COMMENTARY: Price tag for two-way Mercer too much

Submitted by Guest on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 15:59
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Oppose Mercer but Support Tunnel?

Submitted by Stacy (not verified) on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 11:26.

A few weeks ago the author of this piece, John Fox, endorsed Joe Mallahan for Mayor. Joe Mallahan supports the tunnel, a project over FOURTEEN times more expensive than the Mercer project, with Seattle taxpayers responsible for nearly $1 billion in new taxes and fees to pay for the project and on the hook for all cost overruns. At the same time, the tunnel plan only works if the Mercer project gets done (a simple fact that Joe Mallahan has yet to learn, but then again he really doesn't appear to know anything about the issues facing our city so we shouldn't be surprised). And if you think the financing for the Mercer project is a mess, that the cost estimates may be a bit off, and that it doesn't really help with our transportation situation; then you should look at the tunnel plan because you'll see a project with a house of cards financing plan, widely ranging cost estimates (at less than 2% engineering design) that reduces capacity, provides no exits to downtown and soaks up all the money that could go to transit service.

So John (and Joe Mallahan); how can you be against the Mercer project for the reasons you list, while endorsing a Mayoral candidate who supports the tunnel?

Distortion

Submitted by Kurisu (not verified) on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 20:05.

To add to Stacy's comments, John Fox fails misrepresents the fact that the costs of phase 2 were not available until now, and the new figure includes both phases.

Yes, the whole tunnel project will probably cost 20 times as much as Mercer. Mercer carries 40,000 vehicles per day. The tunnel will carry 80,000.

More tunnel fun

Submitted by Stacy (not verified) on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 11:01.

Thanks Kurisu. Actually, WSDOT's analysis shows that to raise the $400 million from tolls included in the $4.2 billion tunnel financing "plan" (more like a house of cards), the tolls would need to be approximately $6 per trip (wow) and would result in only 40,000 vehicles using the tunnel per day. Yep, almost $1 billion in new city taxes and a $6 per trip toll, for an underground tailpipe that does not increase our mobility options, great stuff.