Mayor Nickels Proves He Can't Do Math

After closing down the entire public library system for a week and asking city employees to take ten unpaid days off this year, Mayor Nickels has the gall to ask the City Council for more money to run the loathed South Lake Union street car line.

Apparantly, advertising has only brought in about half the revenue expected and, gosh, only about 1300 people ride it per day (less than one-quarter the number of people who ride the average in-city bus route). Combined with zero enforcement of fare-paying, it’s no wonder the street car is a financial bust.

For one thing, it was never built to be integrated into any existing transportation system, since there’s no equipment to scan Puget Passes (issued by the tri-county bus agencies) or the new ORCA cards, which are compatible with the new light rail line. Hence, the city can’t ask Metro or Sound Transit for money.

No, it’s a toy train for Paul Allen—one that’s cost $2.2 million in city money so far, and will cost another $1.45 million in loans from “other city accounts” that don’t have the money to spare. Nickels says the money will be structured as a loan and paid back over a five-year period starting in 2018. Say what? How does the city, which runs the street car, justify paying itself interest? And who says the street car will still be running in 2023?

It’s high time we shut down the street car and sell off the equipment…if we can find a buyer—and that’s not so certain. Who would want the damn thing?