The Alaskan Way Viaduct Solution: Seattle is the definition of stupid (houses, unemployment)

[seattletransplant2]

Spend 4 billion on a tunnel, when there is traffic at all hours of the day on every major roadway in the city.

How about spending that money on ACTUALLY FIXING SOMETHING. Like widening 405.

Oh that's right I should take the bus.. Why is it, I feel like I'm living in communist china? Why should I be forced to take mass transit.. What if I don't want to sit near a bunch of smelly possibly sick people in extremely close quarters?

I am a democrat, but this area takes it WAY too far. This is beyond rediculous.

So I ask, why do you let the government get away with this bs?

[azoria]

I like the tunnel plan. Demolish that eyesore of a freeway that divides Seattle from the waterfront. I'm in favor.

I have no idea what the connection is between constructing the tunnel and you riding the bus?

Communist China is way ahead of us. They have subways.

[ComeBack_Kid]

Originally Posted by seattletransplant2

Spend 4 billion on a tunnel, when there is traffic at all hours of the day on every major roadway in the city.

How about spending that money on ACTUALLY FIXING SOMETHING. Like widening 405.

Oh that's right I should take the bus.. Why is it, I feel like I'm living in communist china? Why should I be forced to take mass transit.. What if I don't want to sit near a bunch of smelly possibly sick people in extremely close quarters?

I am a democrat, but this area takes it WAY too far. This is beyond rediculous.

So I ask, why do you let the government get away with this bs?

Haha, whats with this attitude of entitlement? And if you don't want to be around "smelly possibly sick people" as you just described Seattle's people as, why the hell did you move to a large city?!
Why don't you just be grateful that all taxes you and everyone else pay allow for these kinds of projects to be considered at all? With billions of traffic projects including construction, widening, paving, repaving, bridge-building, painting, etc etc etc going on in the US every year, a few mistakes are bound to happen. If you don't like it, write to your congressman or city planner; what are YOU actually doing to change things? Anything?! Kindly let us know...

[packet]

Sorry, every large city in the world has traffic problems. If you want to drive in the city, you have to put up with the traffic. Every first world city also has mass transit, and generally speaking, many people of every walk of life uses that mass transit. There simply isn't enough space to build densely without mass transit. If you don't ever want to use mass transit, you might want to consider moving to a small suburb.

[toughguy]

Actually the tunnel is a big concession to the road warriors, as there is no mass transit component other than the probable streetcar on the redeveloped surface street. I am not 100% satisfied with the proposal but I think its a good compromise and will finally allow us to develop a waterfront befitting of our city's stature.

[seattlenextyear]

Why take the bus when you could ride your bike?

[broux00]

This tunnel sounds like the Big Dig in Boston.

[mitsuturbo]

Why go anywhere when you can just stay home? Why live when you can just die? (where does it end? and what if he doesn't have a bike, like me?)

My concern with the tunnel is the 30,000 daily vehicle capacity shortfall. Currently the viaduct is stated as having capacity of 110,000 vehicles per day. The tunnel capacity is supposed to be 80,000 vehicles per day. How the f#^& is this tunnel supposed to be the solution for the next "hundred years" as our governor stated?!

[mirandac]

If you think the area is "stupid" and should be spending money to add more lanes to 405, when and where do you propose that we stop?

So you apparently think it would be better to just have the state buy up everyone's land and pave over the whole place.

So here's how that would go: First they assess the land, condemn the land and offer to pay people for it's assessed value. (The taxpayers get to pay for that). Then there are lawsuits by people who don't want to move (the taxpayers get to pay for that, too!) They eventually settle the lawsuits and pay people, force everyone to move and tear down the houses. Then there are engineering and construction costs (the taxpayer pays again) and then the extra lanes (or new freeway) is built 10 years later.

Then, unfortunately adding lanes is a little like "build it and they will come". The more lanes you add the more traffic you get and the more lanes you need to build. With the growing population of the area people and governments have to think ahead to how we'll all get where we want to go in 20 or 30 years.

Public transportation takes millions of cars off of the roads in the area every day making more space available on the roads for those vehicles and people that really need them - (truckers hauling freight, businesses that go to their customers and people traveling at times or to destinations that do not have convenient public transportation, etc.)

People need to get used to the idea that we can't indefinitely keep building more and bigger freeways to solve transportation problems. If you can't handle sitting next to another person on public transportation maybe you need to move to a less populated area.

[Ira500]

About 100,000 cars a day use the Alaskan Way viaduct. The viaduct was heavily damaged in the 2001 earthquake and another earthquake of the same magnitude would probably take the thing down, and possibly cause countless deaths. Supposedly it is beyond repair and needs to be torn down.
So if 100,000 cars a day use the viaduct, and it needs to be replaced, how is adding lanes to 520 going to help anything?
There are plans to widen 520 and build a new floating bridge.
Nobody is forcing anyone to take the bus. But what if your car broke down and you temporarily don't have the use of it? Isn't it nice to have an option? And doesn't it a few cars off the road if people choose to use the bus?
I'm not saying I support the latest tunnel proposal. My immediate inkling is that it is designed to raise property values and caters to big developers rather than have the intention of really solving anything.
Unemployment is rising,and the voters rejected a less expensive tunnel proposal.
So, I get your intent, I guess, Seattletransplant2. The tunnel seems arrogant and after years of wrangling, this is the best they could come up with? The boutique solution?