KPLU Local News
(2010-04-06)
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Tim Payne of Nelson/Nygard with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, unveiling a report on the state's plan to replace the SR-520 bridge. They say the plan 'virtually precludes' light rail.
Photo by Publicola.net
A consultant's report paid for by the mayor's office confirms that moving ahead with the state's current plan would 'virtually preclude' light rail on 520 in the future. Tim Payne is with Nelson/Nygard. He says the bridge would need to be up to ten feet wider and have bigger pontoons to support light rail.
"The current plan that the department of transportation has for SR-520 clearly present obstacles - both technical and financial obstacles to adding light rail to 520 at a future date."
That word comes in the 11th hour. A work-group in Olympia has given its approval to a plan known as A+ for a 6-lane floating bridge - with two lanes reserved for buses and carpools only. The deadline for public comments on that proposal is less than two weeks from now, on April 15th. Mayor McGinn says he knows he's a bit late with his objections, but he says he's only been in office 6 months. And he says the bridge we're building will be in place 50-75 years.
"So when I look at this structure crossing the lake, are we going to say five years, ten years, twenty years from now, boy, shouldn't we have designed this so that we could have put in light rail? And what the report is showing is to us is the way we're designing it now will make it very, very difficult. "
McGinn thinks studying new options would only delay the new bridge's construction by six months or a year. Seattle's City Council disagrees - as does state transportation secretary Paula Hammond. She says the new environmental impact statement required would put the project back by at least two years. And she says Sound Transit has already decided to put light rail on I-90 first, with no immediate plans for the 520 corridor. She's worried about the old bridge's vulnerability to earthquakes and windstorms.
"And we feel that a delay by 2 years for trying to accommodate a high capacity transit plan that is 20 or so years in the future isn't reasonable."
But a broad coalition of Seattle neighborhoods along 520 agree with the mayor. They don't like many other aspects of the A+ plan - not just its lack of light rail. There's been talk of lawsuits to tie it up in court. 2 billion dollars are also still missing to pay for it. Mayor McGinn says given those realities, it makes sense to re-think the plan now.
For more information:
Seattle City Council Home Page, with details on the SR-520 public comment meeting Thursday, 4/8/2010, 5:30pm at City Hall
Mayor McGinn's Blog: Light rail on 520 can be a reality if planned for now
State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond (WSDOT)
Coalition for a Sustainable 520
SR 520 Preliminary Draft Report (PDF)
SR 520 Light Rail Alternatives Presentation
SR 520 Light Rail Alternatives Draft Report(PDF)
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