hood Canal, and a grant and loan program to help homeowners fix failing septic systems. A bill to prioritize tax incentives for habitat buffers did pass. And a key bill that would reduce water pollution from septic systems passed the House but came two votes shy of going to the full Senate for a vote.

Phasing out Toxics

The Priority to phase out a particularly toxic set of flame-retarding chemicals failed to pass the legislature. However, the legislature did provide funding to the Department of Ecology to develop a plan for banning the most widely used form of toxic these chemicals. The department will report back to the legislature with recommendations in December.

Other Good News

Some other good bills that passed include: Oil Spill Prevention; improvements to the state’s approach to transportation funding; a new program for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program; and programs to increase solar power, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Priorities for a Healthy Washington is a combined effort of Earth Share organizations American Rivers, Audubon Washington, Center for Environmental Law and Policy, Climate Solutions, Futurewise, NW Energy Coalition, People for Puget Sound, Sierra Club, Transportation Choices Coalition, Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation, Washington Environmental Council, and Washington Toxics Coalition and includes other non-Earth Share members League of Women Voters of Washington, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, Washington Conservation Voters, and WashPIRG.

Posted in the June 2005 Earth Page

"Active Transportation" Projects Linked to Public Health

- submitted by Melissa Briody from ESW organization Transportation Choices Coalition

Five to fifteen per cent of Washingtonians use active modes of transportation to get to work, to school, and to amenities in and near their neighborhoods. Yet today in Washington, only about one per cent of state funding is budgeted for “Active Transportation” projects—safe routes to school & transit, pedestrian & bicycle connections, and walking & bicycling routes in transit-oriented development—that can help improve the overall transportation system and the public’s health.

While five to fifteen per cent may sounds reasonably good, Washington State faces a major health care crisis—and one of the factors driving this crisis is a lack of physical activity. In the Central Puget Sound region, half of all auto trips are five miles or less (that’s less than a 30 minute bike ride), and 16 per cent are two miles or less (less than a 30 minute walk). However, nearly half of Washington adults are not getting enough physical activity, and even worse, an estimated 10% of our population is defined as inactive, getting less than 10 minutes of moderate physical activity in a week.

Adding insult to injury, air pollution from our auto dependence has resulted in 10% of kids in urban areas such as Seattle and Spokane suffering from asthma, compared with less than seven percent nationally. Lack of physical activity and over-dependence on polluting automobiles contribute to many of our biggest health problems—obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory problems.

There are ways to begin to solve this health crisis while addressing the funding inequity for Active Transportation projects. Investing in Active Transportation can increase physical activity and create healthier communities. Investing in bike, pedestrian, and transit-oriented development projects saves us money, improves our health and air quality, and helps relieve traffic congestion.

Transportation Choices Coalition convened a coalition of health- and transportation-related government agencies, non-profits, and businesses. We’ve been working hard since then to come up with ways to address the health crisis through transportation solutions. In that time, the group endorsed the following five Active Transportation campaign goals for the legislature to take up during the 2005 session, which ends on April 24.

1. Increase funding for Active Transportation by $20 million/year in the 2005–2007 biennium, increasing over time to address the large backlog of projects, and to meet rising demand. This investment would build safe routes to schools, safe routes to transit, bicycle and pedestrian connections and bicycle and pedestrian routes within transit-oriented development.
2. Engage public health professionals and advocacy groups (including bicycle, pedestrian, and transit advocates) early in the concept development phase when performing major investment and corridor studies, so that new transportation projects are designed to improve public health, among other goals.
3. Direct all distributors of state infrastructure funding to develop criteria giving extra points to projects that show the highest levels of increased walking, cycling and public transportation use, including Safe Routes to School & Transit.
4. In addition to improving on-corridor facilities, evaluate using gas tax dollars to fund “off-corridor” bike and pedestrian improvements that reduce traffic and/or improve safety on state highways, both during construction and beyond.
5. Establish a steering committee to develop criteria for a potential state pedestrian-oriented development/transit-oriented development (POD/TOD) incentive program that significantly increases bicycle & pedestrian use.

With this broad support from the community, we are optimistic that the legislature will do the right thing this session by putting Active Transportation policies in place and setting aside funding from the transportation budget for these important—and essential—Active Transportation projects.

Posted in the May 2005 Earth Page

Transportation Choices Coalition Weighs in on Viaduct Debate

- submitted by Melissa Briody of Transportation Choices Coalition

The safety and maintenance of existing roadways is one of the major policy initiatives of the Transportation Choices Coalition, and the roadway in most dire need of immediate improvements is certainly Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct. Recently, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was released that outlines the five major options that have been developed to replace the Viaduct and adjoining seawall. Of the five, none include adequate alternatives to solo driving.

Transportation Choices joined with other interested groups and individuals including Allied Arts and People for Puget Sound in a group called the "Urban Environment Stakeholders" to develop a better alternative for the Viaduct fix. It was time to create an option that city officials and community leaders would take a close look at--both for its much more realistic price tag and its focus on creating a better waterfront that is a destination for everyone.

The plan developed from this group calls for a four-lane Alaskan Way on top of a four-lane tunnel. This contrasts with the DOT's current favorite alternative that calls for a six-lane tunnel and a four-lane road above.

There are some very key differences between the Urban Environment's alternative and the DOT's tunnel alternative mentioned above. For one, the four-lane street in U.E.'s alternative would not be a wide, unfriendly speedway but rather a street where cars and transportation choices share the road. It includes a series of improvements for better bike, pedestrian and transit connections for accessing key points along the waterfront, downtown Seattle and SoDo.

The tunnel in the Urban Environment's plan would be also be tolled the smart way--the more crowded the tunnel is at a certain hour the more it would cost to enter. A chunk of the dollars generated would go towards the Urban Environment's alternative, which is a whopping $700 million cheaper than the DOT's tunnel alternative! Overall, this "4 over 4" option would provide for safer, faster and more reliable movement of freight, and would meet demand for additional north-south trips.

Transportation Choices submitted a formal public comment as part of the DEIS process expressing support for their tunnel alternative provided that our recommendations above were implemented as part of the alternative. They have also been working with the City of Seattle and encouraging the DOT to look at innovative strategies to make arterial and intersection improvements to allow downtown Seattle to absorb much more traffic if the Viaduct needed to be closed or was taken down.

Fixing the Viaduct is going to take a long time. Transportation Choices Coalition will continue to track and inform this important issue through the coming months.

Want to stay informed? Transportation Choices Coalition, recently launched a cool new year-long project with funding from the Washington State Transit Association. The project is a monthly e-newsletter called "Transportation Now!" It brings to readers information and stories about achievements, issues and events related to public transportation in Washington. It also highlights different transit agencies (bus systems) around the state, what their struggles and successes are, and what they're doing to help expand choices in transportation in communities across Washington - including stories of individuals who are making a difference on improving public transportation in their community. Please visit their website to subscribe - www.transportationchoices.org.

Posted in the October 2004 Earth Page

Environmental Gains Achieved in 2004 Legislative Session

- submitted by Tom Geiger from ESW member Washington Environmental Council

Olympia, WA -- The 2004 Legislative Session was marked by environmental gains and no losses, making a successful year in the state capitol for Washington's environmental community. Progress was made in the areas of toxics reduction, old growth protection, water clean up and stream flow restoration.

"This is the second consecutive year in which bi-partisan support was essential to passing environmental priorities," said Clifford Traisman, state lobbyist for Washington Environmental Council/Washington Conservation Voters. "Lawmakers from both parties increasingly understand that clean air, land and water are important to all Washington citizens."

At the outset of the 2004 Session, the environmental community elevated four Priorities [featured in the February 2004 Earth Page]. Results included the following:

• Toxics: Funding for the state's Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBTs) program was restored, ensuring that the most harmful chemicals in our society, such as mercury, dioxin and PBDE (the fire retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers), will ultimately be reduced in our environment.
• Forests: An important study to look at certifying state forests--which would have delayed the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from increasing logging state forests until the study was completed--was not included in the final capital budget, but a provision was included that requires the DNR to inventory and map old growth in state forests and notify the public before it is logged.
• Water: A bill to restore and protect stream flows (SHB 2396) did not make it through the legislative process, but neither did other water legislation, which would have eliminated the state's law aimed at preventing the hoarding and speculation of the public's water. However, $1 million was included in the supplemental budget to improve stream flows and water management.
• Energy: Although legislation to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy development did not pass the full legislature, the bill did pass two House committees. Fortunately, the legislature did pass a bill requiring new power plants to mitigate 20 percent of their emissions of carbon dioxide, the principle pollutant responsible for global warming (SHB 3141).

Other important environmental bills included oil spill prevention (SSB 6641), electronic recycling (ESHB 2488), and significantly, improved safeguards for stormwater management (ESSB 6415). Governor Locke is expected to sign all of the bills and support the proposed funding.

"This is the first time in memory that the legislature provided all wins and no losses for the environment," said Joan Crooks, WEC Executive Director. "The environmental community intends to continue this record of success in the 2005 Session with a new governor and new legislature."

Posted in the April 2004 Earth Page

New Eastside Transportation Choices Chapter Formed!

New voices for transportation choices are emerging east of Lake Washington in the Central Puget Sound Region. With the leadership of Kirkland City Council-member and Transportation Choices Coalition Board Member Dave Asher, Redmond Mayor Rosemarie Ives, and Kirkland City Council-member Mary Alyce-Burleigh, a new local chapter of the Transportation Choices Coalition was formed during the summer of 2003.

The Eastside Transportation Choices (ETC) steering committee is made up of local elected officials, citizen activists, and business leaders - all of whom are dedicated to increasing investment in transportation alternatives and 'smart roads' throughout the Eastside and the larger Puget Sound Region.

The group is seeking grant funding and individual donors to support an ambitious and strategic campaign to build local support for transportation choices, including high capacity transit (HCT) in the I-90 corridor, direct HOV to HOV connections at major freeway interchanges, and expanded local transit service. Eastside Transportation Choices has also called for making the retrofit, or replacement of the aging SR-520 Bridge a top regional funding priority.

In 2004, ETC is contemplating a series of community meetings, and presentations to local chambers of commerce to seek input in the construction of a 'peoples' alternative. In the meantime, leaders of the new Transportation Choices Chapter hope to provide a new 'voice of reason' on transportation issues in East-King County.

Posted in the February 2004 Earth Page

Warning: Dangerous Art Ahead

Local photographer, activist wins National Sierra Club Award

Bellevue resident and former Boeing engineer, Subhankar (pronounced "shoe-BANK-ar") Banerjee, recently received the National Sierra Club's Special Achievement Award, which recognizes a single act of particular importance dedicated to conservation. He left his job and overcame immense obstacles, in order to spend 14 months taking photos in one of the most remote and beautiful areas of Alaska. The result was Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Seasons of Life and Land. The book was the product of his field research documenting life in this harsh but fragile arctic ecosystem and contains stunning images of wildlife and daunting landscapes. Along with the photos are essays by people like President Jimmy Carter, Peter Matthiesen, and David Sibley, which further illuminate us as to the hidden values and timeless qualities of this "sacred place where life begins" according to the Gwich'in people who live there.

Banerjee was catapulted into the national prominence this spring when an exhibition of his Arctic Refuge photos at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History was mysteriously moved from a prominent place in the rotunda to the basement. That happened right after Senator Barbara Boxer held up an advance copy of the book during a debate on opening the Refuge to oil drilling. She urged her peers to read the book before making any decision on the drilling. There was speculation that political pressure caused the Smithsonian to move the exhibit. A flurry of articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, and on National Public Radio told the tale to the nation and kept the Refuge and its threatened status in the public eye.

In addition to writing the book, Subhankar tirelessly tours the country to educate people about the beauty, vitality and hidden life dramas that abound in this wilderness. It has to be part of the reason the public continues to tell Congress that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should remain undrilled, unspoiled, and magnificent.

For information on protecting the Refuge, contact Kathleen Casey at Kathleen.casey@sierraclub.org. The book was published in both hard and soft-cover editions by Mountaineers Books. To purchase a copy go to www.mountaineersbooks.org.

Posted in the December 2003 Earth Page

Partnership Leads to Hood Canal Shoreline Protection

- submitted by Reed Waite from ESW member Washington Water Trails Association

Earth Share of Washington members Washington Water Trails Association (WWTA) and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) opened a Cascadia Marine Trail campsite on the eastern shore of the Hood Canal on Thursday, September 11. It was the third public campsite opened this year by WWTA on the Hood Canal, the 44th site for the 10-year-old Cascadia Marine Trail, and the first with a non-governmental owner. WWTA and TPL have worked previously on protecting many natural Puget Sound sites.

Laughlin Cove is a secluded, 20-acre waterfront property with a nearly 1,200 feet long shoreline and tidelands. The new camping site is located strategically between Guillemot Cove Nature Preserve and Dewatto Bay, on an 11-mile stretch of Hood Canal that currently has no public pullouts. It is a fine spot for camping and picnicking. The property has spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains and is protected by nearby Chinom Point. WWTA will handle reservations for campers arriving in non-motorized boats for overnight stays and perform light maintenance.

The value of protected shoreline for the public and the environment is becoming more and more apparent. Recent reports of diminished oxygen levels in Hood Canal waters highlight the impact of human development in the watershed. Preserving open space is of vital importance for TPL, WWTA, and everyone in the Puget Sound estuary.

For more information visit www.wwta.org/trails/laughlin.html.

Posted in the October 2003 Earth Page

R-51's Defeat Can Spur Reform and Innovation

- submitted by Edie Gilliss from ESW member group Transportation Choices Coalition

On November 5, Washington votes soundly rejected Referendum 51, the $7.8 billion highway construction package. With no foreseeable solution in sight for our transportation woes, traffic and new construction remain at a standstill. The good news amidst the transportation gloom is that R-51's defeat creates an opportunity to introduce reforms and innovations that can substantially improve our State's approach to transportation.

Voters want fundamental changes in the solutions being offered. A Seattle Times/Elway Poll found that 44 percent of "no" voters statewide thought Referendum 51 put too much emphasis on roads and not enough on mass transit. The political math is pretty straightforward: any statewide tax measure must win large majorities in Central Puget Sound, especially King County and Seattle and in order to win big in these areas, a transportation package must have much-needed investments in public transit and other transportation choices.

Earth Share of Washington member group Transportation Choices Coalition is working hard to create a plan that will get Washington State moving again. They are partnering with legislators this session and beyond to ensure that any state transportation package puts 1/3 of funding to transportation choices (rail, bus, vanpools, bikes) and makes maintenance and repair of existing roads and bridges the first priority in the evaluation and funding of road projects.

To volunteer at Transportation Choices Coalition, call Edie Gilliss at (206) 329-2336 or email edie@transportationchoices.org.

Posted in the January 2003 Earth Page

Devil's Lake Gets Protection

- Submitted by Amy Zarrett, from ESW member group Washington Environmental Council - http://www.wecprotects.org/

In a state with spectacular wildlife areas and magical wild places, chalk up one more of them that your grandchildren will have the chance to experience. Earlier this year, Washington Environmental Council (WEC) succeeded in its long-term effort to get permanent protected status for the wonderful Devil's Lake wetland system.

Located on the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, on the east side of Mt. Walker, Devil's Lake is a pristine wetland system containing superb examples of forest, bog, shrub and marsh wetland types and approximately 12 acres of open water. At the south end of the lake is a five-acre forest stand with 300-year-old trees and old growth characteristics. Also well established as a fishing and day use recreational spot, Devil's Lake contains exceptional habitat and botanical values. The state land is contiguous with National Forest land to the west, and together, the two ownerships encompass the entire Devils Lake basin.

WEC's Policy Associate, Jerry Gorsline, was instrumental in the success of the transfer. He originally proposed the transfer to deflect a state timber sale proposed in 1992, and then tracked and advocated the transfer process of Devil's Lake from that time to its enrollment as a Natural Resources Conservation Area under the Trust Land Transfer Program in May 2002.

About The Trust Land Transfer Program:
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages nearly 3 million acres of state-owned trust land to provide revenue for specific trust beneficiaries and benefits for the public. However, not all of the trust lands are best suited for income production. Some have high ecological and/or recreation values of statewide significance that render them inappropriate for harvesting timber. Such is the case with the Devil's Lake property, with its pristine and highly sensitive wetland system. The Trust Land Transfer Program provides an innovative way to put money into trust beneficiary accounts while protecting properties with significant natural, park or recreation attributes and better manage trust assets for income production. Contact WEC's Jerry Gorsline for more details at jerry@wecprotects.org

Posted in the November 2002 Earth Page