More reasons why Mrs. Gregoire's million dollar advisory ballot on the Viaduct replacement options might not be taken seriously by state officials. Today's Seattle Times reports "No time to study tunnel idea, panel says of its dissolution"
A state-appointed panel of outside experts, called into Seattle this week to study a four-lane Alaskan Way tunnel and other highway options along the waterfront, dissolved itself Friday, saying there's not enough time to do the job right.State officials will inevitably use this as an excuse to dismiss a pro-tunnel vote as uninformed. So what purpose is served by spending the million dollars on the special election?
A member of the outside review panel also threw cold water on a trial balloon presumably originating in Ron Sims' office:
Forbes said he saw no information about a rumored four-lane "Elevated Lite."Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 10, 2007 05:15 PM | Email This
This shows why we need a Regional Transportation Commission. One that can say "no" to some megaproject proposals. One that can prioritize (e.g. trains vs. tunnel vs. buses vs. I-405 widening vs. 520 bridge rebuild). One that is accountable to voters. The existing alphabet soup of agencies and separate local fiefdoms is a dysfunctional mess.
The irony is that you're more likely to get all of the megaprojects, and fewer improvements to the roadways in your neighborhood, if you take away some element of control for project spending via local 'fiefdoms' -- like the mayor and city council of your city, etc. If you are thinking that your proposal is going to rid the process of the 'un-elected' bureaucrats (i.e., people who actually have educational backgrounds, professional credentials and experience in, say, ENGINEERING, or FINANCE, or PLANNING....), keep thinking that.
Posted by: FT on February 11, 2007 06:50 AMPlus, the current system by definition can not use input from the public to guide it. "Fiefdoms," as you put it, like ST are impervious to the will of the people and changing circumstances that are extremely meaningful to people. It is governed by political appointees (Ron Sims appoints something like 12 of the eighteen seats). The status quo is a broken mess.
The "improvements in roadways in the neighborhood" in Seattle now are going to happen because of a ballot measure where we voted to impose large additional property taxes last November. That should have been dealt with by general funds. But Nickels didn't plan right, and he didn't guide the City Council in the right direction. You want him (on ST's board since the beginning, acting like a drama queen on the viaduct issue, etc.) taking a lead on transportation planning for the future? I sure don't. A new board, largely elected, would take the existing crop of proven transportation incompetents out of the planning loop. Good riddence to 'em!
Posted by: Aldus Buxley on February 11, 2007 07:56 AMToday it seams the money is being spent on continual studies on what to do since the voters past the gas tax. Yet the state Department of Transportation reported their study and on Friday January 26, 2007issued its latest summary of average commuting travel times on area freeways, based on data taken from 2004 to 2006. How much did this cost?
Lets see some of things you are planning to do to fix the choke points and congestion as promised buy MacDonald and his crew.
q Highway 167 to Interstate 405 added a $380 million high-occupancy-vehicle ramp project in Renton
q Aurora Avenue North in Shoreline build bus lanes
q Mercer Street: Rebuild for two-way travel, pedestrian use, and better links to Aurora Avenue North, $150 million.
q South Lander Street: Overpasses to move container trucks and other traffic over railroad tracks, $70 million.
q Spokane Street Viaduct: Transit ramps to Sodo bus way, wider lanes, safety improvements, $130 million.
q Interstate 5 bus ramps: Ramps from HOV lanes to Sodo, for faster express-bus travel, $100 million.
q Aurora Avenue North New lanes in Shoreline for bus rapid transit and business access, $40 million.
These projects' and several more are will NOT fix the choke points and congestion as promised buy MacDonald. We need roads.
The biggest joke is the viaduct fighting between the State and Seattle. How much money has been wasted on studies while the cost keeps growing.
This is a State Highway that needs replacing according to the State so why didn't the State start moving forward on the replacement after the gas tax was past by the voters. The State should have built a eight lane highway with NO EXITS OR INTRANCES through Seattle area.
I don't think the voters are going to give anymore, between now and November when you allow the Washington State Department of Transportation spend millions of dollars' in study panels, mail outs ,TV time and of course photo opps.
When the HOT LANES passed they started the project.?????
These decisions that are being made by the Washington State Department of Transportation is not doing anything to fix the choke points and congestion and will not do anything until after November 2007.
The legislature has to take control of the problem, roll some heads and make some changes to get the roads fixed.
George
Posted by: George on February 11, 2007 09:31 AMThe meetings keep happening, the engineers keep planning, and nothing gets built.
This is truely DOT perpetual motion, a condition in which an object continues to move indefinitely without being driven by an external source of funds.
Perpetual Missed Motion