It has not been that long ago that we watched the result of the Loma Prieta earthquake and the Nimitz structure collapse, which were so newsworthy.

Los Angeles dealt with the Northridge earthquake and the collapse of much of its freeway infrastructure for months, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue. What about the last time an earthquake closed the viaduct involuntarily?

After being personally affected all of these natural catastrophes, I cannot believe that we're considering a multi-million dollar "retrofit." Do we need to have a Ford Pinto public relations fiasco to finally determine that the decision shouldn't be based on a cost-benefit analysis versus human lives?

The geological studies continue to point to the fact the current Viaduct pillars are not supported in bedrock, and are subject to significant collapse. The seawall is coming apart is in need of a complete rebuild. Why is it that Seattle is so good at transportation repair gridlock?

Will it take unplanned two hour plus commutes on a daily basis once the viaduct comes down (not to mention lost human lives) before we do something that makes long-term sense? Are we capable of finally doing something forward thinking enough so the next generations don't have to fix another one of our slipshod "let someone else deal with the problem" solutions?

Jay Williams

Belvedere