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Mr. Drew Nielsen et al. <br /> June 17, 2008 <br /> Page 2 <br /> In terms of ridership per revenue hour on the View Ridge route, my understanding is this route is <br /> nowhere near the lowest rated route on the Everett Transit system. It is about one-third of the <br /> way from the bottom of the list, and thus there are many routes with a lower rating than the View <br /> Ridge route. <br /> To address Transit's concerns about buses on that route having adequate turnaround space, the <br /> Bartons have offered to donate property that they own which would be appropriate for a bus <br /> turnaround. Everett Transit has indicated that the engineer's estimate to build a bus turnaround <br /> on Olympic Boulevard is $150,000. This substantially overstates the engineer's estimate, which <br /> came back at approximately $114,000. <br /> Everett Transit has also indicated that they have a route safety concern, as a portion of this route <br /> is in an area without sidewalk. However, there are other transit routes in areas without <br /> sidewalks, including Everett Community College and the Baker View Apartments route. This is <br /> not a valid reason for cutting the route. <br /> A very substantial number of citizens in the area served by the View Ridge route have signed a <br /> petition asking that the route be maintained, or that increased service be provided. In addition, it <br /> should be borne in mind that the Comprehensive Transit Plan for Everett Transit calls for <br /> neighborhood routes. <br /> We are very concerned that the concerted effort by Everett Transit to cut the View Ridge route is <br /> an effort that is retaliatory against the Bartons, given the Barton's vocal opposition to the <br /> ongoing efforts to cut the route. We are also concerned that a decision to cut the route may be in <br /> violation of the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) and the Americans with <br /> Disabilities Act(ADA). <br /> I urge the council to carefully evaluate these factors and reject Everett Transit's proposal to cut <br /> service on Route 1 in the View Ridge neighborhood. <br /> Thank you for your consideration. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> \44--\(cA 2,., <br /> Mitchell A. Riese <br />