By a farecard-thin margin of 94,993 to 94,116,

By a farecard-thin margin of 94,993 to 94,116, Seattle voters decided in November to build a monorail system. Voters authorized a 1.4 percent annual motor vehicle excise tax to build the first 14-mile, $1.7 million north-south leg of the system — inspired in part by the short monorail inaugurated for the 1962 World’s Fair. Proponents organized under the name "Rise Above It All." They were encouraged by a study estimating the monorail system’s cost at $5.10 per rider, compared to $20.90 per rider for a light-rail system requiring tunneling. One issue pertinent to new urbanists is whether a monorail would obstruct views and diminish street activity. "We’ve spilled a lot of blood in this city protecting our views and encouraging a lot of street-level activity," declared an opponent, former mayor Charles Royer. New Urban News sought an opinion from Seattle developer and former planner David Sucher, author of the useful little book City Comforts. His perspective: View blockage "is a red herring. Its importance is easily demolished by examining the one-mile segment that Seattle has had for 40 years or by projecting ahead to what will be built. As to pedestrian activity, the proof can be found under the existing monorail: it is comparable or even superior to neighboring streets — and that for a design built 40 years ago, when few considered the pedestrian environment."