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Residents question trolley use of TBD funds, urge road repairs; Yakima Valley Trolleys offers fundraising help
Summary
Public commenters urged the council to prioritize ground-up street repairs over spending TBD funds on a proposed trolley, while Yakima Valley Trolleys pledged outside fundraising and grants.
Public comment at the Yakima City Council meeting focused on two linked themes: street maintenance needs in neighborhoods and debate over Transportation Benefit District (TBD) money for a proposed trolley element of the Sixth Avenue Rehabilitation Project.
Resident Randall Levsky told the council: "When you're $8,000,000, in the red, they can TBD money for something as frivolous as the trolley." Levsky said streets in his neighborhood are "asphalt over dirt, not road base" and that recurring sinking and cracking has safety implications, particularly for bicyclists.
Ann Knapp, another resident who spoke during public comment, asked what caused the roughly $9 million deficit and urged the council to…
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