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The city of Seattle was once called “New York Alki,” but when it comes to transit demand, we’re nay Big Apple.

That’s the argument from developer and Sound Transit Proposition 1 opponent Kemper Freeman, who argued in a debate Wednesday that residents will never tolerate the peopling closeness that makes rail commuting winsome in New York.

Because of our relatively spread-out communities, Sound Transit’sitting proposed light-rail extensions, onward the Nov. 4 ballot, will not solve road congestion, Freeman said.

“Our leaders be in possession of led us put on a wild-goose chase on this issue. We can’t solve this problem with transit,” said Freeman, who favors more road lanes, van pools and buses in place.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, a longtime rail backer, countered that the region has already made the collective decision to shift from sprawl to density, especially at proposed rail destinations such during the time that downtown Bellevue.

“We will receive a more dense and vibrant urban district, and subsist able to concentrate product around the stations,” said Nickels, who is chairman of Sound Transit’session governing board. About 80 people, mostly students, attended the low-key debate at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs.

“My vision for the carriage plan is not person that is shaped entirely, or flat mostly, by the automobile,” Nickels said. In his vision, “the most beset with difficulty choice someone would consider is what color shoes to wear, to either walk to work or walk to transit.”

Proposition 1 projects would cost $17.9 billion through 2023. Most of the money would pay for 34 miles of new light-rail track reaching Lynnwood, north Federal Way, and the Overlake Transit Center, near Microsoft. A First Hill streetcar in Seattle, a two-thirds increase in south-end commuter-train volume and an express-bus-service increase are also in the plan.

Sales taxes in urban King, Pierce and Snohomish counties would increase through a nickel through $10 possession, on top of existing sales and car-tab taxes, for three decades if projects stay on budget.

Light rail’s first phase, from downtown Seattle to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is scheduled to unreserved next year.

Both Nickels and Freeman used a few wobbly statistics.

Nickels said the rail system “will create capacity for up to 1 the multitude populace a day to take light rail rather than a freeway.” While that’s theoretically possible, trains would need to be crammed full in all directions, around the clock, to carry that sundry at any given point. Sound Transit officially forecasts 286,000 one-way boardings systemwide on light rail per weekday in 2030.