SDOT presents West Seattle Bridge options to Seattle City Council
SDOT presents West Seattle Bridge options to Seattle City Council
Mon, 11/09/2020
The Seattle Department of Transportation provided an updated presentation to the Seattle City Council on Nov. 9. The meeting reviewed the history of the issues with the bridge, the ensuing stabilization efforts, community engagement and traffic mitigation. SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe and Project Manager Heather Marx were joined by Calvin Chow of Central staff led the presentation.
You can see the video of the meeting here. The bridge presentation portion begins at 4:27.
Transportation Committee chairperson Alex Pederson, spoke about the need for a more recent comprehensive update from SDOT.
District 1 Councilmember Lisa Herbold said, "The sooner we restore the bridge the better. That is the premium value for me." She acknowledged that the most recent meeting with the Community Task Force revealed a "wide spectrum of opinions."
The presentation slides are below:
Comments
Fixing the bridge is the…
Fixing the bridge is the best option
Where is light rail in all…
Where is light rail in all of these solutions? I am aware of the plans if we go tunnel, not sure about the other alternatives.
So... Basically a quarter of…
So... Basically a quarter of the cost so far are from community outreach, aka Reconnect West Seattle.... Which came up with a plan where 5% of the trips should just be people giving up and walking: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/br…
I loved slide six especially…
I loved slide six especially where we took the time to point out we have 2x more blog users this year /s. We could be so much further ahead if we just made a decision, what has changed since late March/Early April.
I rent in West Seattle and…
I rent in West Seattle and am an Emergency Room nurse. I still have to go to work and care for Seattle citizens. I don't get access to the lower bridge and am to be fined soon, if I do so. Then shove me into a vice of the 1st Ave S bridge that is soon to limit flow. Closed roads are like closed arteries, they squeeze and cause pain to those living with them.
Option 2 sounds like your best option, but do what you will. I'm out of West Seattle for good once my lease is up. Good luck making your decisions.
The HNTB rapid replacement…
The HNTB rapid replacement option is an interesting concept. However, it is a much wider bridge than the existing structure. So, all the existing approach spans have to be widened too, to match the traffic lanes. I don’t see that reflected in the proposed construction costs or schedule.
Personally, I would go with repair alternative (no. 2). And then put a plan in place to replace the bridge in twenty to forty years, or then a Light Rail crossing needs to be added.
Alternative 2 is the best solution. The economic impact of delay and isolation of West Seattle is greater than any of the solutions presented. One suggestion: repair and put the bridge back to uses ASAP, at the same time dig for a tunnel and have it readied in a few years. This would take care of any future bridge failures and is a solid viable solution independent of other impediments.
Alfred Alavi
6530 Delridge Way SW