Rossi acknowledges WA State budget deficit would defer his transportation plan

Dems blast Rossi for admitting policies will take time to implement

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

State Democrats are pouncing on an article by the Everett Herald's Jerry Cornfield published Wednesday revealed that, in light of the state's projected budget deficit, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi admitted that two of his top priorities, his massive transportation plan and repealing the estate tax, would be placed on the back burner.

Cornfield writes that although Rossi still touts these plans on the campaign trail, he has come to acknowledge their delay in interviews because of the priority of the state budget. Still, Rossi is far from abandoning them entirely.

"I have to right this ship first," Rossi said in the article. "We are going to get all the projects started within the first four years. The whole goal is to get all of them finished in 12 years."

Meanwhile both Gov. Gregoire's campaign and the state Democratic Party are calling Rossi's admission deceitful, and implying that the budget is the reason that Gregoire has refrained from making similar plans.

Gregoire has pointed out the additional financial burden Rossi's transportation plan would have on the state's projected budget deficit numerous times, including during some of the debates.

"Why does Rossi continue to tout his broken promises on the stump and in his ads? Breaking campaign promises even before the campaign is even over must be pretty embarrassing," said Aaron Toso, spokesman for Gregoire for Governor, said in a statement. "Voters shouldn't believe anything he has to say."

Rossi has made similar claims about Gregoire's campaign promises dating back to the 2004 campaign and stem cell research facilities.

The state party, as usual, released a more harshly worded statement condemning Rossi's acknowledgement.

"Republican Dino Rossi has demonstrated he will do or say anything to get elected, offering such ridiculous promises and outrageous claims that he's been forced to abandon them before the election even occurs," said Washington State Democratic Party spokesman Kelly Steele. "While Gov. Gregoire has maintained a budget surplus and has already taken fiscally-responsible action to cut any projected deficit in half, Republican Dino Rossi continues his used car salesman-like pitch to voters - saying whatever he thinks they want to hear - even after admitting he can't deliver on his promises. Quite simply, there's no reason to believe a single word Rossi says."

Ongoing debate over viaduct takes place behind closed doors

Source Crosscut
Psst! Wanna see the Viaduct disappear?

By David Brewster

The debate about Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct used to be a very public, contact sport, but as many local politicians were carted off the field, the controversy moved to a 30-person stakeholders group, who meet very quietly. Meanwhile, the politicians edge back onto the playing field and hint at solutions.

Gov. Chris Gregoire addressed a group of civic worthies Wednesday and dropped broad hints that she is now a fan of the no-tunnel, no-viaduct, surface-plus-transit solution that she used to excoriate. Noting that Seattle is an "international city," Gregoire defined that gauzy term by saying an international city could not possibly have on-street parking downtown or two-way streets. (So much for New York and Paris, but nevermind.) Those may be weird definitions, but they are unmistakable signals that she is buying into the stakeholder group's emerging consensus to divert a lot of viaduct through traffic to Seattle's downtown streets, thus needing only a four-lane, slow boulevard on the central waterfront.

But this is only a hint, so far, a kind of don't-hold-me-to-it pander to Seattle urbanists who favor this solution. The actual recommendation of the state-convened group is not due out until after election day next November. Likewise, another mediation group is keeping alive the hope that the 520 bridge could afford a deep tunnel connecting the bridge to the Husky Stadium intersection, so the governor doesn't alienate the Montlake zealots. Gregoire's opponent for governor, Dino Rossi, meanwhile has surprised many by saying he now favors a skinny-lane tunnel on the waterfront, and also an eight-lane 520, thus appeasing both the eco-density gang on the waterfront and the highway-hugging traditionalists in the suburbs. (Rossi badly needs some transportation advisers of a contemporary outlook.)

The other politician putting his head up above the foxhole, just a bit, is state House Speaker Frank Chopp, who has all along wanted the viaduct to remain elevated (for those great views) and able to handle all 110,000 vehicles a day that it currently carries. These ideas are anathema in Seattle, so Chopp has tried (always backstage) to come up with mitigations. First he put a park lid on top the new structure. The latest version, unveiled to the unimpressed stakeholders' group last week, is a lower structure, partially covered with green space and incorporating new buildings and low-income housing to help pay for the costs and spread around the political benefits. The new structure would reportedly be moved out to the shoreline, where its great weight would be a problem over such deep water.

The imperatives of getting re-elected, combined with the wariness of politicians who lit all those exploding cigars last time, mean that we don't get to know the actual proposal until after we've done our duty in the voting booth. But it's getting pretty obvious that there is a broad coalition on the new waterfront plan, including unions, the urban design crowd, the Downtown Seattle Association, and greens. It means a surface boulevard replacing the viaduct, and various ways of deflecting the extra traffic with a little more transit (bus rapid transit serving Aurora, Ballard, and West Seattle) and a lot of new traffic capacity on Seattle streets, especially Western, First, and Second avenues. State, county, and city politicians seem on board (always excepting Chopp).

It's one thing to be on board when everything is still not public. The real test will come when the public sees the details, stores start screaming about lost curb parking out front, and everyone worries about how the scheme might end up diverting too many cars to I-5, already jammed. (The I-5 impact had originally been Gregoire's main reason for ridiculing the surface option.) The other real test is getting anything past the all-powerful Speaker Chopp, though he may budge if there's enough low-income housing somehow worked into the package.

The story marks a remarkable political journey by local politicians. They have gone from thinking that all the present traffic needed to be accommodated by any solution to the viaduct to thinking in terms of moving people (in various modes), not just cars. All these urban freeways were once paid for largely by federal money. Now they are in need of expensive repair and the feds have fled. One solution is to scrape up local money to rebuild them. When the voters said a loud No to that idea (and the climate change issue moved to the fore), we quietly thought about another approach: removing freeways. It might work.

Using blackmail to get Light Rail into Washington State

Thursday, March 27, 2008
By Elizabeth Hovde

Portland Mayor Tom Potter joked Monday that to get to Vancouver, he gets to “cross the I-5 Bridge that apparently was built by the Lewis and Clark expedition.” The bridge isn’t that old, but it is outdated in size, form and function.

Ask almost anyone if we need a new Interstate 5 bridge and they should nod in agreement. For heads that don’t bob, tell them the northbound span was built in 1917 and the southbound in 1958. Remind people that the bridge is seismically unfit and that it offers the only red light (for bridge lifts) on Interstate 5 between Canada and Mexico. Inform them that this area of I-5 has double the collisions of comparable highways. Finally, tell folks that 134,000 vehicles cross the Columbia River each day on I-5 — leading to four to six hours of congestion each weekday. That might really drive home the point that the drawbridge’s three lanes each way and frequent lifts are entirely inadequate at keeping commerce flowing or getting commuters to and from work.

By 2030, the Columbia River Crossing planners estimate that 184,000 people will be crossing the bridge each day, leading to 15 hours of daily congestion if no action is taken.

That’s where we can make a difference. We can help make sure action is taken. But there’s a small problem: The opposition to light rail (past and present) by many people in Vancouver.

A decade ago, a light-rail measure failed miserably here. And some suggest that a bridge should be built without a mass-transit component.

Whether you believe mass transit is good or bad for a replacement bridge, a new bridge isn’t going to be built without it. The governors of Washington and Oregon and the Portland City Council have all indicated they will not support a new bridge without a light-rail component. Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard has suggested the same. With these officials saying it’s all or nothing, we better get on board with the idea of shiny little trains traversing the river. One of the primary reasons officials insist on light rail is because without a mass-transit component, the bridge won’t likely win the federal funding it needs to be built. Local leaders aren’t trying to ignore the will of voters or stick it to naysayers; they’re truly trying to get an expensive bridge built.

And right now, the federal government appears willing to help. A lot.

The good news for light-rail detractors follows:

• Because tolls will be required to build the new crossing, those who use the bridge will be paying much of the cost. Fares will contribute to any ongoing light-rail costs. That means commuters and truckers and folks who spend their free time playing in Portland will be paying more of the bill than others. That’s appropriate.
• Light rail isn’t going to be added to the bridge project while vehicle lanes go ignored. The bridge is going to bloat big time: up to 12 lanes in the current plan.

Feds could walk away

I was at a recent meeting where a
CRC representative and Thayer Rorabaugh, Vancouver’s transportation manager, both said that at some point before the bridge is built, Vancouver voters would need to approve a maintenance and operation measure for any mass-transit plan in the project. I asked what would happen if voters said “no” to the expected 1- to 3-cent tax increase on a $10 purchase:

Their best guess? No bridge. The feds will likely walk away from the table.

Pollard told me Tuesday, “Our time is now. If we don’t take advantage of this opportunity when the feds and the tolls are almost prepared to pay the whole thing for us, we are going to go WAY to the back of the line,” he said.

The back of the line is a bad place to be when dealing with an unfit, overcrowded bridge.

Various light-rail alignments and Park & Rides planned for Vancouver are worrisome. One in particular — up Main Street through Uptown Village — could adversely impact quality of life for residents and businesses.

Bridge planners have to be innovative in finding ways to make any alignment or parking lot a benefit rather than a bust. But Vancouver voters need to make sure Vancouver’s quality of life thrives, too. One way to do that is getting the feds to buy us a new bridge by showing support for the whole package — mass transit and all.

Milage Limits in WS State Climate Change Law make no sense

Op-Ed - Mileage limits in law make no sense

By Don C. Brunell

Today, there is an unavoidable urge to let government engineer our lives in the name of climate change.

For example, under legislation passed this year in Olympia, lawmakers decided to limit the number of miles we drive in order to curb greenhouse gases. Despite business appeals to her to veto that section of the broad climate change bill, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the legislation without striking the limits on miles traveled.

If the goal is to reduce carbon dioxide, why monkey around with people's driving habits?

They went at this issue backwards. Instead of punishing people for driving, why not make them part of solving the problem. For example, why not give them a sales tax break for buying a hybrid or highly fuel efficient car? Give them an incentive and they will cut greenhouse gas emissions long before 2050 specified in the law.

With the price of gas and diesel headed north of $4 a gallon by summer and no long-term relief in sight, many commuters would love to lower their gas bills if they could afford to trade in their gas guzzlers.

That may not even be necessary. When the price of gas in Europe shot past $6 a gallon, people started buying smaller smart cars, mopeds and motorcycles. They also flocked to trains and buses.

One time-tested reality is people will solve problems when offered incentives, but balk at government edicts. Another reality today is the most families are finding it harder to make ends meet. Not only is the price of gas skyrocketing, but so are grocery bills because more and more crops and livestock feed are going into ethanol production.

What is most exasperating about this heavy-handed government approach is it does not recognize different people's needs in various parts of our state.

While limiting the number of miles we drive may force people in Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane onto buses, what about people who live in small towns and rural areas who have to commute long distances?

If the other legislative goal is to force people to live nearer their work, they need to look at what they are doing to increase the price of houses. For example, not many young instructors at the University of Washington can afford to buy in the university district and commute long distances from places where housing is affordable.

The point is what may seem like a good idea when lawmakers are cloistered in Olympia at the state capitol will end up hurting the very people they are trying to save.

That doesn't mean we abandon efforts to limit greenhouse gases, but there are better ways.

Reducing greenhouse gases is a shared goal. Washington is ideally situated to significantly reduce our state's "carbon footprint." We have an abundance of hydro power which produces no greenhouse gases and we are blessed with millions of acres of forestlands. Keep our dams and plant young trees on burnt over forestlands. Young trees convert carbon dioxide into the rich oxygen we need to survive.

Washington State passes law restricting car usage by 50% in 2050

How ironic at the same time as Bellevue is voted the best place to live and start a business it is forced to deal with this type of eco-socialist nonsense

By signing into law the western world's most draconian greenhouse gas bill, Washington State Governor, Christine Gregoire, took to a whole new level the expression, "Give them an inch and they'll take a mile,"

Gregoire who was given an inch in 2004 when she was allowed by a deeply entrenched Democrat bureaucracy to find thousands of votes several weeks after losing the Gubernatorial election, has returned the favor by taking away the residents right to drive unlimited miles on the State's freeways.

By pandering to that bureaucracy and the State's eco-socialists, Gregoire hopes to be reelected this Fall. That is the only possible explanation why HB 2815 which was rushed through both houses in Olympia by large Democrat majorities, got past the Governor's line item veto completely unchallenged.

HB 2815 notes, "The legislature finds that Washington has long been a national and international leader on energy conservation and environmental stewardship,"

Because of the State's self-proclaimed position as guardian of Planet Earth, the new law proclaims, "Using a statewide baseline of seventy-five billion vehicle miles traveled,"( today's usage excluding freight trucks,) the State "will decrease the annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by eighteen percent by 2020; 35% in 2035 and 50% in 2050"

The Act does not detail enforcement particulars, but sets up a process to finalize the details of the next couple of years. Nor does the bill attempt to quantify the economic disaster it will bring upon business in the state.

The State of Washington has been governed by Democrats since 1984. A 24 year period of increasingly big government bureaucracy has created a hostile business environment resulting in a number of major corporations moving operations and/or HQ out of the State. Most notably this includes the Boeing Corporation which moved it HQ to Illinois in 2001, without even bothering to give notice to Governor Locke.

In spite of its Democrat government,the state's economy has flourished due to the astonishing growth in a high-tech sector launched and sustained primarily by Washington native Bill Gates.

How ironic that the wealth that Bill Gates created for the entire state,in a free market economy, is being used to finance left wing politicians bent on denying similar opportunities to future entrepreneurs who will find their businesses thwarted by restrictions on free movement.

Time to change Governor! Surely, this time the easy-going citizens of our laid-back State will correct the wrong of 2004, and elect by an insurmountable margin, Dino Rossi, the businessman and former legislator she conspired to defeat in 2004.

Governor wants to eliminate Subarea equity

Gregoire is taking the lead in recasting transportation plans

By David Brewster

Nothing like a close election to focus the mind of political leaders. The best current example is Gov. Chris Gregoire, stung by defeat of Proposition 1 and the still-unresolved Viaduct and 520 decisions. She's suddenly acting courageous and creative about forging some new plans for central Puget Sound transportation.

Some interesting minds are also trying to create a package for Dino Rossi, running against the governor. So the new forum for the debate about roads and transit will now shift to the campaigns. That could be progress.

On Tuesday, Gov. Gregoire paid a visit to the Tacoma News Tribune's editorial board, saying very interesting things, according to editor David Seago's blog. She said she was prepared to look seriously at bills creating an overall regional transportation governance body, putting roads and transit authority in one largely elected body for King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. Then this bombshell:

And the notion of "sub-area equity," Gregoire said emphatically, has got to go. That gave us a little shudder, because the principle that the money raised in each county should be spent each county is pretty much Holy Writ in Pierce and Snohomish counties.

The problem with sub-area equity, Gregoire contended, is that local goodies get piled atop the most serious regional priorities, for reasons of local politics, that the total cost of any package balloons and it topples of its own weight.

A pretty good description, I admit, of what happened with Proposition 1 on both the transit and road sides. But, as I told the governor, "we little people in the sticks" have a legitimate fear of getting little more than table scraps while the Seattle-centric mega-projects get taken care first.

Combine these remarks with Gregoire's recent change of mind on the Viaduct, where she now is open to a surface-plus-transit solution, and you have the makings of a broader, more modern approach to transportation planning in the Greater Seattle area. Opponents of Prop. 1 are cheered and will probably be welcome at the new planning table.

The first political showdown will be Sound Transit's decision next February whether to go back to the ballot in 2008, this time with no roads component. House Speaker Frank Chopp opposes the 2008 submission, fearing that some of his Democratic candidates in the suburbs will be forced to take a stand on a tax increase. Olympia has threatened Sound Transit that if they go ahead with the 2008 vote, they can expect to be punished by enactment of a regional governance entity that will weaken Sound Transit's autonomy and its dedicated taxes. Waiting to 2010 for the Sound Transit II vote may also give enough time for the regional governance entity to be enacted.

The other political question is whether Rossi will actually craft a comprehensive roads/transit/congestion plan, thus forcing Gregoire to have a better one. Rossi advisors are split over letting Dino run against Gregoire's record with no explicit plans of his own, or showing leadership by pulling together a detailed plan. He'll probably only get specific if polling shows he's behind.

Government self-interest permeates Alaskan Way Viaduct

ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT IN-DEPTH: PREVIOUS UPDATES from Seattle Channel
1/6/07
Viaduct traffic could increase with I-5 construction

The Alaskan Way Viaduct could see more traffic this month as transportation crews perform a major overhaul on I-5 just south of downtown. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will replace expansion joints and repave 1.13 miles of I-5 North between Spokane Street to the I-90 interchange.

While the distance may not be that long, traffic tie-ups are considered immense. WSDOT officials will shut down several lanes of northbound traffic starting August 10 through August 29. Drivers are encouraged to take alternative routes, such as the Alaskan Way Viaduct or utilize public transportation.

The road work will prevent monthly maintenance on the 40-year old stretch of pavement. It'll also provide a smoother, safer ride for drivers on the I-5 corridor. During the upcoming Alaskan Way Viaduct construction, I-5 is expected to absorb much of the traffic from the south. Traffic officials are hoping repairs to I-5 will make the Viaduct construction reroutes easier for commuters.

Learn more about the WSDOT I-5 construction project.

Viaduct sinks another quarter-of-an-inch

The latest quarterly inspection of the Alaskan Way Viaduct revealed the aging roadway has sunk another quarter-of-an-inch between Columbia Street and Yesler Way. That section has sunk a total of five inches since the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake.

While state transportation officials are concerned about the continual sinking, they say the Viaduct is still safe for drivers. They plan on beginning work this fall to reinforce the foundations of several columns that are settling. Repairs include drilling steel rods into the ground surrounding the columns. The rods can carry a 95-ton load and will prevent further settlement into the ground.

Work isn't expected to disrupt traffic and no lane closures are planned. The project is estimated to cost $5 million and should take five to six months to complete. It's just one of six improvement projects planned to replace or repair parts of the Viaduct. The next inspection is scheduled for October.



Replacement plan given the green light

The best way to move people - not cars - efficiently should determine how to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct, according to Council Member Peter Steinbrueck. That was one of his arguments as the council voted on the latest way to deal with the controversial topic.

During a Committee of the Whole meeting, members voted to approve a surface option known as the Urban Mobility Plan. The $8.1 million plan gives the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) the go ahead to begin planning for Viaduct traffic on Seattle streets.

"This ordinance calls for not another study, but a new plan," Steinbrueck said. Steinbrueck also serves as the Transportation Vice-Chair.

A surface option would include improving mass transit to help absorb the number of commuters who regularly use the Viaduct. Leaders also hope it'll improve the downtown street grid, HOV lanes, bicycle and pedestrian access and include other traffic management techniques including trip-reduction strategies.

SDOT now has 45 days to work with the Washington State Department of Transportation and King County to produce the Urban Mobility Plan for the Council. If approved, City leaders hope to have the first part of the plan finished by summer 2008.

Watch the Full Council/Committee of the Whole meeting on the Urban Mobility Plan.

Governor announces $900 million viaduct update

A new Alaskan Way Viaduct project was announced Wednesday, March 14 by State and Seattle leaders - one they both agreed on. Governor Chris Gregoire announced the $900 million plan which will strengthen several parts of the aging waterfront structure. Citing safety, capacity, mobility and fiscal responsibility, the governor said that work on the solution to the viaduct must happen now. The new plan comes in the wake of the March 13 Seattle advisory vote in which Seattle residents rejected both the viaduct rebuild and tunnel options.

Appearing at a press conference alongside Mayor Greg Nickels and King County Executive Ron Sims, the governor said the project will involve the collaboration of state legislative and transportation leaders, city leaders and the Port of Seattle. The $900 million project will begin immediately with work first concentrating on engineering and design. The physical work will start this summer.

Proposed changes include a new interchange on the Viaduct's south end to improve freight transit mobility. Additionally, a road section will be replaced between Holgate Street and Royal Brougham Way and steel structures will be reinforced from Lenora Street to the Battery Street Tunnel. Also, seismic and fire suppression upgrades will occur in the Battery Street Tunnel.

Cost estimates included in March Viaduct ballot

In response to a request by Governor Gregoire, the city-wide viaduct advisory ballot choices will now include cost estimates. Ballot wording previously passed by the City Council on January 19 did not include cost numbers. City Attorney Tom Carr later rewrote the ballot to include the price proposals.

The ballot measure will consist of yes or no answers to the two viaduct replacement options: the $3.41 billion Surface-Tunnel Hybrid Alternative and the $2.8 billion Elevated Replacement Alternative option.

The Mayor and city transportation officials scaled down the original six-lane tunnel proposal after lawmakers in Olympia voiced concerns over the billion-dollar price tag. The new tunnel proposal is now four lanes with two lanes each direction, side-by-side instead of the double-decker six-lane version. Transportation officials say the new tunnel design will still be able to carry the same amount of traffic with the two shoulders converting into extra lanes during peak travel times.

The vote will take place on March 13 and be conducted exclusively by mail-in ballots.

Licata proposes Alaskan Way Viaduct vote date

March 13 may be the day Seattle residents get their opportunity to speak up about which option they prefer to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

City Council President Nick Licata and Council member David Della announced Friday, January 5, they are drafting a ballot proposal that would give voters two options: replace the viaduct with an elevated structure or tunnel. The costs of both projects would also be listed on the ballot.

Licata also wants the ballot to include information that would help voters understand that residents will be responsible for picking up cost overrides on both options. The elevated rebuild is estimated to cost $2.8 billion and the tunnel option is estimated to cost $4.6 billion. So far, state and federal funds secured for the project amounts to $2.4 billion. "We have to be honest with Seattle voters about the additional $2 billion needed to build a tunnel," Licata said.

In mid-December Governor Christine Gregoire announce she'd like to see a city advisory vote on the controversial multi-billion dollar project. She believes the project is at a stalemate and wants to hear what Seattle residents have to say about the project. She called for the vote to happen sometime this spring, before the legislative session ends in mid-April.

Council member Jan Drago is also working on an alternative proposal that might negate the need for a special vote. She's hoping to find an alternative that is acceptable to supporters of both the elevated structure and the tunnel. Drago believes that an indecisive advisory vote by residents won't do the city any good.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct ballot issue will be the topic of special meetings of the Full Council on Thursday, January 18 and Friday, January 19.

Viaduct decision falls to Seattle voters
Governor Gregoire calls for special spring election

After months of speculation over tunnel, rebuild or possible surface option to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct, the decision still isn't clear. One thing is for sure, the Governor wants Seattle voters to decide.

Governor Christine Gregoire announced Friday, December 15 that Seattle residents should vote for either the rebuild or tunnel option. Gregoire stated the surface option and retrofit were both unacceptable alternatives. Now City and Legislative officials must both agree with the public vote.

Mayor Greg Nickels said he welcomes a public vote. Nickels stongly supports the cut and cover tunnel option.

Gregoire said the financing plan for the rebuild option was sufficient, but financing for the tunnel option wasn't complete. If voters opt for the cut and tunnel option, Gregoire stated city leaders and tax payers would be responsible for finding any additional funds needed for the tunnel replacement.

She also felt that the state was at a "political stalemate" over the debate for a tunnel or a rebuild and that hearing from Seattle voters was a must before going forward with the massive construction project. While the exact date for the vote hasn't yet been set, it will take place before the Legislative session ends in April.

Current estimates have the tunnel rebuild option costing more than $4 billion dollars. Estimates for the rebuild put the project at $2.8 billion. The Governor hopes to have a viaduct decision by mid-2007 and construction underway by 2008.

Tunnel supporters believe this is a chance to reclaim the waterfront for residents by putting the major roadway underground. Opponents say the project is too costly and will cause too much of a disruption for businesses, residents and commuters.

The 2.2 mile double-decker Alaskan Way Viaduct carries about 110,000 vehicles per day. It was damaged in 2001 by the 6.8 Nisqually Earthquake.

Democrats denounce tunnel option

On November 16, 30 members of the House Democratic caucus sent a letter to Governor Christine Gregoire supporting the construction of an elevated highway to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The letter stated that the tunnel option will results in costs "the taxpayers of Washington cannot afford."

The letter was signed by House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle), and House Appropriations chair Helen Sommers (D-Seattle) and others. In September Chopp sent a similar letter to the expert review panel as they were looking at funding options for replacing the aging Viaduct. Gregoire will consider the letter, according to her spokesperson.

She is expected to make her decision on the Viaduct by the end of the year. This decision is then subject to approval by the state legislature.

Gregoire has stated that she will only consider the tunnel or a rebuild of the existing viaduct.

Viaduct decision heads to Olympia

In a 7-1 vote, City Council members told state leaders, they preferred the cut and cover tunnel option to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct. Council President Nick Licata voted against the tunnel option, while Council Member David Della was absent from the September 22 special meeting.

But the cut and cover tunnel still isn't a done deal. Now the fate of one of Seattle's main arteries lies with Governor Christine Gregoire. She had asked city leaders to either put the decision to voters, or make an advisory decision. She'll now have until the end of the year to make the call.

News of the vote comes the same day as the revised cost estimates for the replacement project were announced. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) issued revised estimates for the tunnel replacement ranging from $3.6-$5.5 billion. An aerial replacement option was estimated between $2.2-$3.3 billion. Initial reports tagged the tunnel as costing anywhere from $3.0-$3.6 billion and the replacement option from $2.0-$2.4 billion dollars.

State leaders say the funding is available for a rebuild, however, if Seattle leaders wanted a cut and cover tunnel, they needed to find the financing for the rest of the money. Now, Gregoire is considering using a toll to provide for extra funding on the cut and cover option. So far, no toll prices have been announced, but joint legislative hearings will be held over the next few months to further discuss and explore the tolling option.

.


Expert Review Panel releases Viaduct report

The group charged with taking a closer look at the proposed cut and cover Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel said funding looks to be "generally sound" with no "fatal flaws."

The Expert Review Panel released their report of Washington State's Department of Transportation stating, "We accept the project's funding assumptions as reasonable." The report was released on August 31.

Mayor Greg Nickels cheered the report. As a staunch supporter of the cut and cover tunnel replacement option, Nickels believes tearing down the aging viaduct and giving Seattle residents direct access to a new and improved waterfront is a once and a lifetime opportunity.

But opponents of the tunnel still claim there is some vagueness to the finances of project. Estimated to cost upwards of $3.6 billion, the cut and cover option could face cost over runs, according to Council President Nick Licata. He wants to see a resolution where Nickels would ask the state who will be responsible for those cost over runs.

Currently, state officials have said they will contribute $2.4 billion for a rebuild of the current viaduct structure. After that, any financing would need to be secured by city officials.

Despite their disagreements, all players say a decision needs to be made to replace the viaduct soon. The City Council has until September 22 to decide whether or not to place the viaduct issue on the November ballot.

Governor Christine Gregoire has stated she wants Seattle voters to have an accurate estimate of what the cut and cover option could ending up costing. She has asked the Department of Transportation to re-evaluate the tunnel costs estimates again.


Waterfront Plan On Wednesday, July 26, Mayor Greg Nickels unveiled his plans to reclaim Seattle's waterfront as a gathering place for people while preserving the environment for generations.

The plan calls for a 70-foot wide promenade along parts of the waterfront. The walkway would provide a connection for pedestrians looking for a relaxing stroll from the Pike Place Market to Pioneer Square. Shoreline restorations and beach access for environmental education would help reconnect the city directly with Elliott Bay. The plan also calls for several viewing areas and public gathering areas.

While Nickels' plan is a concept, he feels reclaiming the waterfront is a once-in-lifetime opportunity for Seattle residents. The waterfront plan is based on the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct coming down and being replaced by a cut and cover tunnel. His waterfront plan will be sent to the City Council for full consideration in September.


On June 22, Mayor Greg Nickels unveiled his funding plan for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel construction project estimated to cost between $3 billion and $3.6 billion. The Mayor's plan identifies $5 billion in potential funding.

The plan relies on the passage of the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) ballot measure which will come before voters in 2007. If approved, RTID would give Nickels' plan $800 million. Charging a toll for drivers of the busy roadway is another funding source currently being explored. While no set fee has been established, a possible $2 one way fare could raise $150 million dollars over 20 years. Other sources of funding include; increased taxes for waterfront property owners, utility relocations and the Port of Seattle.

More than $2.4 billion dollars has already been secured for the project. The state has enough funding to rebuild an elevated structure, larger and more seismically sound than the current viaduct. But several Seattle city leaders are pushing for the tunnel option, which would open up more potential park space along the downtown waterfront.

In early June, an independent panel was created to review the construction and finance options of the Alaskan Way Viaduct/Seawall and SR 520 floating bridge projects. The panel consists of eight experts in the fields of planning, engineering, finance, law, emerging transportation technologies, geotechnical and economic fields. Governor Chris Gregoire convened the panel since millions of state, local and federal dollars will be used to complete the projects.

The panel is expected to begin meeting in late June or early July. Some of their meetings will be open to the public, but others will be a closed work session. They are expected to submit their report in September that will help inform state and city officials whether the plans to replace the two main arteries through the Seattle area are achievable.

For more information on the Expert Review Panel, visit their Web site.

On Wednesday, March 26, City Council members authorized a $15 thousand study to evaluate a surface option proposal to replace the aging and damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct. The surface option, presented by the People's Waterfront Coalition, would put two lanes, in both directions, along the waterfront, while leaving open space for people to enjoy the views, shoreline and nature along Elliott Bay. While most council members and Mayor Greg Nickels say they prefer the tunnel option, council members wanted to learn more about the option and what other cities have built under similar circumstances. The study is expected to take about five to six weeks, at which point council members will evaluate whether the option deserves a more in-depth analysis

Source Seattle Channel

Governor Gregoire's Plan for Tolls on 520

Gregoire Unveils Tolling Proposal For SR 520 Bridge, I-90
Matt Rosenberg

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire yesterday announced a proposal - which the legislature would have to approve - for tolling the S.R. 520 bridge starting next year, and also indicated preliminary support for tolling the parallel I-90 bridge across Lake Washington. All this could raise about $2 billion for replacement of the deteriorating SR 520 span, which could fail in an earthquake or severe windstorm. The Seattle Times reports. The total cost was estimated at $4.4 billion, though a new state estimate suggets the tab could be cut to $4 billion with a questionable single-pontoon design which limits future transit expansion. Some $2 billion in bridge rebuild funding is already secured.

The new tolls would vary by time of day, higher during rush hours. This would qualify as congestion pricing, which is gaining steam across the U.S., as we wrote here earlier this week.

Tolling the SR 520 bridge is a required condition of a federal grant which provides $138 million for the bridge rebuild and other projects. There've been some promising developments on tolling and congestion pricing in Puget Sound - which we noted in the above-linked post, namely on the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge and a pilot project starting this year on SR 167. But we have a ways to go. While voters have approved two modest gas tax hikes in recent years and some city (Seattle) and county (King) taxes in 2006 for street maintenance and bus service respectively, a large, three-county roads and transit ballot measure (Proposition 1) tanked last November. Some say it was because road projects dragged down otherwise popular light rail, others because the price tag ($18 to $47 billion depending how you did the math) was too high and major priorities such as the 520 bridge and replacement of the crumbling Alaskan Way viaduct weren't allocated anywhere near the needed funds for completion.

There are tens of billions of dollars worth of road and transit projects remaining in Puget Sound; and a bracing 52 percent population increase projected by 2040, according to the Puget Sound Regional Council. Prospects are dim for any major gas tax hikes. So tolling and congestion pricing are key, along with expanded transit which will actually make a sizeable dent in traffic.

It's early yet in the political conversation about regional tolling and congestion pricing, but the Governor deserves some credit for broaching the subject with respect to the 520 bridge rebuild. However, the announced 2018 completion date is much too far off; hundreds of lives could be lost if the bridge fails. Is it a worrisome risk requiring strong leadership and timely action? Or not?

A public-private partnership including union or public employee pension funds could be fashioned to generate more money for a better bridge and get it built sooner. If there's ever been a time to think big about delivering better transportation infrastructure while limiting taxpayer costs, it's now. SR 520, the Viaduct replacement, vital road projects in Pierce and Snohomish counties, and regional transit expansion are all cases in point.

And while tolling I-90 would be essential to prevent traffic diversions from 520 motorists seeking to avoid the proposed new tolls there, it is the reversible express lanes of I-90 which should used for this purpose, and then, under a congestion pricing strategy. The toll revenues from I-90 would be needed to help pay for the SR 520 bridge rebuild, and a certain portion could be carved out to help fund additional express bus service on both bridges.

The 60-day short-session in the Washington state legislature beginning next week will be an eventful one on transportation. Stay tuned.

UPDATE, 1/14/08: Gregoire's announcement is earning positive feedback from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial board, the Tacoma News Tribune editorial board, and Seattle Times editorial page editor James Vesely.

Gregoire: "Watch me tear Viaduct Down!"

Gregoire: 'Watch me' tear down the viaduct
Governor tells the city she won't let issue be pushed to back burner 1/3/08
By CHRIS McGANN
P-I CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT

OLYMPIA-- With or without Seattle's approval, the state will tear down the earthquake-damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct in 2012, Gov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday.

"It's coming down in 2012. I'm taking it down -- the middle," she said, referring to the elevated portion of the span that runs roughly from Battery Street Tunnel to Pioneer Square, which has been the most vexing and controversial piece of the transportation puzzle.

"That's the timeline. I'm not going to fudge on it. And if we don't have some alternative by then, boy are we going to have a mess on our hands because it's coming down."

Asked if she, as governor, could trump the state's largest city and county and unilaterally tear down a highway that carries more than 100,000 vehicles a day through the heart of Seattle, Gregoire said:

"Yeah, watch me."

The governor set a hard deadline after a tortured and unsuccessful attempt to resolve the issue last year. At that time Seattle, King County and the state fought and floundered in their attempts to produce a viable option for replacing or rebuilding the viaduct.

Instead of a new $2.8 billion elevated highway similar to the current viaduct the state wanted, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels fought for a more expensive tunnel and King County Executive Ron Sims wanted a street-level solution that would have included much more transit.

Last year Gregoire twisted arms and issued her recommendation but ultimately deferred the decision to Seattle voters, who rejected both a proposed elevated rebuild and a more expensive tunnel along the waterfront. The surface option was not on the ballot.

In the end, elected leaders agreed to a truce and opted to begin demolition and utility relocation on the south end of the roadway.

That gave everyone until 2012 to agree about how to replace the double-decker section through the heart of the city.

Now Gregoire said she's not letting the issue get pushed to a political back burner.

Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis said setting an inflexible deadline is unrealistic.

"This is not just an issue for the city of Seattle to ensure that the system functions when it comes down, this is an issue for the entire state of Washington, because this is the economic center for the state," he said.

If the statement was intended to be a threat, Ceis said, it would be out of character to Gregoire.

"I find it hard to believe that she is issuing a threat right now because we are all working so well together. ... It's everybody's objective to get the viaduct down as soon as is possible and practical. But in order to do that, you have to ensure that projects have been funded and completed that allow the transportation system to continue to function if you cut off that corridor."

He said the city and the state are making good progress toward crafting a workable solution the people will agree on.

"No matter what, the state has to be a constructive partner in this project," Ceis said. "The state has the funding and we need to be able to make those fixes to the rest of the system in order for the viaduct to come down by 2012."

Ceis said the timeline was not, in itself, impossible, "but it's going to take a real push by all parties involved."

As for the sticky question of how to pay for the project, Gregoire said the state would keep its commitment to provide $2.8 billion. Any more would have to come from other sources.

Although she plans to team up with other governors to appeal to the federal government for increased investments in state infrastructure projects, Gregoire said that money would not be secured in time for the viaduct replacement.

Sims applauded the governor's hard deadline and her openness to addressing the problem with a much more comprehensive solution.

"The viaduct has to come down. It's not safe," Sims said. "I support (Gregoire's) position on that. It is a tough decision to make ... but it's the smart thing to do."

In the past, Gregoire opposed a surface option, but in recent months she has said she's now open to the idea.

In last year's debate, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, was unbending about his desire to rebuild an elevated viaduct.

"I'm comfortable with her statement," he said. "That project has got to get resolved; it cannot just go on forever."

He said Gregoire had already made her deadline clear.

"I remember her telling me that a long time ago because obviously, it's a safety issue," he said.

As the discussion continues about a surface option, leaders are careful to explain they aren't simply talking about a ground-level highway along the waterfront.

The viaduct traffic would have to be dispersed and otherwise addressed through a wide swath of Seattle.

"What Greg (Nickels) and Ron (Sims) and I have talked about is: 'Let's stop thinking about replacement of the Alaska Way Viaduct and start thinking about how do we do transportation in all of Seattle from I-5 to the waterfront,' " Gregoire said.

"We really are fundamentally not efficient and effective now. Our offramps from I-5 are not efficient to the flow of traffic. What international city do we know of that would have two-way traffic in downtown? What international city do we know of that would have street parking in the middle of downtown?

"We have not stepped back, collectively ... and said, 'How can we make this a user-friendly, international city?'

"That's why a 'surface option' is on the table now," Gregoire said. "If we simply say replace the viaduct, and if that's all we do, the surface option won't work. I still stand by that. I've looked at it, the ramifications to the waterfront are terrible. We won't have any legitimate freight mobility. ... The surface option works only (and I don't know if it does) but only if you look at the totality."

P-I reporter Chris McGann can be reached at 360-943-3990 or

PI wants tolls on SR 520 to alleviate congestion

1/15/08 Evergreen Point Bridge: Congestion's toll

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

When it comes to the Evergreen Point Bridge, there are two absolutes we hold to be true -- that for safety reasons, we need to replace the bridge soon, and that given the defeat of Proposition 1, we need to find a way to pay for it.

To that end, we support Gov. Chris Gregoire's plan to institute early toll collection to help pay for construction of the bridge without imposing new taxes on all. Some might argue that a toll is a form of taxation, but at least it's targeted to the users of the bridge and not the general population, which should please those who fought to defeat Prop. 1, a roads and transit package that would have raised $1.2 billion for the construction of the bridge.

We're interested in the plan because it achieves the objective of getting the bridge paid for (although having one built sooner than 2018 would be preferable) as well as yielding the potential bonus of dealing with traffic congestion.

If use of tolls were to become more widespread, as Rep. Judy Clibborn hinted, then we urge lawmakers and transportation planners to expand mass transit (read: fund more runs on more routes). Offering people a carrot, not just a stick, as a reason to use their cars less frequently will be more effective in the long run.

While the bridge has not yet been designed -- and mediation leading to that point is ongoing -- if Gregoire can get people to rally behind her six-lane bridge, then all the better.

Let's not forget: This is only a proposal.

Governor Gregoire Hypes Disaster to sell bridges

Is Gregoire hyping disaster to sell bridges?

By Knute Berger 1/17/07

Gov. Christine Gregoire is eagerly sharing the happy news of her willingness to slap tolls on bridges and highways. She met with Oregon Gov.Ted Kulongoski in Clark County the other day to discuss moving ahead on a $4.2 billion new bridge over the Columbia River on I-5. The feds would pick up most of the tab, but Gregoire is set on imposing tolls. To push her agenda, she's using last summer's Minneapolis bridge collapse to make her case for urgency. Only problem is, it turns out the Minneapolis bridge disaster wasn't a case of aging infrastructure. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded the problem was a design flaw.

Gregoire's statements on tolling the Columbia will ring bells for anyone listening to her rationales for exploring tolls the SR-520 bridge across Lake Washington. According to the Columbian, Gregoire is not only firm about making the new Columbia span--a key north-south link in the greater Vancouver-Portland area--a toll bridge, but she wants to look at imposing more tolls nearby:

Tolls, Gregoire said, will be a part of the finance package...

“The interesting questions there are: Do we start tolling before we even begin construction on the bridge to make sure the tolls can be lower when it’s ultimately opened? Do we do variable tolling to reduce congestion and give more choices to consumers? Do we have to toll someplace else because we’re going to push traffic in a big way” to other bridges? “In my mind, we are going to toll. How do we toll?”

The current Columbia bridge is considered a "bottleneck," but Gregoire is also raising the specter of safety and disaster. According to The Oregonian:

Gregoire said last summer's collapse of an interstate bridge in Minneapolis was "a wake-up call to this nation."

"The interstate bridges that connect Vancouver and Portland are heavily used and aging, and it is time to replace them in the name of safety as well as economic vitality," she said.

The Minneapolis bridge became the poster child for America's aging infrastructure, but Gregoire may have to look for another example. On Jan. 15, the New York Times reported:

Investigators said Monday that the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed into the Mississippi River on Aug. 1, killing 13, came down because of a flaw in its design.

The designers had specified a metal plate that was too thin to serve as a junction of several girders, investigators say....

The I-35W bridge was of a type called “fracture critical,” meaning that the failure of any major member would cause a collapse, because it had no redundancy. The design is lighter and less expensive to build, but has gradually fallen out of favor with highway departments.

This doesn't mean that infrastructure isn't aging and that it doesn't need additional inspection, repair and possible replacement. But the situation in Minnesota isn't a case of neglected maintenance but likely a case of human error or poor judgement.

The case for bridge replacement can be made without hyping the Minnesota tragedy.

Initiative 912 - Repeal the 9.5 cent Gas Tax failed in 2005

Initiative 912 Fuels Debate Over New Gas Tax
by John Barnes, Policy Analyst
05-08 8/6/05

This election Washington citizens will vote on Initiative 912, a proposal to repeal the new 9.5 cent gas tax recently passed by the legislature. This Policy Note briefly describes the Initiative and summarizes the main arguments for and against it.

In April the state legislature passed and Governor Gregoire signed a bill to increase the state gas tax by 9.5 cents in four stages: raising it by three cents in July 2005 and July 2006, by two cents in July 2007, and 1.5 cents in July 2008. Initiative 912 would repeal about $5.5 billion in new gas tax revenues, leaving in place $3 billion in new revenues from higher vehicle weight taxes, higher drivers’ license fees, and other fees.

More than half of the legislature's 16-year $8.6 billion statewide transportation plan is earmarked for King County. Pierce County comes in second with an allocation of $769 million, with other counties around the state receiving various lesser amounts. Chief among the projects that would receive funding are the Alaskan Way Viaduct ($2 billion), Interstate 405 ($992 million), and the Highway 520 bridge ($500 million). These allocations only partially fund the targeted projects. Localities are expected to raise additional revenue for finishing the projects.

The new tax is the largest single gas tax increase in state history. Washington began taxing gasoline in 1924 at the rate of two cents a gallon. Today that rate is 31 cents per gallon (including the July 2005 phase-in of the recently-passed increase), giving Washington the tenth highest state gas tax in the nation. The federal government taxes gas at 18.4 cents a gallon, making the combined gas tax in Washington 49.4 cents a gallon. Under the Legislature’s plan, by 2008 Washingtonians will be paying a combined state and federal gas tax of 56 cents a gallon. The chart below shows the history of the gas tax in Washington (figure 1.1).

Not long after the new gas tax became law, opponents started a website, www.NoNewGas-Tax.com, and began the push for repeal with Initiative 912. They had no difficulty finding support for their cause. Organizers gathered more than 420,000 signatures in just over 30 days, without the use of paid signature gatherers. The groundswell of support arose in response to what many see as a misguided transportation plan with the wrong priorities.

Initiative 912 supporters say "traffic congestion won't get any better" because of the tax hike and the projects it will fund. "We need to send them [lawmakers] back to the drawing board if we are ever going to solve this problem," says one Initiative backer. Supporters' central argument is that lawmakers should not have enacted an $8.6 billion tax increase that will not relieve traffic congestion. The projects financed through the plan center around infrastructure maintenance, not capacity expansion.

Supporters of Initiative 912 are also angry that the legislature attached an emergency clause to the bill, which prevented the voters from overturning it via referendum. The number of signatures required to put a referendum on the ballot is half the number required for an initiative. This move, many argue, reflects lawmakers' distrust of their own constituency.

Initiative 912 opponents have started their own website, www.KeepWashingtonRolling.com. Several of Washington's largest companies, labor unions and trade associations have thrown their weight behind the effort to defeat Initiative 912. The new tax, they say, is a small price to pay for the increased safety that will come from the more than 200 road projects the new tax would fund, projects such as highway and bridge upgrades for earthquake safety. Congestion relief would have to come above and beyond all of that, and at additional cost. Initiative 912's opponents also argue that these projects will create thousands of new jobs over the next several years, although this assumption does not account for jobs lost due to the higher tax.

While Initiative 912 supporters say the Department of Transportation needs to do a better job of managing the funds it already has, Keep Washington Rolling points out that the gas tax bill includes measures to do just that. To obtain key Republican support for the tax increase bill, lawmakers appropriated $4 million to the state auditor to conduct independent performance audits of the Department of Transportation. Even if Initiative 912 passes, the performance audit provisions would remain in place.

Keep Washington Rolling says the average Washington driver will pay only 41 cents more per week under the new tax increase ("average" in this case means driving 12,070 miles per year in a car that gets 17 miles per gallon). Opponents of the tax increase counter the math by pointing out that when such incremental arguments are used every time the government wants to raise taxes, a little bit here and a little bit there adds up to a significantly larger tax burden in the long run.

Revenue from the state gas tax has increased over the years, as shown in the chart below (figure 1.2).

Gas tax collections increased five percent above inflation between 1995 and 2004. Two factors have contributed to this trend. The state tax rate has gone from two cents per gallon in 1924 to 31 cents today—an increase of more than 1,500%. Additionally, state residents now consume three times as much gasoline as they did in 1960, and the number of vehicle-miles-traveled has doubled since 1980. While a gallon is the same size today as it was in 1924, the fiscal reality is that there are many more vehicles on the road driving more miles, thereby generating more revenue for state coffers.

If Initiative 912 passes in November, it will be the second time in three years citizens voted down a large gas tax increase. In 2002 voters overwhelmingly defeated Referendum 51, which would have raised the tax by nine cents per gallon. Responding to the anti-tax sentiment that killed Referendum 51, the legislature in 2003 approved a lower increase of five cents a gallon.

Off-year elections tend to produce lower voter turnout due to the paucity of measures and candidates on the ballot, but 2005 could very well buck that trend. If the grassroots support behind Initiative 912 and the scale of organizations opposing the measure are any indication, the Initiative is sure to draw large numbers of voters to the polls in November.

For more information, see the Transportation chapter of Agenda 2005: The Guide to Public Policy Issues in Washington State at www.Agenda2005.org.

Gregoire's Surprise Appointment as WS Ferry Chief: David Moseley

WSDOT announces David Moseley as new Assistant Secretary for Washington State Ferries

Date: Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Contact: Lloyd Brown, WSDOT Communications Director (360) 705-7075 (Olympia)

David Moseley, new Assistant Secretary for Washington State Ferries

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen and Rep. Judy Clibborn joined Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond today as she announced David Moseley as the new Washington State Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary for the Ferries Division.

Moseley, Vice President for the Institute for Community Change in Seattle, had been Federal Way city manager from 1999 to 2006. He assumes the position vacated by Mike Anderson who retired in 2007.

“I am pleased to be here today to launch a new day and a new direction for the Washington state ferry system,” said Gregoire. “Over the next 18 months, I have asked Secretary Hammond and her new ferry system assistant secretary to transform the state ferry system so during these changing times it will remain the safest, most responsive, and highest caliber system in the world.”

The governor specified three areas of improvement she hopes will ensure that Washington state has a healthy, cost-effective ferry system well into the future. They are:

• A fleet preservation and maintenance program that sets the standard for industry best practices.
• A restructured, nimble, organization that provides outstanding customer service and in partnership with each of the communities it serves, and meets the needs of a growing Puget Sound region.
• A funding plan that is lean, and sustainable in the long-term, and that accommodates the preservation of vessels and regular replacement within their planned life span.

“We are committed to having a sustainable, well run state ferry system that will continue to serve the Puget Sound communities long into the future,” said Secretary Hammond. “I believe David brings the organizational and management experience we need to see the Ferries Division continue its long and respected history of serving the citizens of Washington.”

Moseley joins WSDOT during a time of increased scrutiny after Hammond took all four of the Steel Electric class vessels out of service due to safety concerns about hull corrosion. This decision led to vehicle service being suspended on the Port Townsend-Keystone ferry route and service disruptions on other routes.

“This is a big job with big challenges,” Moseley said. “Working with the Governor, Secretary Hammond, Sen. Haugen, Rep. Clibborn, WSDOT and ferry system staff, ferry communities, riders and labor, I am confident we will strengthen the ferry system to provide the best service possible and begin to restore the public trust and confidence in the ferry system.”

Moseley has 15 years of service in city manager positions for three Washington State cities. Previously he directed the Department of Community Development, the Division of Youth Services, and the Community Accountability Program (juvenile justice) for the City of Seattle. Other experience includes Staff Director, Speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives and Director, Telegraph Avenue Community Center (Oakland). David was a Presidential Appointee to the National Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He received his Masters of Divinity from Golden Gate Theological Seminary and his BA from Willamette University.

Since its creation in 1951, Washington State Ferries (WSF) has become the largest ferry system in the United States and the third largest in the world, carrying more than 24 million passengers each year.

WSF operates 23 vessels and 20 ferry terminals, from Point Defiance (Tacoma) in the south, to Sidney, British Columbia in the north. Thousands of commuters, employers, students, tourists and commercial shippers depend on WSF every day for safe, reliable transportation across the Sound.

Governor edges closer to Republican demands for 520 by 2013

New 520 bridge by 2014, state says

By Andrew Garber

Seattle Times staff reporter

OLYMPIA — Gov. Christine Gregoire on Monday said the state expects to replace the Highway 520 floating bridge by 2014, four years earlier than planned.

http://unsoundtransit.blogspot.com/2008/02/bridge-for-520-not-ready-until-2018.html

Gregoire and the state Department of Transportation (DOT) said the work can be done faster in part by expediting the environmental review and starting construction of the pontoons sooner.

The move is expected to shave millions of dollars off the cost of the project, Gregoire said. New estimates peg the cost at $3.7 billion to $3.9 billion. Previously the bridge was projected to cost $4 billion.

The state Legislature is moving ahead with a financing plan, supported by Gregoire, to replace the 520 Bridge. The plan calls for early tolling — as soon as next year — on the existing bridge to help pay for construction.

The new bridge would be built near the existing structure. No highway closures are expected during the work.

As envisioned, the bridge would have a single row of pontoons supporting six lanes of traffic. The plan has drawn criticism from Eastside groups and legislators who are concerned the design could preclude adding high-capacity transit lanes in the future.

However, Gregoire on Monday promised that the bridge would be expandable. And the DOT also said any lids at Foster Island or on the Eastside would be wide enough to add light rail or separate bus lanes.

"We cannot and will not foreclose a decision in the future to expand," she said. "We will construct it in a manner that will allow that future decision to be made. The pontoons will be done with that in mind."

In addition to completing the floating bridge faster, the DOT expects to finish related work, including the fixed section over Portage Bay and the Seattle exit ramps, by 2016, two years earlier than projected.

DOT officials also believe the environmental review won't take as long as originally thought

Governor's plan for 6-lane 520 inadequate for future capacity

Gregoire: 520 Bridge can be replaced ahead of schedule
State could save as much as $700 million, governor says
By CHRIS McGANN
P-I CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT

The state can rebuild the Evergreen Point Bridge two years earlier and hundreds of millions of dollars cheaper than previous estimates, Gov. Chris Gregoire said Monday.

At Gregoire's request, the state Department of Transportation reviewed the original plan, looking for ways to more efficiently replace the aging state Route 520 Bridge.

The previous plan assumed the bridge would be completed in 2016 and the associated high-occupancy-vehicle lanes, interchanges and community mitigation on the six-mile corridor between Interstate 405 and Interstate 5 would be completed by 2018.

"Based on the work they've done, we can get the bridge done in 2014," Gregoire said.

The correlating improvements to Route 520 between I-405 and I-5 could be completed by 2016, according the new department estimates.

Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond said that review showed that expediting the project would save the state as much as $700 million.

The project has been sped up with efficiencies including building the bridge pontoons one year early, advanced wetland mitigation and early permitting. The state also has resolved some issues that had a more uncertain timeline.

The department said it is further along in design and, more importantly, in vetting the specifics of the design with affected communities.

Gregoire said Grays Harbor had been selected as the site to build the pontoons for the floating bridge.

"That's critical so we can get going in 2009," she said. "We can actually start construction on pontoons."

Hammond said the accelerated schedule also would save drivers money.

"Our estimate on delay saving for commuters and freight is $50 million a year," she said. "There's also a savings (to the state) on inflation of about $100 million a year."

Because of stepping up the schedule of completion and other efficiencies, the cost estimate also has been trimmed from $4.38 billion to between $3.7 billion and $3.9 billion.

The plan requires up to $2 billion to be collected from tolls and relies on $1.7 billion of state and federal money.

The 44-year-old bridge connecting Seattle with its eastern suburbs is in danger of sustaining significant damage, including collapse, during severe weather.

The previous decadelong schedule for completing the project was seen as a political liability for Gregoire, who faces a rematch against Republican Dino Rossi in the gubernatorial race this fall.

Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, has been a frequent and vocal critic of Democrats' priorities and management of the Department of Transportation and projects, including the Evergreen Point Bridge.

"They are moving in the right direction in terms of timing, but I still believe we need to build the right bridge," Ericksen said. "The governor's plan still calls for six lanes, when everything shows you need eight lanes to be able to handle the capacity."

Gregoire said the state would build a six-lane bridge but design it in a way that would not preclude expanding it to an eight-lane configuration in the future. In order to do that, the state must have room enough on land -- an element that remains under intense negotiation.

Ericksen said that's not good enough.

"You are dealing with a floating bridge, which is a complex engineering feat to begin with. To come back and say we are going to add Lego extensions onto it doesn't make sense to most people," he said. "For the additional cost of building the larger pontoons today, I think that would be pretty small compared to the additional expense and inconvenience of having to retrofit that bridge in the future."

House Republicans plan Tuesday to unveil a new transportation plan that provide $6 billion of new transportation spending that would not require new taxes.

Gregoire said her plan to rebuild the 520 Bridge is contingent on several factors. The Legislature must pass a bill that outlines the basic configuration of the bridge and lays the groundwork for setting tolls for the new project.

"It says we have no way to finance the thing other than tolling," Gregoire said.

Hammond said that after voters rejected Proposition 1, the massive transit and roads plan that would have provided $1 billion for 520, "we were left without a financial plan."

The new bridge would be built north of the current Evergreen Point Bridge and traffic would continue to flow on the old bridge through construction.

Traffic would be shifted onto the new bridge, with connections to get into the existing corridor on each end by 2014.

Nickel and TPA Gas Tax Projects are way behind

Despite Claims, Gas Tax Projects Are Not on Track

by Michael Ennis
Director, Center for Transportation
March 2008

In 2003 and 2005, state officials raised the gas tax by 14.5 cents to pay for 432 Nickel and Transportation Partnership (TPA) projects. Now, state leaders are not fulfilling what they said when they imposed these tax increases.

Despite overestimating revenues and underestimating costs by $3.8 billion, state policymakers assert this year’s supplemental transportation budgets preserves these projects. Through a series of accounting adjustments, lower interest rates and overhead reductions, leaders claim they have funded the gap.

The following remarks illustrate how state leaders explain their assurances to the public:

“We followed the governor’s lead, scrutinized every last project and were able to produce a budget that keeps projects on track...”
-Rep. Judy Clibborn, February 20, 2008

“The House Chair’s proposed budget maintains the commitment to the Nickel and Transportation Partnership projects.”
-Budget Highlights, House Transportation Budget, February 20, 2008

“The Governor’s 2008 budget proposal keeps these projects moving forward and addresses immediate safety needs.”
-Statement on the Governor’s website for her proposed Transportation budget

“Democrats…said their budget keeps all of the 400-plus planned highway and bridge projects moving forward.”
-David Ammons, AP article, February 22, 2008

Upon reviewing each of the proposed budgets however, shows that state policymakers are not maintaining their commitment. In 2003, state officials promised taxpayers that 158 Nickel projects would be complete by 2013 and that the 274 TPA projects would be completed by 2021.

The Governor’s budget delays ten projects beyond these original promise dates; the Senate delays eleven and the House delays fifteen. Some projects are delayed more than fourteen years, which implies they may never be built. Pushing projects beyond their original completion dates breaks the promises made to voters when the tax increases were first adopted.
The following table shows the delays in each of the budget proposals.


Michael Ennis is director of the Center for Transportation at Washington Policy Center, a non-partisan public policy research organization with offices in Seattle and Olympia. Nothing here should be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any legislation before any legislative body. For more information contact WPC at 206-937-9691 or online at washingtonpolicy.org.

Gov. Gregoire says ferry system is facing a financial crisis

Gregoire Seeks $100 Million for New Ferries; PT-Seattle Run Begins

By DAVID AMMONS
Associated Press
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Port Townsend-Seattle Run

OLYMPIA

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday proposed retiring the state's four oldest ferries and quickly building replacement boats at a cost of about $100 million.

Interim service to the Olympic Peninsula begins soon, starting Thursday with foot-passenger service from Port Townsend to downtown Seattle, and car-ferry service to Whidbey Island next month, the governor announced.

The governor, moving to address a major transportation link that has been disrupted since the aging boats were abruptly removed from service last month, said the state will resume auto service between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island by mid- to late January.

The state will lease one of the Anderson Island ferries operated by Pierce County. Three new replacement vessels will be of similar design and could come online in about a year, presuming the Legislature concurs with Gregoire's plan.

The new boats will carry about 50 vehicles and 325 passengers.

The passenger-only ferry service between Port Townsend and Seattle will run during the holidays, the governor announced.

Gregoire, in comments prepared for a contract-signing and news conference at Todd Shipyards in Seattle, said it makes more sense to build new ferries than to try to restore the 80-year-old Steel Electric class vessels.

The boats were on borrowed time, and when pitting and corrosion were found, the ferry system worried that they were unsafe and withdrew them from service last month. That left the Port Townsend-Keystone run without auto ferry service and hurt the local economy.

Legislative transportation leaders have already concurred that the boats are too old and rickety to repair.

The small ferries are the only ones in the fleet that can navigate the narrow, shallow channel at Keystone on Whidbey Island.

A passenger-only ferry is now serving the run.

Gregoire proposed financing the new small boats by tapping $64 million of the $348 million previously approved for four new 144-car jumbo ferries. She would also redirect $36 million from planned terminal improvements, including the Mukilteo dock. Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine has vowed to fight any such diversion of money.

Matt Nichols, of Nichols Brothers Boat Builders Inc. on Whidbey Island, recently suggested that the state use the same design that Nichols used to build the ferry Steilacoom for Pierce County.

Gregoire also authorized contracts with Todd Shipyards to start designing up to four long-planned large ferries. Todd will be the prime contractor and J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. in Tacoma, and possibly Nichols Brothers, will subcontract.

Four new large boats were authorized in 2001 and financing was secured in 2003. But the procurement process became mired in legal challenges. Gregoire spokesman Lloyd Brown said it's not clear whether all four can be built until the state gets back firm contract cost estimates.

Gregoire said she's interested in both replacing the old boats and expanding overhaul ferry capacity. Washington runs the nation's largest ferry system, carrying 24 million passengers and 11 million vehicles a year.

In addition to troubles with some of the older vessels, the system has faced chronic money problems and critical state auditsFerry System .

Gregoire concurred with the Department of Transportation's decision to take the four vessels out of operation permanently. They are the Quinault, Klickitat, Illahee and Nisqually, built in the late 1920s. They were believed to be the oldest in the nation still operating in salt water.

The Klickitat and the Illahee were the only ones of the four vessels operating at the time DOT made the decision last month. The ferry system has paid upward of $4 million this year on repairs to the boats, but it finally decided it was a losing cause.

"We no longer believe the hulls are safe," the governor said in prepared comments, adding that, "Damage is significant enough that it simply isn't worth the tax dollars to make repairs.

"We simply had to make the call we did and move forward."

Gregoire said the ferry system is "facing a financial crisis" and that "Washington must find other sustainable and stable sources of funds to support our state's ferry system."

A study group will make its proposals in time for the 2009 legislative session.

State Treasurer Backs Prop 1

State treasurer backs measure for roads, transit
9/1/07
By Mike Lindblom

Seattle Times transportation reporter

State Treasurer Mike Murphy, who criticized Seattle's monorail financing in 2005, is endorsing Proposition 1, a larger measure to fund roads and transit.

Some history: The now-defunct Seattle Monorail Project, facing shortages in its car-tab tax, released a 50-year, $11.4 billion plan, including "junk bonds," to fund a $2.1 billion line. Murphy condemned the high-interest financing.

Under Proposition 1, Sound Transit would sell some 30-year bonds as late as 2027, when 50 miles of light-rail lines would be done.

Murphy said Sound Transit has stronger revenue streams than the monorail, and would not rely nearly as much on debt. And Sound Transit anticipates surpluses by the 2030s. Therefore, Murphy said, a long timetable doesn't worry him.

"Absolutely not. That's called long-term planning, and also a recognition of what their expectations are for revenue sources, and their ability to take on those projects only when they have the cash to support them," he said Tuesday.

Mark Baerwaldt, treasurer for one of the opposition campaigns, replied: "When he says they [Sound Transit] have conservative numbers — all they have is a tax stream they've totally abused." Officials in 1996 promised rail from the University District to SeaTac by last year, but costs soared and completion remains years off.

Backers estimate the Proposition 1 "Roads & Transit" package at $18 billion in 2006 dollars. Opposition ads claim it costs $157 billion, which Murphy called "bogus." Among other things, it assumes inflation plus enormous cost overruns over 50 years.

Murphy praised the Nov. 6 measure for including $1.1 billion for a new $4.4 billion Highway 520 bridge.

"Do you want something to happen or not? If you do, vote yes," he said. "If you don't, vote no."

On Monday, Gov. Christine Gregoire said she supports the plan, which will be on the ballot in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, because it includes funding for vulnerable bridges. King County Executive Ron Sims last week said he would vote no, arguing the plan would not reduce congestion or global warming.

Gregoire does not reject the Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel option

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Gregoire: No bias against Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel
But she casts doubt on Seattle's viaduct vote

By CHRIS McGANN
P-I CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT

OLYMPIA -- Accusations by Seattle officials Monday that the state is biased against a tunnel option for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct are "ludicrous," Gov. Chris Gregoire said.

But she warned that doubts are growing about the credibility of a March 13 Seattle vote in which people will be asked to express their opinions about replacing the structure with the tunnel or an elevated structure.

"Basically (lawmakers) are saying, 'How do we pay credence to a ballot that says: 'Option A; option B; all of the above; none of the above?' How does one really say that this is a credible ballot?" Gregoire said of the vote. "And secondly, how do we really know voters are informed?"

Also Monday, Republicans said the $2.8 billion of state money earmarked for the viaduct should be shifted to a less contentious project.

The flurry of statements and counterstatements reflected how contentious the debate about replacing the structure that carries 110,000 vehicles a day through downtown Seattle has become.

Today, the state's feasibility report for Seattle's preferred tunnel plan is supposed to be released. However, on Monday city officials assumed the worst and pre-emptively accused the state of purposely slanting the report against the tunnel.

Mayor Greg Nickels is lobbying hard for the more expensive four-lane tunnel option over the elevated replacement. Nickels recently abandoned his plan for an even more expensive six-lane tunnel, which has led some to dub the four-lane option "tunnel lite."

The results of the state's study "cannot be credible" because the city wasn't allowed to take part in the analysis and the cost estimates weren't reviewed by an expert review panel, said Nickels' spokeswoman Marianne Bichsel.

On Friday, the independent panel gave up trying to analyze the project, saying it didn't have enough time.

Bichsel and a city major-projects engineer, Bob Powers, said state members of the viaduct project team found no major problems with the city's "hybrid" tunnel design before tunnel opponent and Speaker of the House Frank Chopp became upset that the state department was working on it.

"It is the politicians that have interceded," Bichsel said.

In an exhaustive chronology released by Nickels' office, the city offered its perspective of the events leading up to today's report.

It suggests state Department of Transportation officials were pressured to slant their analysis against the tunnel plan despite the fact that they had earlier agreed with the city's assertion that it had no "fatal flaws" and could be built for $3.4 billion. The estimated cost for a new elevated viaduct is $2.8 billion.

The chronology ends with an entry for Saturday implying that Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald doctored the report.

"Saturday Feb. 10, 2007 -- Reports circulate that MacDonald spends entire weekend at the project team's office heavily editing and revising engineers' report," the release stated.

Gregoire and MacDonald dismissed that idea.

"My heart goes out to the Seattle Department of Transportation," Gregoire said. "They are under immense pressure to be advocates and they are good advocates. I've told the (state) Department of Transportation, as has legislative leadership, 'There's no pressure on you. We want the truth.'"

MacDonald said the notion that he "was over there somehow twisting the analysis to make it meet some outcome is really pretty funny."

He said he was simply writing the letter and reviewing the report that he was to sign as head of the department.

"All I know is we've done the best and most cautious engineering analysis we can, and it will stand or fall on the appeal it has to people's common sense," MacDonald said. "It's interesting the city is working so hard today talking about an analysis they have not seen."

He said the responses to the questions were drafted last weekend, out of the presence of both Gregoire and legislators, and as of Monday evening Gregoire had not seen it.

The department's responses to the questions will be released today, though MacDonald declined to describe its conclusions.

In a briefing Monday, representatives of the mayor's office and the Seattle Department of Transportation said they'd been told that a big issue with the four-lane tunnel design was its ability to handle an estimated 113,000 vehicles per day by 2030.

Another, they said, was the proposal to use shoulders to handle commute-hour traffic, while the other two lanes in each direction would handle the traffic the rest of the day.

WSDOT would not comment on the city's speculation, but said questions about the proposal from Gregoire and leaders of legislative transportation committees would be answered Tuesday.

The questions include federal approval for using outside shoulders for traffic and two-foot shoulders inside the travel lanes. Other questions ask how using the shoulders would affect emergency responses, how much traffic might be diverted from a new tunnel to Interstate 5 and how it would affect freight movement,

Gregoire Monday reiterated that she would prefer a tunnel if money were no object.

"I'd also prefer a Mercedes but I can't afford that either," she said.

Meanwhile, Republicans are ready to shift the $2.8 billion in state money away from the viaduct and into the state Route 520 or the Interstate 405 projects.

"We need to keep our transportation projects moving forward, or they become more costly and the public continues to lose faith in us and the system," said Rep. Fred Jarrett, R-Mercer Island.
P-I reporter Larry Lange contributed to this report. P-I reporter Chris McGann can be reached at 360-943-3990 or chrismcgann@seattlepi.com.