|
Cartoons of
Dan McConnell
featuring
Tiny the Worm
Cartoons of
David Logan
The People's Comic
Cartoons of
John Jonik
Inking Truth to Power
|
Support the WA Free Press. Community journalism needs your readership and support. Please subscribe and/or donate.
Ferries, Not Bridges and Tunnels
A simple and innovative alternative to the massive rework planned for Highways 99 and 520
by Martin Nix
Let's call the Seattle Waterfront Tunnel Project exactly what it is: a big fat $4 billion welfare program for Seattle downtown merchants. There is a reason why they want the Viaduct torn down, it would create a $25 billion real estate bonanza for waterfront property owners. This is bluntly a tax placed on the working people in Seattle's neighborhoods to subsidize downtown property owners.
The same can be said for the 520 Replacement bridge. It is another $4 billion bonanza. Yet state government claims it doesn't have enough money to operate it.
Some $8 billion for both of these projects is a lot of money, and when people spend money on tolls, they don't spend it on schools or hospitals. All that so out-of-Seattle downtown property owners can have cars to drive.
Transportation dollars are in short supply. Potholes need to be patched, streetlights and stoplights maintained, and old bridges repaired. There needs to be $1.8 billion appropriated to replace salmon killing culverts. Priorities are priorities, and frankly the 520 replacement and Seattle Waterfront Tunnel are not priorities.
I've got a better idea that is cheaper and quicker to put in: new ferry systems.
Instead of a new 520 bridge, design a ferry boat system for Lake Washington. Between the two existing approaches, put in a ferryboat just for carpools,vanpool busses, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Three large ferryboats would shuttle from Seattle to Medina. Single Occupancy Vehicles could use these too, if they pay $100 per crossing.
This is much cheaper than a new bridge, and it uses existing structure, and encourages HOV usage. The ferries don't have to be the slow types we're accustomed to. They could be high-speed aircushion ships.
A related idea is to design a passenger-only ferryboat system that goes around Lake Washington. The route would go from South Lake Union to University of Washington then around the lake, stopping at various locations like Mercer Island, Renton, Magnuson Park, Kenmore, Kirkland, and so on. Shuttle Metro buses would be timed to transfer passengers to the ferry. With about 20 or so 500-passenger boats, it would create an instant transit system.
Granted, operation cost is expensive, but the good news is that it could be done within one year, versus several years to build a tunnel or bridge. It would handle just as many people as the 520 Bridge. The advantage is the capital cost is much cheaper than a tunnel or new floating bridge.
Another ferry system could serve the urban side of Puget Sound.
From Everett to Tacoma, a passenger-only ferry route could be put in much sooner and cheaper than the Waterfront Tunnel.
A hundred 500-passenger ferryboats, (combined with a car/vanpool ferry system on Lake Washington's 520 route), would give you nearly 50,000 seats, or an overall capacity during rush hour of nearly 100,000 passengers. Express ferry routes could be added during rushhour.
The fact is a we can put in a ferry passenger transit system cheaper and faster than a new 520 bridge, Waterfront Tunnel, or additional HOT (toll) lanes.
This is a different form of Sound Transit, and best yet will employ more people than tunnel or bridge construction.
What is the hangup? Squarely, we are talking about (rich) people getting out of their cars. We as a society just can't keep subsidizing gasoline addicts with their pavement habit. The governor, state legislature and Seattle City Council need to get the message. Priorities are priorities. Cancel the Waterfront Tunnel and 520 Bridge.
◆