Graham St. Station - RE: ST3 Draft Plan...we have work to do

Hi all, By now many of you will have at least heard about the Sound Transit ST3 Draft Plan that was released last week. The good news is that the Graham Street Station is fully funded in the plan. The (quite) bad news is that the station is not scheduled to open until 2036. The plan's not written in stone, though, and here are some things we can do to change it: Take the ST survey, and let the ST Board know why we need the station now and not 20 years from now: http://soundtransit3.org/survey Take the survey early (as in, right now) and please pass on to neighbors. Show up at one of the public hearings. I will be at the Union Station hearing on 4/28 at 11:30. Please join me there, or attend one of the other meetings happening around the city (there are some scheduled in the evenings). You can find the listings for those hearings if you scroll down the page on this link: http://soundtransit3.org/connect. Join the Facebook group that community member Jonathon Morris Winters set up: https://goo.gl/OVd48L. I will continue to post updates via email as I can, but the Facebook page will likely have more current information and be a better place for people to exchange ideas and organize. I have talked to staff at Puget Sound Sage and Transportation Choices Coalition and both organizations are committed to helping us move up the timeline for the Graham Street Station. I am sure that OneAmerica, the Filipino Community Center, and all of the other organizations and business that were involved in the Seattle levy campaign will also be strong advocates. A few talking points if you need them: The Graham St. Station was in the original light rail plan almost 20 years ago. We've been waiting for this station for a long time and waiting another 20 years is unacceptable. We agree that the public transportation system needs to be extended and expanded, but prioritizing suburban service over under-served urban communities doesn't make sense. Mayor Ed Murray's transportation levy committed $10 million to getting the Graham St. Station started with planning, permitting and property acquisition. With the current plan that money is a waste, as most of what it's earmarked for would have to be redone with such a distant timeline for building the station. ST3 needs some near-term proofs of progress in urban areas, as we are the voters who will pass this package (or not). The community where the Graham St. Station is planned has long been impacted by the light rail but we haven't enjoyed the benefit. This is a chance for Sound Transit to prove that equity plays a part in their decisions, and to deliver an early and visible benefit for the giant check they're asking us to sign. Okay, that's all I've got for now. Let's go organize! Karen Uffelman