Just about everyone at the City Council hearing last week on the proposal to rework the so-called "Mercer Mess" seemed to oppose the idea, except the city transportation director and a council member.

Loud opposition came from State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, a member of the House Transportation Committee who said she would work to see that "not a cent" is in the state budget for the project as it is now.

The current Two-Way Mercer Project would widen Mercer Street between I-5 and Dexter Avenue North to include three travel lanes in both directions. Those lanes would be divided by a median of trees and with left turn lanes at many intersections. Both sides of the street will also feature a lane for parking, a path for bicycles and expanded sidewalks.

The project is designed to improve transport through South Lake Union for all forms of transportation, including cars, trucks, pedestrians, transit and bicycles. The Seattle Department of Transportation claims it will provide a more direct route from I-5 to the Seattle Center, Queen Anne, Fremont, Ballard and Magnolia.

However, representatives of several neighborhood groups, including Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne, and businesses spoke of the possible inconvenience the project may bring. Instead a number were in support of Councilmember Nick Licata's alternate option in using the approved $43 million bond to fund sidewalk, pedestrian, bicycle and freight mobility improvements.

"We need to get around in the city and by working city wide with all transportation plans we (in Ballard) faithfully voted for every transportation option to help with traveling around the city," said a Ballard resident. "We in Ballard talked about this (Mercer Corridor Project) and came to the conclusion that we are not supportive of the plan for the solution of the Mercer mess. A lot of improvements still need to be made here. We don't see a lot of transportation concurrency being offered."

Licata's alternate plan deems to split the city's bond as $20 million going towards sidewalks, $10 million towards pedestrian improvements, $10 million towards bicycle improvements and $3 million towards freight mobility.

"Our city is in need of infrastructure repair and after 40 years Mercer still works," said a representative of Aurora Avenue Merchants. "Mercer still works, many people drive it and I still don't see it going any faster. The reaction to this proposal for Mercer Street is negative. What is the council thinking about wanting to spend our hard earned money on a project that's just vanity built? Why should old citizens be paying for all these new upgrades? Growth was supposed to pay for itself. Mercer should be paid for by those who want to invest along it."

The cost estimates for the two-way Mercer project has risen ever since its initial estimate of $119 million in mid-2007 to an estimate now of $200 million.

According to Licata's Urban Politics Newsletter, "the Mercer Corridor Project spends $200 million in South Lake Union with no reduction in congestion or improvement in overall traffic times over the current configuration. According to Seattle Department of Transportation it will take seven minutes to get from Fourth and Mercer to I-5 during evening rush hour in 2010 as is. With a two-way Mercer, Seattle Transportation's figures show that it would take 18 minutes in 2010."

"That's a big problem in a lot of ways," said Rep. Dickerson. "Seattle has been on the verge of being out of attainment in air quality. We have to be very careful about projects that will increase in congestion. $12 million is asked from the state for transportation funds. I cannot recommend transportation funding for this project. I fear that instead of a Mercer mess we will have a mega Mercer mess."

But Council member Tim Burgess argued that the project is about reconnecting neighborhoods by reconnecting the street grid. Finding the reconnection would be important for neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill, South Lake Union, Denny Triangle, Belltown, Queen Anne and both sides of Lake Union. Burgess believed that opening up South Lake Union for the park and lake would be a wise environment decision for the next 10 years.

"The solution is not to stop and start over. It's to take the plan that exists and continue fine tuning it and getting to the point where it accomplishes the objective," said Burgess. "At the end of the day despite the distractions and distortion, the Mercer project does serve the common good and we are working with its problems. That's why the council has not fully approved this project."

According to Newell Aldrich, legislative assistant to Nick Licata, before approving the bond for construction, the city council is asking for a Plan B. They would like to know where other possible funding would come from (i.e. state, federal government) before the Council approves of the $43 million bond towards the Mercer project. The council will vote on the bond's approval early next year.

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 783-1244 or allisone@robinsonnews.com.