High court rejects Kemper Freeman’s attempt to stop I-90 light rail

[eridani]

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021812738_kemperlightrailxml.html

Kemper Freeman Jr.’s court fight against Sound Transit has apparently reached the end of the line.

The state Supreme Court on Thursday rejected his lawsuit to keep light-rail trains off Interstate 90. Justices said high-capacity transit fits the original vision of local and federal governments, in agreements dating to 1976.

The 7-2 decision is a green light to build the $2.8 billion East Link route, which, when finished in 2023, will connect Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and the Overlake area of Redmond.

A long analysis from a guy who has been following this issue intensely--detailed but interesting.

Dissecting conservative Justice Jim Johnson’s dissenting opinion in Freeman v. State

http://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2013/09/dissecting-conservative-justice-jim-johnsons-dissenting-opinion-in-freeman-v-state.html

As I have previously stated, the improvements planned to Interstate 90 will benefit all users, especially motorists. The completion of R-8A will improve cross-lake traffic, ensuring that there is always a high occupancy vehicle lane available to buses, vanpools, and carpools. WSDOT’s data shows that the reversible lanes have outlived their usefulness. These days, traffic flows more equally in both directions, and dedicated HOV lanes are needed that go east and west at all times.