NEWS-TRIBUNE

As a two-term Seattle City Council member Richard Conlin said his leadership in the past eight years to bring community concerns and plans through council approval is part of what drives his confidence in his re-election campaign.

Having the ability to go into any community and point out my hand in many of their accomplishments with community goals makes me a difficult candidate to beat, he said.

As chair of the Councils Transportation Committee, Conlin said his goals for the next four years are to continue to largely concentrate on addressing transportation issues and setbacks, and road, street and bridge repairs, both regionally and locally.

The council member is part of a regional committee who has been lobbying for legislation to provide adequate funding for cities and counties to allot to these repairs, which Conlin considered "a huge step on the right direction" towards his second term goals.

He supports pedestrian and bicycle improvements to reduce dependence on the automobile, but with this evolution comes the need for improved transportation and attention to Seattle's growing need for mass transit.

Regarding the Seattle Monorail Project and the dispute over the higher than expected budget, Conlin said finding a solution that doesn't ignore Seattle's needs is vital.

"From my perspective the whole screw up is that we got hung up on the technology," said Conlin. " We need to separate the fate of the Seattle Monorail Project from the fate of mass transit in Seattle, because that still needs to be addressed, regardless of what happens to the project."

Conlin suggested building, at least part of the monorail system to areas that have more critical transportation needs, such as West Seattle and downtown.

The King Street station downtown to West Seattle would be the best route to build first, he said, because not only are the transportation needs more crucial in these vicinities but the crossing is already in existence in the form of the West Seattle Bridge.

"Build that segment first and prove to the city that it works," he said, adding that an agreement needs to be built within the next few months and presented to the state Legislature.

"We need to get our act together," he urged.

The need to accommodate West Seattle and downtown transit will escalate when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is either rebuilt or replaced, said Conlin, but he said he doesn't feel there is an optimum solution at this point.

The rebuild option would provide roughly another 5 to 10 years of usage out of the viaduct, but Conlin said short-term answers are never the most cost-effective solutions.

However, he fears the re-build may be the only alternative due to the $2 billion dollar funding shortage and the possibility of the gas tax being revoked, which was approved by the Legislature this year to provide revenue for various regional transportation improvements.

As chair of the Council's Neighborhoods, Sustainability, and Community Development Committee, Conlin said continuing efforts to support local communities needs by increasing communication between them and the city remains an important element of his platform.

He considers himself to be a good link between Seattle neighborhoods and the city and said he hopes to continue to have the opportunity to increase and encourage that relationship.

Cooperation with the Mayor Nickels and his staff is important, he said, and despite some perceptions that the council has been lax in getting legislation approved, Conlin said the council have in fact been successful with many of the issues they support.

"I think we have a bit of a balancing problem," he said. "And I think we have been reactive at times instead of proactive, but I think in the last two years we have done a better balancing job."

Even prior to his election to city council Conlin has been active in energy and environmental conservation throughout his career, including having owned and operated a small energy conservation business, and his involvement with the Solar Lobby in Washington, DC.

Currently, he represents Seattle on the regional committee overseeing salmon recovery in the Duwamish-Green River ecosystem and is working to preserve the Soundway Greenbelt in West Seattle, recently scheduled to be sold for development.

All of this has lead to his strong endorsement by the Seattle Environmental Leaders organization.

Conlin said he is secure that none of his opponents for Position 2 will be able to match his active involvement with Seattle communities and the initiative he has shown with the council on seeing important community, transportation and environmental measures through.

Conlin also revealed that he is "very seriously considering" someday running for Seattle City Council president, but said he is very excited with what he can accomplish with his current position.

"It's a blast," he said. "Every week I learn something new and it's exhilarating to go out and work towards accomplishing neighborhood goals."