Robert Rosencrantz is at it again.
First, he apologized for mailing an attack piece to 100,000 Seattle households that misrepresented both my position AND his own position on tolling. He said he was taking tolling off the table.
Now he says he’s going to go back to telling tolling tall tales. His reason? Because I pointed out taking the issue off the table at debates did nothing to make up for the 100,000 mail pieces he sent out spreading these false attacks.
Only one candidate in this race supports a specific tolling plan: Robert Rosencrantz supports tolls on the deep-bore tunnel. I oppose the project and the tolls.
Only one candidate in this race supports the most expensive option and highest tolls for 520: Robert Rosencrantz wants to build a tunnel under Montlake, and pay for it with higher tolls. I will support higher tolls on 520 only if the bridge includes light rail.
Only one candidate wants to increase revenue through tolling: Robert Rosencrantz says he wants tolls “not only to have the revenue but also to regulate the demand.”
I support tolling, but only to reduce and replace existing transportation taxes that have nothing to do with transportation (such as sales and property taxes).
Robert Rosencrantz keeps saying that I want to toll all Seattle streets, which is patently false. I think we should look at tolling highways, and I think we need to consider the impact of diversion into neighborhoods. That means we need to look at corridor tolling that eliminates the incentive to duck tolls by taking neighborhood streets. Which is exactly the same thing Rosencrantz supported in his interview with Friends of Seattle.
Finally, here’s a real position shift on tolling:
“It is a good idea. Corridor tolling systemwide is something we are going to have to have not only to have the revenue but also to regulate the demand. And if we can have peak period tolling such that we don’t have to have as many roads, that is a good thing. That is a way to divert capitol funds away from asphalt and concrete for roads and into the bicycle and pedestrian - it will flow through. So, tolls, great. Systemwide, yes. I’ve seen the transponder things on display and.. it’s coming. We are going to go there.”
- Robert Rosencrantz to Friends of Seattle, July 2009
“I support as little tolling as possible. If it’s necessary to pay for direct construction of something, I could accept it. But I don’t agree with this idea that we should price people out of their cars. I would prefer to toll neither (SR-520 nor I-90). If [tolling is] necessary to pay for construction of 520, I would be open to it. I’m not a “let’s put a user fee on it to force people out of their cars” person. We already pay for our roads through the gas tax.”
- Robert Rosencrantz to Publicola, October 2009
Wow. No wonder he wanted to take this issue “off the table”.
