“What a complete waste of money!” » Curley blows up Sound Transit’s $240 million Pinehurst station

KIRO Newsradio host John Curley criticized Sound Transit’s new Pinehurst station, arguing that the cost of the project and uncertain prospects for nearby housing don’t justify another light rail stop north of Seattle.

“What a complete waste of money!” ” Curley said on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

The station near Northeast 130th Street is expected to open Wednesday, connecting surrounding neighborhoods to the Link light rail. Voters approved the station via 2016 Sound Transit Ballot Measure 3, according to Sound Transit.

The project cost $240 million, according to The Urbanist. Curley questioned whether enough people would use it to justify the investment, The town planner reported.

Curley questions bus links and housing plans

Curley took aim at a promotional video advertising the station and service near the new King County Metro Route 77. He questioned the value of taking a bus to Pinehurst when riders could already reach other light rail stations.

“So you can get on the bus, then go to Sound Transit, then take the train,” Curley said.

Route 77 will provide direct access to Pinehurst Station, and the new stop is intended to shorten trips for neighborhood transit riders who currently travel to Northgate or Shoreline to catch a train.

Curley argued that the bigger problem lies in what surrounds the station. He said the investment only makes sense if developers can build enough housing and businesses nearby to create a substantial passenger base.

He argued that the limited amount of available land, fragmentation of land ownership, neighborhood resistance to rezoning, and development costs pose obstacles.

“The golf course is nearby. You have I-5 there. You don’t have enough land, and even the land that you have, the developers say it doesn’t work,” Curley said.

He also criticized former Seattle City Council member Debora Juarez’s push for the station, arguing that calls for fairness took precedence over practical issues regarding development and ridership.

“The numbers don’t work, but it didn’t matter because there were people pushing the project forward for reasons of fairness, fairness, fairness,” Curley said.

A dispute over future attendance

Sound Transit projects the station will eventually serve about 3,400 riders, but Curley wonders if it would attract even 1,000.

He also rejected the argument that the station’s value should be measured over the next century.

“Do you think in 100 years people will be on a GD train? Is this the future? I’ve seen the future. It’s a train. Are you kidding me? It’s crazy,” Curley said.

He questioned whether rail would remain the preferred transportation option as driverless cars and other technologies develop.

“But it’s five years earlier.”

KIRO producer Joe Wallace offered a counterpoint as Curley continued to criticize the station’s planning.

“But that’s five years earlier,” Wallace said.

Curley wasn’t convinced. He walked back his assertion that the station was built before surrounding zoning and development issues had been resolved, and that nearby Northgate already provided another option for riders.

“Don’t forget Northgate down the line. What a mess. Criminal, criminal,” Curley said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM.

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