White Center Now: The blog about White Center » alaskan way viaduct http://whitecenternow.com White Center news, photos, video, events, discussion Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:45:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Seattle Mayoral Candidate Mike McGinn A One Song Bird: Gut the Viaduct Plan – Editorial by Ricardo A. Guarnero http://whitecenternow.com/2009/09/16/seattle-mayoral-candidate-mike-mcginn-a-one-song-bird-gut-the-viaduct-plan-editorial-by-ricardo-a-guarnero/ http://whitecenternow.com/2009/09/16/seattle-mayoral-candidate-mike-mcginn-a-one-song-bird-gut-the-viaduct-plan-editorial-by-ricardo-a-guarnero/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:10:59 +0000 Ricardo http://whitecenternow.com/?p=3338 It appears that Seattle Mayoral Candidate, Mike McGinn has staked his campaign on one issue, gutting the viaduct tunnel plan carefully negotiated by all the relevant players.  If he wins, he has stated, he will view his victory as a mandate to undo the viaduct replacement plan.  In its stead, McGinn has promised more busses, sidewalks and bike paths.  As someone who regularly commutes on the viaduct it’s hard for me to see how more sidewalks and bikepaths is going to make my commute any easier.  Oh, yeah, and McGinn says he wants to use light rail to replace the viaduct.  Geez, I didn’t know that Sound Transit was planning a light rail leg for West Seattle and White Center.  Wait, there is no light rail leg for West Seattle.  So if McGinn is elected we can expect protracted delays on replacing the viaduct, procuring boatloads of money and the decade’s long process of what:  extending the light rail line to West Seattle.  No problema.  I’ll take the tunnel.  It’s clear that McGinn does not live in West Seattle nor does he use the viaduct to commute.

What is particularly disingenuous, is McGinn’s claim that the tunnel option was voted down by Seattle voters.  This is simply not true.  A tunnel option which would have meant tearing down the viaduct and digging up a tunnel was rejected.  The deep bore tunnel that is currently planned would leave the viaduct in place while the tunnel gets built, saving West Seattleites years of aggravating surface detours.  This option was negotiated because it provides the most mobility and least interference while it is getting built.  What McGinn is proposing would set us back a decade and have us revisit the viaduct replacement options once again.  Recall how all this useless process killed the monorail (we had to vote on it three times).  And in the meantime, we have to hope that a seismic event doesn’t make the whole thing hollow by bringing down the decrepit structure.  Busses, bikes and sidewalks, Oh My!

McGinn’s ill-defined plans for the viaduct are enough to nix the guy in my book.  Add to that, the fact that he has never held electoral office, that most of his policy positions lack any specificity and you have a feel-good kind of guy that you might pick for your soccer team, but not a mayor for a major city.  Seattle needs better.  I’m not crazy about Joe Mallahan, but he at least seems considerably more grounded on policies.  We have already had a couple of amateurs embarrass the City.  It’s time to let the grown ups proceed with real policies grounded in reality.

]]> http://whitecenternow.com/2009/09/16/seattle-mayoral-candidate-mike-mcginn-a-one-song-bird-gut-the-viaduct-plan-editorial-by-ricardo-a-guarnero/feed/ 11 3 Saturday notes: Viaduct, Westwood Village, and … Christmas http://whitecenternow.com/2009/06/27/3-saturday-notes-viaduct-westwood-village-and-christmas/ http://whitecenternow.com/2009/06/27/3-saturday-notes-viaduct-westwood-village-and-christmas/#comments Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:19:12 +0000 Tracy http://whitecenternow.com/?p=2920 VIADUCT: This is a good day to not leave home, period. The biggest reason: The Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed most of the day for the Rock N Roll Seattle Marathon. 4 am to 4 pm — the hours may wind up varying somewhat, but that’s the original warning, both directions.

WESTWOOD VILLAGE: One way to avoid leaving the area is to enjoy activities like today’s Westwood Village Street Fair, just north of White Center. We’ll be there representing West Seattle Blog and White Center Now with “live” reporting including photos and video. Free food, music, entertainment, giveaways and more are set to happen at the shopping center 11 am-7 pm; find a schedule here.

CHRISTMAS … IN JUNE: We missed this when it happened a few days ago but are glad to happen onto word of it now: The YES Foundation of White Center visited two schools on the last day of classes to send kids home with gifts to help them enjoy summer, and even raffled off 8 bikes. More info here; photos here.

]]> http://whitecenternow.com/2009/06/27/3-saturday-notes-viaduct-westwood-village-and-christmas/feed/ 0 “Expanded” park and ride in White Center and Burien, under one of two newly released Viaduct scenarios http://whitecenternow.com/2008/12/11/expanded-park-and-ride-in-white-center-and-burien-under-one-of-two-newly-released-viaduct-scenarios/ http://whitecenternow.com/2008/12/11/expanded-park-and-ride-in-white-center-and-burien-under-one-of-two-newly-released-viaduct-scenarios/#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:13:31 +0000 Tracy http://whitecenternow.com/?p=1436 At West Seattle Blog, we have running coverage (see it here) from the briefing at which the two “finalist” scenarios for the Alaskan Way Viaduct central waterfront section have just been unveiled to state, county, and city leaders. At least one of the scenarios also includes: “Park and rides would be expanded in Burien, White Center, and Shoreline.” Much more information to come. ADDED 4:21 PM: The “expanded park and ride” for White Center is mentioned in BOTH scenarios that now are under active consideration – “surface/transit” and “elevated bypass.”

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