Alaskan Way Viaduct: Recurring dream - Seattle Post Intelligencer

December 31st, 2008

Alaskan Way Viaduct: Recurring dream
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Dec 31, 2008
Gregoire seems to be interested in the advancing technology for boring, which has been used by Sound Transit. Tunnel backers at the well-versed Cascadia ...

One Down, Four to Go

December 31st, 2008

Yesterday, we made Seattle's decision not to salt the roads Washington's #1 Worst Environmental Moment of 2008. Today, the City announced it was changing the policy:

...the city kept using only de-icer and sand, saying salt could be harmful to Puget Sound. That policy was adopted by the city in 1998 "with the best of intentions," the mayor said, but the last weeks' weather proved the city should amend its plan.

So, a decade-old policy was thrown out in a week. This means either a) the original decision was made without science (but with good intentions) or ...

Washington's Five Worst Environmental Moments of 2008

December 30th, 2008

It was a mixed year for environmental policy and we saw the good and the bad. If there is one theme, however, it is that 2008 was the year of eco-fads. Science and thoughtful policy were set aside frequently in the name of showing "leadership" on environmental issues. As we've noted before, "leadership" is the justification politicians cite when there is no other compelling reason to support a particular policy. What all of these share is not only that they are expensive or science-free, but that they will actually do harm to the environment by distracting from approaches that truly ...

The trains are coming: Where will riders park?

December 30th, 2008
Sound Transit’s Link light rail trains will begin carrying passengers between downtown Seattle and Tukwila through the Rainier Valley in July 2009, and SDOT wants your input on proposed neighborhood parking plans.Recent on-street parking studies around each station area collected data about how many cars are parked on station area streets and now new parking regulations are being proposed within a quarter mile around each station.The proposals for the Beacon Hill, Mount Baker, Columbia City, Oth

Port Vendor Gets More Work Despite State Warning

December 23rd, 2008

After 22 months at the helm, CEO Tay Yoshitani likes to say it's a new day at the Port of Seattle. A 2007 state audit found the port had wasted $97 million over the past decade, and was vulnerable to contract fraud and abuse. An internal follow-up investigation this month also fo...

Connelly: It's time to get angry about city's snow response - Seattle Post Intelligencer

December 23rd, 2008

Connelly: It's time to get angry about city's snow response
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 15 hours ago
... and county officials who regularly ask voters millions for express bus service and billions to extend the not-yet-operating Sound Transit light rail. ...

Connelly: It's time to get angry about city's snow response - Seattle Post Intelligencer

December 23rd, 2008

Connelly: It's time to get angry about city's snow response
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 52 minutes ago
... and county officials who regularly ask voters millions for express bus service and billions to extend the not-yet-operating Sound Transit light rail. ...

Light rail needs Eastgate link - PNW Local News

December 20th, 2008

Light rail needs Eastgate link
PNW Local News, WA - Dec 20, 2008
If Sound Transit confirms the bridge can support this higher capacity system, Eastside residents should demand a train link to the Eastgate P&R. ...

Portland Commuter Rail 25% Over Budget

December 18th, 2008
Portland’s Westside commuter rail is $33 million over its planned budget of $133. Although just $8 million of that is due to the cost of the commuter rail cars, a recent article in The Oregonian blames the manufacturer of those cars for having “cost TriMet millions.” The Westside commuter rail line goes from nowhere to nowhere. [...]

Viaduct planning is upside down

December 16th, 2008

Comparing the performance data of the original eight scenarios reveals some very interesting data.

Viaduct planners expect about a 50% increase in transit trips in Seattle over the next seven years. But according to the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) annual ridership reports, transit trips for all of King County have only risen by 13% over the last seven years.

How do they expect such a disproportionate increase in transit ridership?

As I suggested in an earlier post, Viaduct planners are underestimating road demand by assuming a large number of people will either stop driving into Seattle ...

Next Page »