Holden’s 2010 list of things that might go wrong with the project began with this:
1. The tunnel-boring machine gets stuck
Spoiler alert: The machine got stuck.
2. Our plan to deal with a broken machine is inadequate
Spoiler alert: Our plan to deal with the machine is a slow-motion fiasco.
3. The ground caves in
Spoiler alert: … Oh, you get it.
Sometimes it takes a big mess to make something nice.
Watching this play out in real time is infuriating. Especially knowing how squeezed the rest of Seattle's budget is right now.
I like this idea the best. We're in the midst of doing exactly that, which is a big step forward but doesn't entirely solve the problem. This tunnel seems like an awful, and incredibly dangerous idea. Know where I'm never going to drive? That tunnel. I can't believe something like this passed in this decade, when people are finally getting the idea that mega-highways/transit projects suck.Don’t replace it with a highway at all. In its place, create a walkable waterfront with a modest four-lane street. To accommodate traffic overflow, add transit upgrades and street improvements in the surrounding area.
"Pass" has an entirely different meaning in Seattle.. It goes something like this: 2002 - "damn, that was a big earthquake." 2003 - "shit, the viaduct is going to fall down." 2004 - "let's vote: cut and cover, rebuild the viaduct or put in a park?" "put in a park." "yay!" 2005 - "we, your legislature, think you're wrong. Vote again." 2006 - "put in a park! yay!" 2007 - "we, your legislature, think you should dig a tunnel." 2008 - "we, the voters, think you should put in a park. Put in a park! Yay!" 2009 - "We, your legislature, have declared your vote illegal. Also, giant fucking tunnel." 2010 - "You can vote between a tunnel or a calamity. Budget TBD." "...fucking tunnel. Fine." 2011 - "Budget is a gazillion dollars. Thanks to your overwhelming approval, here's some tax levees." 2012 - Tim Eyman figures out some way to fuck it up further. 2013 - "since we've spent all the money on studies we need moar." 2014 - "oops. We done fucked up. Again." See also: tacoma narrows bridge, evergreen point floating bridge, Husky Stadium, I-90 tunnel, UW electrical engineering building, etc.I can't believe something like this passed in this decade, when people are finally getting the idea that mega-highways/transit projects suck.