Move Forward on 4th! Sound Transit Letter/Phone Campaign

Sound Transit says it has the choice of building on 4th Avenue or 5th Avenue and have yet to decide. However, their actions show they prefer 5th because of:

1. Blocking a community member from being in the CID Community Advisory Group
2. Sending agents to 5th Avenue and King Street business owners to offer moving money
3. Emphasizing 5th Avenue is a better route than 4th Avenue in presentations through selective criteria, e.g. resident displacement 120 for 4th Avenue, 0 for 5th Avenue
4. Not explaining “full closure of King Street or Weller Street”
5. Not explaining how many businesses on King Street, Weller Street will be permanently moved, disruptions to community life, residents, 1200 elderly and 300 businesses
6. Incomplete plans presented for 4th Avenue options
7. Concluding that demolition and construction will not impact “neighborhood cohesion” aka community life

 Construction on 5th Avenue in Chinatown means:

1. Full closure of King Street, S. Weller and 5th Avenue for several years
2. Re-routing cars, buses, to 6th, Maynard, 7th, 8th, 10th & 12th
3. Gas, water, electrical shut offs to businesses, non profits and residents
4. Traffic detours throughout Chinatown, Japantown, Little Saigon
5. Daily dump trucks, cement trucks, cranes, supply trucks, delivery vehicles
6. Construction workers taking parking from businesses
   Increased noise & air pollution, dust, dirt, vibrations, torn up/closed sidewalks, streets
7. Taking property away from owners of color
   Demolishing National Register Chinatown Historic District properties
    

Severe disruptions to:

1. 300 businesses already battered by the pandemic, higher than ever anti-Asian hate crimes, criminal violence
2. 30 immigrant businesses permanently closed or forced to move
3. Schools, daycares, programs serving thousands of children and youth
4. Programs, classes, recreation for 1,200 elderly with closure of Hing Hay Park’s 6th Avenue side
    

How to Write Your Email:

1. Begin with: To Sound Transit Board Members and Seattle City Council Members

2. Choose 2 or 3 impacts or peoples or activities to mention from #bulleted list above.

3. Conclude with telling Sound Transit to take 5th Ave. off as an option. Choose 4th.

Send your email and/or call to leave a message today to encourage Sound Transit to drop CID 5th Avenue options and Move Forward on 4th! options:

To Sound Transit Board: emailtheboard@soundtransit.org                           AND

Seattle City Council partners: council@seattle.gov

Cc: Seattle Equity Team:

jesseca.brand@seattle.gov

nicole.kistler@seattle.gov

magda.hogness@seattle.gov

Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Officer Jonte Robinson:

civilrights@soundtransit.org

Note: if an organization is sending a letter, blind cc: chowbw@gmail.com, betty.lau47@gmail.com

Other actions as you have time:

1. Sign up for 2-minute public comment at monthly Sound Transit Board meetings: www.soundtransit.org
2. Email/call individual elected officials on Sound Transit Board, especially those where you live. See list below.
3. Sign a petition and pass it on.
4. Inform others and ask them to send emails, call, sign a petition
5. Email state and federal senators, representatives, senators since state and federal funding is involved
    

Sound Transit Board Members, titles and contact emails, phone numbers:

• Kent Keel, University Place Councilmember; Chair of Sound Transit Board: kkeel@cityofup.com;253-878-8041
• Dow Constantine, King County Executive; Vice-chair Sound Transit Board: kcexec@kingcounty.gov; 206-263-9600
• Cassie Franklin, Everett Mayor: https://everettwa.gov/formcenter/mayors-office-4/contact-the-mayor-94; 425-257-8700
• Nancy Backus, Auburn Mayor: nbackuus@auburnwa.gov; 253-931-3041
• David Baker, Kenmore Mayor: dbaker@kenmorewa.gov; 425-806-9322
• Claudia Balducci, King County Council Chair, District 6: Claudia.balducci@kingcounty.gov; 206-477-1006
• Bruce Dammeir, Pierce County Executive: https://www.piercecountywa.gov/FormCenter/Executive-20/Executive-Contact-Us-176;
  253-798-7477
• Bruce Harrell, Seattle Mayor: https://web6.seattle.gov/mo/correspondence/contact-mayor; 206-684-4000
• Debora Juarez, Seattle City Council President: Debora.juarez@seattle.gov; 206-684-8805
• Joe McDermott: King County Council Vice-chair, District 8: joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov; 206-298-1008
• Roger Millar, State Secretary of Transportation: https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/contacts/send-us-your-feedback; 360-705-7054
• Ed Prince, Renton City Council & Executive Director African American Affairs: eprince@rentonwa.gov; 425-430-6501
• Kim Roscoe, Fife Mayor: kroscoe@cityoffife.org; 253-922-2489
• Christine Frizzeli, Lynnwood Mayor: mayor@lynnwoodwa.gov; 425-670-5001
• Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive: dave.somers@co.snohomish.wa.us; 425-388-3312
• Dave Upthegrove, King County Councilmember, District 5: 206-477-1005 dave.upthegrove@kingcounty.gov
• Peter von Reichbauer: King County Councilmember, District 7: 206-477-1007 petevonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov
• Kristina Walker, Tacoma City Councilmember #8: Kristina.walker@cityoftacoma.org; 253-591-5470

Seattle City Council Members to email and call

• Lisa Herbold, #1 West Seattle: lisa.herbold@seattle.gov; 206-684-8801, Transportation Committee member
• Tammy Morales, #2 CID & South Seattle: tammy.morales@seattle.gov; 206-684-8802,Transportation Committee member
• Kshama Sawant, #3 Capital Hill, east CID: kshama.sawant@seattle.gov; 206-684-8803, Transportation Committee member
• Alex Pedersen, #4 NE Seattle: alex.pedersen@seattle.gov; 206-684-8804; Transportation Committee Chair
• Debora Juarez, #5 North Seattle: debora.juarez@seattle.gov; 206-684-8805
• Council President Dan Strauss, #6 Ballard: dan.strauss@seattle.gov; 206-684-8806; Transportation Committee
• Vice-chair Andrew Lewis, #7 Pioneer Square to Magnolia: andrew.lewis@seattle.gov; 206-684-8807
• Teresa Mosqueda #8 Citywide: teresa.mosqueda@seattle.gov; 206-684-8808
• Sara Nelson, #9 Citywide: sara.nelson@seattle.gov; 206-684-8809

AAPI Legislators:

State Reps

• Davina Duerr, 1st: davina.duerr@leg.wa.gov
• Mia Gregerson, 33rd: mia.gregerson@leg.wa.gov
• Sharon Tomiko-Santos, 37th: sharontomiko.santos@leg.wa.gov
• Cindy Ryu, 32nd: cindy.ryu@leg.wa.gov
• My-Linh Thai, 41st: my-linh.thai@leg.wa.gov

State Senators

 

Mona Das, 47th: mona.das@leg.wa.gov

Manka Dhingra, 45th: manka.dhingra@leg.wa.gov

Bob Hasegawa, 11th: bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov

 

US Senators

1. Patty Murray: https://www.murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty/
2. Maria Cantwell: https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form; can also request a meeting with her or one of her staff

US Congresspersons

1. Adam Smith, 9th District: https://adamsmith.house.gov/contact; no replies to those outside of Congressional District 9
2. Pramila Jayapal District 7: https://jayapal.house.gov/contact/