Seattlest: Viaduct The Last Of The Big Ugly Things

Gwen

Thu, 25 May 2006 15:58:18 -0800

FWIW you can read about the current SDOT Alaskan Way Viaduct Emergency Traffic Management and Closure Plan here: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/viaductemergencyclosure.htm It came out last July. It does state: The plan does not restore capacity of the Viaduct. A full or partial closure means moving high volumes of vehicles to alternate routes, many of which are not designed for significant additional capacity to absorb that traffic.

David Suher

Thu, 25 May 2006 15:15:57 -0800

Jason, What evidence do you have that they are "quite aware" of the issue? WSDOT did NOT have any sort of Viaduct emergency closure plan until this year -- 2006. I happen to know because I asked in 2005 because the connection to the PWC plan was obvious and all I got back were lame emails which said "we are working on it." Check my blog's Google seach function if you don't believe me. I thought WSDOT's lack of preparedness was scandalous and scary.

jason

Thu, 25 May 2006 14:44:49 -0800

actually, i think they're quite aware of the implications. that's what the DOT contingency plans are for. we all realize that a temporary closure (even if temporary means a few years) will be necessary. extrapolating the temporary contingency plans out to a permanent (tear it all down & replace with nothing) loss, and thinking that it's a good idea, is a complete failure of logic. promoting healthier behavior is a great thing. permanently crippling our city's transportation by removing a major artery to prove a point is beyond dumb. if the politicians appear to not be listening to crackpot ideas, they deserve more credit.

David Sucher

Thu, 25 May 2006 13:38:39 -0800

Just for the record, I am not really campaigning for a temporary closure so much as suggesting that contemplating such a closure might be a good idea for those who favor the massive disruption of the Tunnel or the Rebuild, both of which will require a period of many years without the current Viaduct. I don't believe that downtown politicians or interests (much less the rest of us) have really started to imagine the disruption which a permament closre will entail.