Viaduct replacement – What do you think?

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  • #589091

    villagegreen
    Member

    So, it looks like the only two options left on the table are rebuilding it (2 structures side-by-side) w/ no exits to downtown or improved surface streets w/ expanded bus service.

    It blows my mind that these are the best options they’ve come up with during 8 years of “study.” Man, sometimes it’s embarrasing how this city works.

    What do you think should happen? I’m for the tunnel. I just don’t think that with a project of this importance and impact on the future of the city price should be the main issue. I realize there wouldn’t be exists from the tunnel directly to downtown, but at least traffic would flow through the downtown core without wading through 28 spoplights (as would happen with the surface street/transit option.

    In case you missed the home page reminder buried in all the weather updates, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen (a West Seattle resident who is in favor of the surface street/transit option) will be at Uptown Espresso in the Junction from 8:30-10:30 am tomorrow morning (Saturday). Anyone who wants their opinion heard should definitely consider attending. This seems like a rare opportunity to speak directly with a decision maker in this whole crazy “Seattle Way” process.

    #650941

    hammerhead
    Participant

    Just rebuild the structure we have it can be done and it is more cost effective.

    #650942

    inactive
    Member

    I will be there villagegreen. For sure.

    #650943

    wingme
    Member

    i am self-employed and have a lot of clients on the north end of Seattle. i lug around a lot of tools and bulk product (mulch, bark, yard waste, etc.) driving is a necessity, time is money, and pollution from 100,000 vehicles driving 30mph (unbelievably the proposed top speed limit) through 28 stoplights is not progress in my book! what are they thinking? surface option: we should all be outraged! we should march in the streets! we represent 20% of seattle’s population and need to do a better job making our voices heard. the mayor lives here for god’s sake! i heard ron sims dismissing WS concerns on KUOW this week and felt myself becoming radicalized about all this. elevated viaduct: the honchos will never let it happen; i refer you to south lake union, light rail, alki, west seattle gentrification, on and on…key words here: developers and campaign money. the viaduct has been a ticking time bomb for 8 years, the pols have played chicken with our health and welfare until they got what they want. they win. ok i’m through (for now). thanks for listening.

    #650944

    cjboffoli
    Participant

    I’ve always been partial to the tunnel. And I say this as a native Bostonian who is aware of the galactic mismanagement and cost overruns of the Big Dig.

    #650945

    wingme
    Member

    and how many years did it take?

    #650946

    B-squared
    Participant

    Elevated. for the price, it is the best solution. it’s such a huge disappointment that this decision is being made by people who seldom use the viaduct, and who seem to have little concern for those of us who do. this should be about transportation, but instead it is about property values, developers and tarting-up the waterfront for tourists!

    #650947

    wingme
    Member

    what kills me about the elevated option is the decreased capacity (from the current 3 lanes and exits to 2 lanes, no exits). Why? because 3 lanes cost more money! with all the new migration to WS, 3 lanes would be a no-brainer. our mayor sure as hell didn’t think adding a couple billion on for a deep-bore tunnel was too costly, so i don’t get all the concerns about 2 more lanes. again, IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY! it’s about room for waterfront development. and wait til the rest of seattle wakes up about how all this will affect our beloved pike place market. anyone remember the 70’s when it was last threatened?

    #650948

    cjboffoli
    Participant

    Forget bridges! Is it too late to bring back the Mosquito Fleet?

    #650949

    Ditto Wingme.

    Many of our politicians seem to have the brains of slugs. At least the slugs would have made a quicker (and probably better) decision.

    I just wanted to replace the old one with a similar structure. There was money for that! Now… I think I want three lanes instead of two. I guess “Choke” I want “cough” the tunnel.

    Almost every decision this city, county and state makes seems to cost me and all of you a little bit more. I hear Belize calling!!!

    #650950

    inactive
    Member

    BUMP –

    The meeting at Uptown Espresso on California STARTS at 8:30 – 10:30.

    Councilmember Rasmussen will be there to talk about Viaduct.

    I was GOING to go and listen and learn from all my smart, creative neighbors, but my iphone crashed a few minutes ago. It is dead. I’m off to the Apple Store. Damn it anyway.

    Maybe someone will take notes to bring info back to the forums.

    #650951

    Zenguy
    Participant

    Why is it that 520 is being replaced and expanded without much debate, but we cannot afford to replace the viaduct?

    I wonder how many people actually use the viaduct to go downtown versuses going further North. I would guess the majority go downtown. We only have one opportunity to take back the waterfront and it is now.

    #650952

    WSB
    Keymaster

    Patrick was there for a while – it started late – we will be filing a short report with pic in a bit.

    #650953

    wingme
    Member

    wish i coulda been there. can’t wait to hear what he had to say. hope some of the loyal opposition was able to attend.

    #650954

    inactive
    Member

    Zenguy –

    Two words: Cary Moon.

    #650955

    villagegreen
    Member

    Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the meeting. Anyone have a report of what went down?

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