Yes, support for light rail is increasing. Construction is now starting on a new rail line from Seattle to Bellevue/Redmond, although it won't open for many yea

Yes, support for light rail is increasing. Construction is now starting on a new rail line from Seattle to Bellevue/Redmond, although it won't open for many years. I attended many government planning meetings in the 1990's, and people were definitely anticipating the steadily increasing road congestion we've been experiencing since then. One of the big issues is that the topography in this region drives up costs. The densest urban areas are wedged between Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and Lake Sammamish, and in between there are steep hillsides and environmentally sensitive areas. Transit expansion therefore involves building bridges, purchasing land in areas with expensive view homes, and tunneling. We could raise taxes to pay for more rail expansions, but higher taxes combined with the rapidly increasing housing costs would price out many people, especially families.