The turnabout is the result of an impasse between the communityand STA over impacts the project's construction would have onbusinesses and residents. Specifically, the "cut and cover"construction of stations would require large holes to be dug, withtraffic detours skirting the Broadway business district. The deathknell for area support came with STA's announcement last week thatit planned to slow down its construction schedule, thereby addingmore time to the disruption of commerce than business owners feltthey could survive.

STA has examined a rail alignment that would circumvent CapitolHill, but the board did not want to lose the 13,000 to 15,000 dailyriders it believes the community would provide for the light-railsystem. When adjusted for inflation, the cost of building thetransportation project has increased from an estimated $2.5 billionto $3.6 billion. The Transit Authority says the additional costscould be covered without additional taxes through the future saleof surplus real estate, adjustments to the agency's financial plan,tax revenues collected over the extended building schedule and theaddition of more Federal money.

According to STA, its board will decide at a meeting scheduledfor Jan. 11 whether it will sign a $500 million Federal grant tohelp with the project. King County Executive Ron Sims, who alsosits on the Sound Transit Board, called the January meeting "veryimportant." According to its own report of the Dec. 14 meeting, theSTA believes "if that Federal money doesn't come to the Puget Soundregion, it (the light rail project) could be lost for severalyears."