We Must Remain Vigilant

Many others have written about the vote yesterday. For now, we will note that the P-I's Strange Bedfellows blog believes that the surface/transit alternative still faces an uphill fight in Olympia. Probably true. While we support the approach of the state to start  work on the north and south, we are concerned with project #4 on the state's list (PDF). ("Earthquake strengthening of steel structures in area of competent soil from Lenora to Battery Street Tunnel.") And with #5 ("Build new SR 99 from Holgate
to Royal Brougham. Includes Atlantic and Royal Brougham grade separation, detour routes, and temporary connections."). #4 sucks because instead of reconnecting the street grid in that part of the city between Pike Place Market and Belltown, the big ugly on-and-off ramps and overhead roadway would still be prominent. And #5 (replaces the Viaduct over the Whatcom railyard and the portion by Safeco Field, and builds huge new interchange at Royal Brougham Way to give the Port east-west access) was common to both the tunnel and a new Viaduct, so it presupposes that it is feeding a freeway with capacity for 135,000 cars.  Basically, the north and south projects that the state plans to build logically would lead to an elevated structure of some sort. We need to remain vigilant.