Here is a letter sent to the Bellevue City Council, supporting the Council majority & the B7R Eastlink alignment, from Bridle Trails neighborhood advocate Cindy Ludwig (our emphasis):
“Subject: Preferred B7R Light Rail Proposal
Dear Sound Transit Board Administration:
I am a long-time resident of Bellevue. My home is located in the Bridle Trails subarea adjacent to SR 520. I am in complete agreement with the Bellevue City Council and the Build a Better Bellevue (BBB) organization regarding the selection of the B7R light rail alternative.
The B7R alternative sets the tone for all other segments of the East Link routes and our concerns regarding noise and environmental impacts, especially within the Bel-Red Corridor. The Bridle Trails communities are located North of the corridor and have a significantly elevated topography in relationship to the Corridor, sending all noise up the hill to the North and into our neighborhoods and large residential lots.
Although new windows and insulation may help to mitigate the noise inside our homes, my property will be nearly unusable for outdoor activities. General sound walls are not an effective noise mitigation feature in this topology, however, 8′ concrete sound walls built along the South perimeter of each private parcel may mitigate the noise level in the immediate outdoor space.
Additionally, this area gets significant Southern and Western sun exposure and it is necessary to have our windows open or we will also need to install air conditioning in addition to the new windows being offered by Sound Transit. It is unfortunate Sound Transit selected the less expensive, noisier trains when the noise mitigation measures may turn out to far exceed the cost of the quieter trains. Light Rail being touted as an “improvement” is in the eyes and ears of the beholder, not because Sound Transit says so.
Additionally, the Eastlink light rail plan has spawned WSDOT projects on SR 520 that have compounded the noise impacts to the adjacent residential neighborhoods by removing the substantial tree buffers along SR 520. Our communities have been predicting these negative impacts from the very beginning of the planning and now unfortunately, every concern we voiced is coming to fruition.
We prefer the B7R alternative because it is by far the most people and environment friendly of all alternatives and therefore, residents may actually embrace the light rail instead of moving away from the area. What a shame it would be to destroy these communities and never realize the ridership required to pay for this significant project.
I support the Bellevue City Council and their position to accept nothing less than the B7R Alternative and protect our neighborhoods. I am so thankful for the BBB organization and their successful efforts to expose the mis-representations of the costs and impacts of the less favorable East Link alternatives. It is time for Sound Transit to work with our Bellevue City Council and stop spending $$’s to fight the very people you are being paid to serve.
Respectfully,
Cindy Ludwig”