Liberal Talk Radio

I’m not a huge fan of the tunnel option to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct here in downtown Seattle. personally I’d rather see it replaced with a six-lane boulevard at street level. I see no reason that we need to have TWO superhighways running through Downtown Seattle just seven city blocks apart. Plus, with the extra $1B or so that you save by not rebuilding the viaduct (it will cost about $2B just to tear it down and fix the failing seawall), you could pretty easily build a super-duper high-capacity transit system, let’s call it a “monorail” for argument’s sake, to pick up the extra capacity.

But clearly I’m in the minority on that one, and it looks like we’re going to get a really expensive tunnel downtown, which I suppose is better than an expensive and ugly new viaduct.

The problem has been finding funding for this tunnel project, which could cost over $4 billion. The Mayor’s office says it’s getting close:

Ceis said he wasn’t ready to reveal how much money the city intends to put into the tunnel replacement. But according to a draft document prepared by the city, Seattle could raise $250 million from transportation revenues and $300 million from its utility funds. That could require an increase in city utility fees.

According to the draft, that would make $3.24 billion available for building a tunnel, including $2 billion earmarked by the new gas tax and $200 million the Port of Seattle is expected to donate. Replacing the core portion of the viaduct from South Washington Street to Battery Street with a tunnel would cost about $3.5 billion, the report said.

Here’s an idea: how about a tax on property owners along the waterfront, whose property values will skyrocket once that hulking monstrosity is torn down? This is how we’re paying for the SLU Streetcar.