Update on 520: Political Theater

Gov. Christine Gregoire

Well, this is interesting political theater. The governor knew that the city’s consultant would release a draft of new ideas on March 31, so she decided to hold a press conference on March 30 and sign the 520 bill.  People who were there tell me that the tone of the event was that the decisions are made and we’re going ahead now! A number of construction workers were celebrating the jobs to come.  A number of elected officials were at the signing to express support, including Councilmembers Conlin, Rasmussen, and Bagshaw.  And Microsoft took out another Let’s-Go-Ahead ad yesterday.

The governor’s press release says “Replacing the 520 bridge is about protecting public safety and maintaining a vibrant economy. The laws signed today will get us going to make sure we open the new bridge on time in 2014.”

However, what the law really says is that tolling revenues can be used for any part of the 520 expansion, not just for the floating bridge as was approved last year.  There are no new revenues. The one new decision, to start building the east side, is not mentioned in the law.  The state has increased its estimate of the amount it can get from “Tolling and future federal funding” from $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion.

So by assuming an extra $400 million, the state can say that it can build both the east side and the floating bridge. I wish I could pay my income tax with assumptions like that!

Action items:

Our officials need to know we’re watching.  We see when they take money from the floating bridge and use it on the east side, which has no safety problems.  We never again want to hear anyone say this project is about safety!

We see when they change assumptions, rather than finding real new funding, to do what they want to do.

We see when they say they are open to new ideas, but stage events designed to intimidate people into believing that the current proposals are inevitable. We see when they are at press conferences supporting proposals that they tell us they want to change.

So let’s let them know all this:
Governor: christine.gregoire@gov.wa.gov
PO Box 40002,  Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Seattle City Council PO Box 34025 Seattle, WA  98124-4025
Richard.Conlin@Seattle.Gov 206 684-8805
sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov 206 684-8801
tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov 206 684-8808

Mr. Brad Smith
General Counsel and SVPLegal and Corporate Affairs ,
Microsoft Corporation   1 Microsoft Way   Redmond, WA 98052
bradsmi@microsoft.com

Early press
Governor’s press release
Seattle P-I: Gregoire nixes height limit for 520 replacement

Slog post: Gregoire Vetoes 20-Foot Height Limit on 520 Bridge and Planning for Carpool Lanes With Light Rail
Excerpt:

Seattle has secured virtually nothing it wanted, but Conlin seems pretty much fine with that. In case you’re keeping score, the state has refused to include transit-only lanes or light-rail lanes; the state won’t even figure out how it would be possible to include light-rail and carpools on the same bridge; the state has made no assurances that the bridge will make a good transit connection to the future light-rail station at Husky Stadium; the state has been pushing a westside design that Conlin assailed back in November but has now been all but cemented into law; and now the state has also eliminated a provision to shrink a three-story wall across Lake Washington. And Conlin—our seasoned veteran at City Hall defending Seattle interests—seems to believe that “we’re in pretty good shape” for getting all the things Seattle needs. Now that is optimism.

There’s also a rather good piece on NPR affiliate KUOW today, by Derek Wang, The Fight Over the 520 Project.

Coming up…
Final responses to the SDEIS are due April 15.  We are working very hard on them; thanks to all you who have contributed.
March 31 we expect to get a first look at the draft report of Nelson\Nygaard, the consultant to the mayor and city council.

Fran Conley