ALLIED ARTS :: WATERFRONT

The Governor Threatens our Waterfront! (continued)

Allied Arts encourages all Surface & Transit supporters to vote YES for the Surface-Tunnel Hybrid and NO to the New Viaduct. If the Hybrid Tunnel doesn’t get more votes than the New Viaduct, the Governor and Legislature will surely force a New Viaduct down Seattle’s throat. We must not let this happen.

Allied Arts is asking you to think about your future, your family and your city’s legacy. A new viaduct, 50% bigger than what we have now, would be a shame upon our generation.

By contrast, a green waterfront with new public spaces enabled by the Surface-Tunnel Hybrid can create a place of destination, inspiration and pride.

Surface-Tunnel Hybrid Funding
Much has been written and said about the cost of the old tunnel proposal, specifically that it was too expensive and that approval for it should be contingent upon having all of the money pledged or in hand. Though many of these cries have had dubious motivations, they convinced the City of Seattle to find a scaled-down and cheaper option—$1.2 billion less than the old tunnel option.

Compared to the new viaduct and its blights, the Surface-Tunnel Hybrid is both affordable and a great investment. Using the same engineering and budgeting models as those for the old tunnel and new viaduct options, the cost of the Hybrid Tunnel is pragmatically just 21% more than the new viaduct.

Still the question remains, where will the money come from? The Legislature and Governor have agreed in the past that the state should pay for replacement of the viaduct: $2.8 billion. The state has already allocated almost $2.2 billion from past gas taxes ($2 billion of which voters upheld by rejecting I-912 in 2005). The Governor has said that the state, working with the federal government, would find another $600 million to rebuild the viaduct.

That leaves about $600 million to be funded. Here’s a list of sources that the City could tap:

…this is more than double the money needed to complete the Surface-Tunnel Hybrid funding package.

Certainly our tax dollars, regardless of source, should always be spent wisely. The $.6 billion more for a great waterfront instead of a new viaduct is an investment that will pay dividends for decades, even centuries, to come.

Waterfront For All Campaign
The next six weeks will be a sprint campaign, culminating the end of six years of discussion, debate and hard work. Allied Arts is poised to do our part to set and lead the debate, educate the electorate, and get out the vote.

With your help we can win on March 13th and take a big step toward leaving a legacy waterfront for generations to come.

Please consider making a significant contribution to our work. Your donation of $100 or any amount that suits your passion and pocket book will move us toward creating a waterfront for all.

Thank you!
Laine Ross, President

PS—Time is critical—please do what you can to help today!

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