Back to the Drawing Board
10 options are on the table for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. You'll recall that there were once six, then it was down to two, then we voted "no" on both, and so now we're fully out the other side of the rabbit hole.
Though it's easy to dismiss this as more of the loathed "Seattle process," it's important to remember that some really critical decisions have actually been made. For example, in the time since the "no rebuild" option was first discarded, WSDOT officially re-defined its mission from moving cars to moving people. And we got a much better idea of the actual vehicular traffic on the highway (there are not, in fact, that many trucks that use it).
It isn't always obvious, but we are making progress.
Update: Erica Barnett says the Times is being too generous by giving all options equal weight.
- Frank's blog
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Grrrrrr. Most of those options are unacceptable. How about this (since they're looking for options): Tear it down and replace it with nothing. Take the money you saved by not creating a ridiculous water-front freeway and spend it on a light rail system.
"Lanes could be added to Second and Fourth avenues, by removing parking." If used for slow streetcars or bicycles, this would work great. But cars?! There's nothing like a 5-lane freeway right up to the edge of the sidewalk to make your city pedestian friendly.