As reported here, [t]he most powerful lawmaker in Olympia, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, has again put his might behind an effort to sink any plans to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a waterfront tunnel.
"The tunnel is a luxury the taxpayers of Washington cannot afford," Chopp and 29 members of the House Democratic Caucus said in a recent letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire.
So, Frank, I suppose that we can afford the measly few who will be killed when this disaster-waiting-to-happen finally does collapse, either from another earthquake or from the supports just giving way due to the rain we get here washing them away? I also suppose that we who actually live in the area around the viaduct can afford the extra added traffic to the surface streets on a permanent basis that is equivalent to the amount of fans a Mariners and Seahawks game being played every day, would bring in? Let's not forget that the current Viaduct carries approximately 110,000 vehicles per day, ok?
So, Frank, what do you propose? That we simply stick our heads in the sand and hope this problem goes away on its' own? Well, I have news for you, Frank. This problem will go away on its' own, if we don't do something about it now, when the next earthquake happens, and I have some advice for you Frank. You better not be on it when that happens, or you'll end up in the "measly few" category.
1 comment:
Only if you want to go through all of this 25 or so years down the road, because that's about how long a retrofit will last, according to everything I've read so far.
Do you really want to go through another 6 to 10 year period of "studies", indecision, and political posturing 25 years from now? I certainly don't!
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