7:05: PubliCola investor Rajeev Singh is introducing the tunnel debate (and future debates on other topics—with booze!).
7:10: Sen. Ed Murray says the state Senate “stands ready to remove” cost overrun language, prompting a smattering of applause. He also promises to put a financial review oversight body in place this year to ensure that the tunnel project stays on budget. “Unless that language goes, that assurance isn’t there.”
7:14: Mayor Mike McGinn notes that “the winning bidder has a history of cost overruns on other projects. … Of course we’re at risk.”
7:16 pm: Council member Rasmussen says, “Now he’s doing everything he can to try to slow down, hold up the project.”
McGinn responds: “We don’t know how much it’s actually going to cost. … Seattle cannot live with paying the cost overruns on this tunnel. I’ve kept my word to ask the tough questions about this tunnel, and I ask of council member Rasmussen, when will you start defending Seattle the way you defend Olympia?”
“If we say we don’t want to pay, and the state says they don’t want to pay, it leaves out the question, who will pay?”
Council member Tom Rasmussen points to the memoranda of agreement that the council still has not signed and the fact that the state has adopted a “very strict contingency fund” as evidence that there won’t be overruns.
7:25: State Sen. Ed Murray says that the $2.4 billion is more than the state has ever invested in any transportation project.
He continues: “It doesn’t help when the Democratic mayor of a democratic city in the press bashes a Democratic governor and a Democratic legislature. Mr. mayor, you keep making derogatory comments about the legislature.”
7:28: King County Labor Council executive secretary David Freiboth: Both the surface/transit and rebuilt viaduct options “weren’t viable,” according to the stakeholder process.
7:31: Freiboth again: “If the city needs more amenities, if the city needs more things done to make this happen,” that should’ve been the city’s responsibility, but overruns on the tunnel the state proposed shouldn’t be the city’s responsibility.
7:35: People’s Waterfront Coalition founder Cary Moon says the stakeholders supported the surface/transit option. Freiboth disagrees, saying the document said the document everyone signed said they would support the tunnel if there was enough money.
7:37: On the question of how people will park while the tunnel project is underway, council member Rasmussen points to EPark program, fact that the state has agreed to work with the city to resolve parking concerns.
7:39: Council member Mike O’Brien: “This plan to build this tunnel is broken. It doesn’t work. We’re going to spend $2 billion on a tunnel that carries about a third of the cars the viaduct carries today.”
7:42: Murray: “I don’t see a proposal that’s brought [everyone] together. Where’s the alternative after ten years and $90 million worth of process? … The only alternatives I’ve seen are pretty much nonstarters. The idea of pushing more traffic on I-5 through Seattle is the same Jim Horn traffic plan that we killed in 2003. … When I-5 fills up, our streets fill up. … A surface option without a tunnel doesn’t give you the leverage to work with transit. … Light rail’s a good idea, but where’s the plan? How do we pay for it?
7:46: McGinn says “It’s time to wake up and smell the recession” re: tunnel costs.
7:48: KCLC’s Dave Freiboth says the surface/transit option wasn’t seriously considered because it was “not well though out.”
7:49: In response to the question, “Where do all the cars go?”, Cary Moon says the answer is: transit, improvements to I-5 (including reducing exits from 8 to 7), improvements to north-south streets downtown, four-lane street on waterfront, and incentives like commute trip reduction and biking programs to help people “make other choices than driving.”
7:52: What question does the side never answer adequately? Tom Rasmussen says: It’s 10 years since the Nisqually Earthquake. What if we had to close the viaduct “because of your dithering in your efforts to stop the project” or if the viaduct collapses? What’s your plan?
7:55: McGinn’s response: What’s really irresponsible is keeping the viaduct open as long as we are and not building the I-5/transit option.
7:56: In response to question of how will you pay for surface/transit option, McGinn says, it will require consensus of the state legislature.
7:57: Audience question: What are you going to do with cars that use the viaduct and waterfront businesses if you close down the viaduct tomorrow morning?
7:58: McGinn’s response: Actually, you can shut the viaduct down faster and fix problem faster with surface option than deep bore tunnel.
7:59 Question for CMs: Will you listen to voters on the anti-tunnel initiatives?
O’Brien: I support the one [Sierra Club initiative] that was just filed. I have not read” the Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel initiative.
Rasmussen says he doesn’t support delaying signing of agreements with the state until the voters can decide on tunnel initiatives, and calls it “one of [McGinn's] ploys.”
8:08: Labor Council’s Dave Freiboth says his constituents want jobs, not talk about social services.
8:09: Question: Why hasn’t Sen. Murray worked harder to get transit funding in Olympia?
Murray’s response: I’ve fought for transit funding and defended against attacks on Sound Transit.
8:11: Mayor McGinn: “We’re not unified [on tunnel project] because it’s hard to unify behind a bad project.”
8:13: Final question: How do we make sure the things listed as concerns in environmental impact statement are addressed?
8:15: Cary Moon says there are huge problems raised in EIS: Unacceptable congestion for transit users; huge risks to Pioneer Square; potential for flooding in Underground; no money to fix problem. “Citizens of Seattle should demand that elected officials create a full funding plan” that deals with all potential problems.
8:17: Dave Freiboth: “If you’re just looking at replacing the structure, you build an elevated.”
8:20: Poll of audience reveals that no one had their mind changed by debate.
