Wider Viaduct Yuck

There was some chalk graffiti in support of...something near the ferry terminal yesterday. What they were for isn't exactly clear, but they're apparently opposed to a wider viaduct. "Yuck" in their words. It took us a second to get that we were supposed to be looking at a cutesy percentage sign after the "50" and not something else. Is the Viaduct going to be fifty percent wider or is John Bonham going to start rocking "When the Levee Breaks?"

In the paper signage attached to the Viaduct support there are some clues as to what is being advanced in opposition to the wider Viaduct. "Trees Yes." A fairly safe position, although slightly confusing in this context. Tear down the Viaduct and replace it with a row of trees? And we'll all abandon our cars in Belltown and Tarzan swing ourselves to SoDo? They're probably advancing the tunnel here. There could be trees planted on top of a tunnel and we've seen drawings to that effect. Or maybe surface streets with a wooded median? "Trees Yes" is obvious in its intent, though, when compared with the other, less prominently displayed sign, "Feet Yes." Trees and feet vs the Viaduct...we're obviously dealing with some serious hippies here.

Well, "trees and feet yes" would say hippie, but the handwriting screams "mayor's office." Have you ever seen such perfectly spaced block letters? This person must have been a hopscotch nazi.

This extensive public opinion campaign aside, there hasn't been a lot of public action on the Viaduct replacement front for the past few days. Everyone's either working on ensuring they're on the ballot come election time or putting together an actual proposal that can be voted on.

For some reason the papers still refuse to acknowledge that there are three possible replacements for the Viaduct. There's the tunnel. There's the wider viaduct. There's surface roads. That's three.