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Source: Seattle Times (Original Article)

For at least the past year, residents of Bellevue neighborhoods Surrey Downs and Mercer Slough have been a constant presence on the light-rail meeting circuit. They comment at Bellevue City Council meetings, attend Sound Transit board meetings and meet with the politicians.

Surrey Downs leaders are on a first-name basis with Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl; Mercer Slough recently formed a neighborhood association to help increase its clout.

The two neighborhoods are in the middle of the light-rail debate that has consumed Bellevue, with each arguing for a light-rail line that runs in the other neighborhood. Both believe their neighborhood character is at stake.

Residents in both areas say they would use light rail. But they also have waged campaigns that center on ridership, the environmental impact and cost, in addition to neighborhood concerns.

They talk about the big picture of light rail for Bellevue and say they are just looking for more facts from Sound Transit. But “a lot of this is ‘Not in my backyard,’ ” said Bellevue Mayor Don Davidson. “I’ve got to figure out whose backyard to put it in.”

Last year, the Sound Transit board picked a preferred light-rail route that would run up Bellevue Way and 112th Avenue Northeast, on the border of Surrey Downs.

But the City Council opened up the debate again last month when it asked the Sound Transit board to consider a proposed route that would stop at the South Bellevue Park-and-Ride, cut across Mercer Slough Nature Park and zoom up past the condos in the Mercer Slough neighborhood.

The City Council is meeting with the Sound Transit board in a special workshop Thursday to discuss downtown light-rail routes.

Sound Transit is expected to make a final decision on alignment later this year.

Voters approved the $2.8 billion East Link route in 2008, with light-rail service to Bellevue projected to start in cheap domstic flights from Hobart to Albury 2020.

Surrey Downs is a quiet, established residential …continue reading