Consider: The Deep-bore does not serve Ballard-bound traffic, thus forcing roughly 40,000 vehicles daily, or 2500 per hour onto Alaskan Way, repeatedly stopped with 15-20 stoplights. On the other hand, the surface boulevard/transit option serves neither Ballard-bound nor Aurora-bound traffic, which will force as much as double that amount of traffic onto Alaskan Way, undoubtedly reaching the point of gridlock, resulting in severely diminished air quality, more noise pollution, and a safety hazard for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

The only way I can see yours and Malahan’s candidacy taking the high ground on this issue, (higher than Nickels), is to keep the 4-lane Cut-n-Cover tunnel on the table.

In 2007, voters rejected the 6-lane Cut-n-Cover tunnel. Its construction was far more disruptive to SR-99 motorists and waterfront businesses. The 4-lane Cut-n-Cover can be built while leaving the AWV in place until the last year while the Lower Belltown segment is rebuilt, with traffic diverted via Broad to ‘north’ Alaskan Way then enter the completed tunnel portal at Pike. It has sufficient capacity with a speed limit of 40mph, a good idea with any tunnel.

You should also note that the current Alaskan Way rebuild designs (both 4-lanes and 6-lanes) are poorly engineered. The best designs were the early ones that combined 4-lane Alaskan Way with a 2-lane frontage road on the east side with a wide island between for the streetcar line, bicycle path, a sidewalk facing the frontage road (but not Alaskan Way), and more (but not too much) curbside parking. It was rejected because WsDOT proposed an exit/entrance ramp system between Columbia and Spring — 3 blocks of wasted space and a disjointed frontage road. Without those ramps, the frontage road was a very sensible plan that left plenty of room for beautifully rebuilt Seawall sidewalk widened 6′ to 12′ with landscaping an street trees.

Please heed this analysis. And find a decent replacement candidate for Grace Crunican. She’s done a terrible job overall.

The vanity of Nickels and Gregoire matches their impoverished leadership on the issue of transportation.

Seattle Public Schools announcing layoffs:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009212978_webseattleteachers1.html

UW researchers announcing climate change is reducing the amount of snowpack in the Cascades:
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=167114.

Our current leaders’ priorities are out of whack.

Misplaced priorities.