Election 2011: See how your area voted on tunnel referendum

The King County Elections Department is out with the breakdown on last month’s vote, precinct by precinct, and our partners at the Seattle Times have turned the Seattle Referendum 1 (tunnel-related) vote into a color-coded map. Eastern West Seattle was the anti-Ref. 1 stronghold – get a closer look at the map here – and there was a bit of a north-south split, too, with a few pockets of opposition in north WS, such as one area just south of Alki Point. (If you know your precinct number, you can check out the text version of the vote breakdown – for all races/measures – on the county website.)

Caprial September 3, 2011 (4:45 pm)

So, it was interesting that the guy that was in charge of this tunnel soon-to-be fiasco has decided to leave for a job in Washington DC (as per Saturday’s Seattle Times).

chas redmond September 3, 2011 (9:40 pm)

Also be interesting to overlay the tunnel precinct map with the transit dependent map – looks at first glance to be a one-for-one match – at least it’s heavily multi-family in moderate and poorer sections of the city. dark green is on the view-sides.

sundown and all is not well September 3, 2011 (10:26 pm)

chas, I think you nailed it.
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As a 98106’er who voted no On Ref 1, I have grown really tired of seeing money poured into mega projects in wealthy areas of the city or that benefit only wealthy segments of the city and regions population. Stadiums, Mercer project, Tunnel, etc. Hard to support these kind of things when large swaths of ones zip code doesn’t have sidewalks, has little to non-existent east–/west bus service and barely anything in terms of economic development. Social services we have, yet social services alone do not create a thriving community and in many ways stigmatize it.

I. B. Laffin September 3, 2011 (10:54 pm)

I agree with Sundown 100%. According to the map, people who live on Harbor Island voted against the tunnel. Does anyone live on Harbor Island? South Park voted soundly against it. They had to beg to get a bridge replacement AFTER their bridge was condemned and dismantled. There was no pre-planning or concern for the effect of no bridge on their businesses and community.

Caprial September 4, 2011 (6:29 am)

This whole tunnel thing is a wreck waiting to happen. Everyone I talk to is against it, alot of what I read people are against it….I just don’t get how the heck it passed. I don’t believe the numbers. And as I’ve said before, when they start boring they will probably find indian artifacts and will have to stop. (Think underground Seattle).

JIm September 4, 2011 (6:58 am)

Caprial – Ron Paannanen is a consummate professional who was given an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Sundown – Contrary to the vague plans of our esteemed Mayor, it’s hard to put a shipping container on a bus. Please, please, read the Alternative Design Report for AWT available on WSDOT’s website.

I. B. – King County has been trying to replace the South Park bridge for YEARS. It would have been replaced sooner had Seattle stepped up and funded it. It was only until the bridge was condemned, which prompted the Fed’s (under pressure from Boeing) to step in with the majority of the funding, did they project get underway.

Folks, it’s all about money. When transportation levies get voted down, nothing gets done. When levies are approved, such as Bridging the Gap, great work is accomplished (e.g. Ballard Bridge, Fremont Bridge, Airport Way (Georgetown) Bridge, etc. Oh, and of particular note, NO work to the Magnolia Bridge). Our economy, for better or worse, is highly dependent on the ease of getting from hear to there. We need these projects, including AWT, to maintain a viable and competitive economy.

By the way, if you really want to see something nauseating, look for Tim Eiman’s latest venture – stopping the light rail segment connecting the Eastside. Who’s backing Tim financially? Kemper-Freeman, the owners of Bellevue Square.

Caprial September 4, 2011 (11:33 am)

@Jim – I bet he was given an opportunity he couldn’t refuse. Too bad he can’t finish what he started. It’s a slippery slope. We need to use what we have in these economic times. The tunnel is going to squash many businesses, including tourism.

pjmanley September 6, 2011 (12:33 pm)

Thanks for the facts, Jim. Good to see the other side of the story told once in awhile.

AT September 7, 2011 (6:57 am)

caprial: tourism is going to be a huge winner after the viaduct is down and replaced with the extensive, quiet, beautiful, unobstructed-view waterfront park that will be left behind. think olympic sculpture park, extended that entire length. it will be a huge draw, like the embarcadero is in sf. i might sound like a fan of this change – i’m not. but the result will be a huge boon to tourism in the end, like it or not.

tim: thanks for all the info, especially re eiman. how ANY politician around here could be discouraging east/west rail is just beyond me. money, as usual, would explain that. you got me re/thinking about a lot.

Sorry, comment time is over.