Prompted in part by John Carlson teaming up with former Gov. Gary Locke and Jessyn Schor of the Transportation Choices Coalition, some local conservatives say they need to get serious about finding solutions to the region's obvious transportation problems.

Orbuxmax got the ball rolling with a call for suggestions:

As conservatives and libertarians, it's not enough to say "no more taxes" when there is a genuine problem. We need to step up to the plate and offer ideas that can work. Taxes are inevitable when it comes to transportation issues, but it doesn't have to mean throwing money down bottomless rat-holes.

At Sound Politics, Eric Earling, joins up, too. After expressing some unhappiness at how he's been attacked at SP for his philosophy on transportation - including the attacks based on the fact that his father was chairman of the Sound Transit board - Earling says he's not impressed with what conservatives have suggested so far.

Now that we're back in reality, I must confess that while I applaud Orbusmax's endeavor, I've found the feedback from his readers rather insufficient. Most of the suggestions are either already being implemented (focusing bus resources on heavily utilized commuter routes), cost a ton of money (double-decking freeways), or are absolutely unworkable (ticketing cars eligible for the HOV lane but who choose not to drive in it).

But give them an E for effort. Republicans haven't had much of a cogent transportation plan in recent years. The party's opposition to raising the gas tax put it at odds with some of its friends in big business. We haven't heard much lately about the Locke/Carlson/Schor effort but it has gotten people thinking at least.