The pragmatist in me says Governor's Gregoire's new found openness toward the surface-transit option to replace the Viaduct is simply a case of realism taking hold. Earlier this year I said it was the most politically feasible option and still hold that view.
That said, the "good, cynical political scientist" my Political Science Department Chair in college urged me to become sees other motives. Back in the spring Gregoire's Seattle base was very unhappy with her about how the Viaduct issue was being handled. Now they're agitated about other matters; I mean really agitated.
Gregoire can't afford to underperform the rest of the Democratic ticket next year in the Puget Sound metropolitan region like she did in 2004. She has to throw her base a bone.
Never mind how ridiculous it is that a replacement for the Viaduct, whatever it might be, is still being "studied" rather than acted upon.
Posted by Eric Earling at December 12, 2007 09:41 PM | Email ThisNow Seattle will get to pretend they are saving a whale,salmon and frog,and tie up traffic from Vancouver Wa. to Bellingham just to get revenue..
All just to make Seattle happy.What a flip flop.
The Seattle developers must have donated to her re election campaign. Cary Moon is next on the Governors staff. What a fraud.
Notice how most of the meetings are in Seattle,and the Big Three(Seattle King County,and WSDOT) are deciding a policy that effects the whole I-5 corridor.
The people have to wake up to what is going on here.
We all cant move into Seattle.
We can't stop all our I-5 traffic so seattle can funnel traffic into a Traffic count = revenue scam.
I watched in '04 and '06 as the MSM did the same for Dimwit Patty Murray and Do-nothing Maria Cantwell. The Seattle media danced them out as heroines of the masses for months prior to their respective re-elections, and they now do the same for the Queen. I only hope the people of Washington State remember the first three years of the Queens reign, rather than the media blitz.
Posted by: Saltherring on December 13, 2007 05:11 AM-let the idiots at WSDOT and the Dems bring commerce to a halt with another decade of torturing the majority of motorists and subsidizing the minority: HOV lanes, ferry frolics, light rail, SLUT, squirrel bridges
-study the viaduct until it literally collapses, rendering Seattle uninhabitable economically
-all the traffic issues will ulimately solve themselves when Boeing relocates the vast bulk of manufacturing to S Carolina as employees, parts can just barely move due to traffic gridlock in all daylight hours. Boeing has just about had it with Wa State........
When will we, meaning a majority of Washingtonians, start electing adults who can gaze past their own navel and own feelings, and actually say NO to whining, sniveling super minority advocacy groups, like ah, da, teachers unions, ferry rope draggers, state employees, light rail bedwetters, highly skilled radar operators masquerading as WSP officers, Good Lord the list seems endless in this state.
In some ways, I am tempted to vote Dem just so that the process of trashing this state into reality is accelerated......
Posted by: Hank on December 13, 2007 05:31 AMHey Mayor with all this traffic, how are your Medics & Fire fighters going to respond where they are needed? Dummies!
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 13, 2007 07:09 AMTo you engineers that do the polticians bidding shame on you. Oh wait you're like the doctors that take the oath to do no harm and then abort babies day in and day out. Like them you are contributing to the destruction of civilization. What in the heck is wrong with your thinking that Choice in Transportation does not include every Choice? I'd take all your licenses away if I could because you are not serving the civilizations interest and you are doing harm and your did stamp those drawings and reports.
Any one killed on that viaduct if it collapses should be a murder charge for everyone of you that have worked on it and the death penalty for
Doug 'Delay' MacDonald.
Anyone that recommends tearing it down should have their civilization cut off - no power, no water, no car, nothing that comes by truck should allowed in your hands.
Why???
Why not you engineers are working to do that to others!!!
Sick Sick!
Posted by: Col. Hogan on December 13, 2007 08:30 AMCould it be that just passing the gas tax increase made the structure repair itself?
Posted by: Baynative on December 13, 2007 09:07 AMSheesh!
Posted by: DopioLover on December 13, 2007 10:48 AMThis is hardly a play to the left. It is practical politics that might actually lead to lower costs for all of us. It is a state highway.
Finally, the big new multibillion dollar freeway in a fancy tunnel promotedinto oblivion by former Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald is dead.
Taxpayers ought to be having a celebration.
Posted by: redflag on December 13, 2007 06:01 PMIt would be gorgeous. You could build it with the viaduct still in place. Just swing the lanes over after the bridge is built minimum down time. Plus you get your waterfront park/greenspace.
I have heard the arguments against a suspension bridge. It is my understanding that they don't apply to the cable-stayed technology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_stayed_bridge
A group of cable-stayed engineers came in and spoke to state transportation engineers. Probably on the condition that they wouldn't discuss the meeting later. Sure enough, the WA drones have never said a word about it. What a pathetic, corrupt state.
Hairy
Posted by: Hairy Buddha on December 13, 2007 07:47 PMHalf the viaduct traffic would use I-5 if it was not so crowded. Two through lanes each way would be a fair swap for the lost viaduct lanes
Won't happen, but worth trying
Posted by: Jim in Edgewood on December 13, 2007 10:05 PM