January 24th, 2011
While the debate will rage on about whether the state will pay for any cost overruns on the deep bore tunnel, the flip side of the issue is whether Seattle would keep the money already allocated to this project for a surface road alternative, as the Mayor prefers.
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Posted: January 24th, 2011 under
Development and Sustainability,
Government,
Planning and Land Use,
Transportation,
UP.
Tags:
Alaskan Way Viaduct,
Construction and Land Use (DCLU),
Department of Transportation,
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
SDOT,
Tunnel,
UP,
WSDOT
June 7th, 2010
The question that has dominated the discussion of the deep bore tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct has been: who will pay for any cost overruns? The answer is the State with regards to the contract for the tunnel. The reason is that the contractor that wins the design-build contract for the tunnel will be signing a contract with the State of Washington, not the City of Seattle. The contract will oblige WSDOT to cover risks associated with the tunnel. The City of Seattle will not be contractually obligated to cover cost overruns for the tunnel.
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September 25th, 2009
Today Mayor Greg Nickels presented his 2010 Proposed Budget to the City Council. One of the major elements accompanying his final budget is accompanying legislation to the Council requesting that we approve a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the State signing off on $787 million for the city’s obligations to fund projects related to the bored tunnel.
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Posted: September 25th, 2009 under
UP.
Tags:
city budget,
Tunnel,
UP
January 15th, 2009
Chants of “drill, baby, drill” from this past fall echo in my mind, as the near unanimous political and editorial constellations line up to support the deep bore tunnel option for replacing the Alaska Way Viaduct. Although technically I suppose it would be “bore, baby, bore”.
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Posted: January 15th, 2009 under
Transportation,
UP.
Tags:
Tunnel,
UP
March 16th, 2007
From the March 13th election one can conclude that the majority of Seattle voters are not happy with either a tunnel or a new elevated viaduct replacing the current Alaskan Way Viaduct. Of course adjustments to both plans could be proffered in an attempt to keep them alive.
The State, City and King County have agreed to some short-term retrofitting of the Viaduct, upgrades to the Battery Street Tunnel, building a new State Route 99 from Holgate to King Street, and other improvements totaling around $900 million. This work will take place from 2007 to 2012. The target for a solution for the downtown waterfront is the next two years.
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Posted: March 16th, 2007 under
Transportation,
UP.
Tags:
Alaskan Way Viaduct,
Tunnel,
UP
January 8th, 2007
I have drafted and will introduce, along with Councilmember David Della, a measure for a Seattle public vote on a replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The measure calls for a vote between an elevated option and a tunnel. The measure would implement the Governor’s proposal for a vote of Seattle residents.
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Posted: January 8th, 2007 under
Transportation,
UP.
Tags:
Alaskan Way Viaduct,
Tunnel,
UP,
WSDOT
August 10th, 2006
On August 3, I announced my intent to introduce a resolution to the City Council calling for a public vote on a tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The proposal calls for a public vote on the following “Yes” or “No” question:
“Should Seattle construct a tunnel to replace the existing Alaskan Way Viaduct?”
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March 23rd, 2006
A recent public opinion poll of Seattle residents conducted on March 15, 2006 shows that over 60% of those polled share my concern that a tunnel is too expensive to pursue and would rather see the Alaskan Way Viaduct rebuilt.
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Posted: March 23rd, 2006 under
Transportation,
UP.
Tags:
Alaskan Way Viaduct,
AWV,
Tunnel,
UP
May 12th, 2005
One reporter commented to me after the City Council’s Monday Morning Briefing Meeting, “Were you all drinking Kool-Aid?”
The reference was to the general acceptance of a report that was intended to outline areas to be studied on the economic viability of building a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct (AWV). Instead the consultant presented conclusions of another study which had not been reviewed by the Council and whose methodology largely rested on some dubious assumptions.
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Posted: May 12th, 2005 under
Transportation,
UP.
Tags:
Alaskan Way Viaduct,
Tunnel,
UP
December 5th, 2002
This edition of Urban Politics is an update on the Alaskan Way Viaduct. I’ll first give an update on events since August, then provide my perspective at the end.
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Posted: December 5th, 2002 under
Budget and Economic Development,
Planning and Land Use,
Seattle Public Utilities,
Transportation,
UP.
Tags:
Alaskan Way Viaduct,
Department of Transportation (DOT),
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
Tunnel,
UP,
WSDOT
