Local, state, and federal funds will be sought only if necessary. No one wants more taxes, but we must invest in transit, and Monorail is the best value for the money. The system can be extended to the airport, the suburbs and across Lake Washington. New Monorails have heat coils on the rail that allow them to operate during snowstorms. Monorails do not cause potholes or traffic jams.
Monorails hold up in earthquakes.
Japan has built a dozen Monorails for this very reason. If the RTA's planned light rail tunnel from the U-District to Downtown cannot be built because of technical or budget problems, the Monorail will work as a cheaper substitute. The money the RTA has slated for twenty miles of light rail could pay for the entire Monorail system and give taxpayers a rebate. Seattle needs a transportation system that works at a price it can afford. The route will begin downtown and go to Ballard, West Seattle, Rainier Beach and Lake City.