Seattle Press on Line - Getting Around

Getting Around

By Sara Longley

Aug 01, 2002 -- Regional transportation passes City Council

City Council passed a resolution July 22 endorsing principles to be used in developing a regional transportation package. The resolution also calls for King County Council to place a regional package on the ballot as soon as possible.

The resolution, which council members hope will spur action across the county, includes recommendations for a multi-modal approach to mass transit, attention to key Seattle improvements such as fixing the Mercer Mess, bus rapid transit on Aurora Avenue/SR 99, extending light rail to Northgate and developing King Street Station into a hub for rail, bus and other means of transportation.

Viaduct replacement: a shake-down?

"It'll be the most expensive seawall in history," said Charlie Chong. He was at a July 25 Viaduct and Seawall project open house held at West Seattle's Gatewood Elementary, and he was referring to the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the City of Seattle's plan to reroute the Alaskan Way Viaduct into a tunnel between S King Street and Belltown. Other options to repair the seawall and the viaduct include rebuilding the structures as they stand or constructing a new aerial roadway above the waterfront.

Chong wasn't the only person to raise concerns. "It's ridiculous!" one woman exclaimed to her companions. "Spending all that money on one project, when there are so many other things that need funding."

All that money, indeed. At an estimated cost of between $10.3 and $11.5 billion, the price tag for the cut-and-cover tunnel option is the most expensive on the table, more than twice as expensive as simply rebuilding the existing viaduct. Even so, the tunnel option has the approval of Mayor Greg Nickels, and the City Council voted 7-2 to endorse moving forward to the planning stage.

For more information about the three options for replacing the failing seawall and rebuilding or replacing the viaduct, visit the project web site: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/viaduct.

Rising above the details

In Monorail news, the Elevated Transportation Corporation (ETC) announced the release of a favorable cost-benefit study of the Green Line route from Ballard to West Seattle. Using a 30-year timeline, the study concludes that the benefits of auto cost savings, the system's reliability and freeing up of roads totaled $1.744 billion compared with a cost of $1.677 billion to build and operate the system. The study was conducted by DJM Consulting.

The ETC also settled the question of whether the future Seattle Popular Monorail Authority (SPMA) board will be elected or appointed. In a compromise reached at a July 22 meeting, the board voted to start out with a mix of seven appointed and two elected board members. In an elaborate system of checks and balances, two members would be appointed by the Mayor and two by the City Council, subject to approval by the SPMA. The other three would be selected by the SPMA, subject to approval by the City Council.

"It's more than a compromise," said Peter Sherwin, Initiative 53 co-author. "This is an evolution. I think we've ended up in a very good place." Sherwin was instrumental in influencing the ETC board to consider electing some members of the SPMA. Noting that voters will have the opportunity to change the constitution of the SPMA board to a majority of elected members, he said, "this lets us test the process to see how it works, what sort of candidates come forward. It's an improvement over an all-elected board right out of the gate."

Careful readers will note that the ETC has changed the name of the future Monorail agency from the "Seattle Popular Transportation Authority" to the "Seattle Popular Monorail Authority." This change reflects a recognition that the agency's purpose is building the Green Line and other planned monorail lines.

For more information about the proposed monorail, visit www.elevated.org.

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