A Vancouver resident, Michael Backman, has submitted a letter to the editor regarding Councillor Eric Paulson’s claim that there is no other city in the state of Washington with 300,000 people that does not have fixed rail service. Backman argues that this claim is misleading, as Seattle is the only city in the state that meets this population tier.
Challenging the Claim
Backman also takes issue with Paulson’s assertion that converting the Vine BRT lines to a tram system is a simple process, stating that it glosses over the complex engineering realities of rail conversion, utility overhauls, and electrification. He believes that allowing local politicians to use misleading demographic metrics and oversimplified engineering claims does a disservice to Clark County taxpayers, who would ultimately foot the bill for these massive projects.
Original reporting: Clark County Today (Vancouver WA) — read the source article.
