The expanded Seattle Monorail has been a vision for Seattleites since it first came to the ballot in 1997. Affirmed four times by the voters since then, the monorail is now facing lower-than-expected revenue and higher-than-expected costs that threaten the project.

This is a critical time for the monorail and for the city, and we are facing a number of decisions that will shape Seattle for generations. Bad decisions about the monorail now could hurt taxpayers and other regional projects for decades.

Although the problems facing the Seattle Monorail Project are complex, the options available are straightforward. The Board should ask the voters to approve either increased taxes or a shorter line.

On August 10th, 2005 Mayor Nickels sent a letter to the Seattle Monorail Project Board. In that letter he expressed his concerns regarding the monorail project and asking the board to present their plan to the public no later than September 15.

Read the Mayor's Letter to the Seattle Monorail Project Board