Spring 2006 Issue - Special Supplement
Alaskan Way Viaduct:
What Will We Do Without It?
Posted: October 15, 2008
PAY ATTENTION
Many a good mind has been numbed by the glacial pace and complexity of the planning process for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. But it’s time to pay attention.
In November, city residents will vote on their preferred alternatives for the future of the viaduct and while that election looms, a new round of planning is underway that is key for those who work and live in areas impacted by the viaduct and State Route 99.
Any solution to the viaduct will result in significant disrup-tions during construction to existing traffic patterns and over the next few months, transportation planners are seeking public input to create the best plan possible for managing viaduct-related traffic impacts.
At the same time, community organizations in SODO, Pioneer Square, the International District and Georgetown are developing neighborhood strategies for how they can best adapt to a viaduct closure, whether it occurs as part of a planned construction project or due to an act of nature. Five years have passed since the Nisqually Quake temporarily closed the viaduct and the seismic clock never stops ticking.
As all these things sort themselves out, one question starts to grow larger concerning the future of the viaduct: What will we do without it?
New services and programs are available to help you, your business or your neighborhood begin finding answers to that question. To learn more, turn the page.
Essentials
Three facts are essential to any personal business or community efforts to plan for the future of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and its concrete companion, State Route 99.
1) SR 99 and Interstate 5 are the only two roadways that traverse Seattle north-to-south.
Restrict or close SR 99 and at least some of the 100,000 commuters and 4,000 truck drivers who now use SR 99 every work day will switch to the freeway. But SR 99 also loses its capacity as an alternative route to I-5 when the freeway is jammed. That’s significant given how often I- 5 is already clogged. In 2005, I-5 in Seattle experienced traffic-clogging car wrecks at the rate of 6.4 per day.
2) Seattle is completely bisected east-to-west by the Lake Washington ship canal.
Travelers between north and south Seattle must cross one of three drawbridges if they are avoiding or are unable touse SR 99 or I-5. And the drawbridges are often up. The Ballard, Fremont and University District bridges open for water traffic, on average, 56 times each week day in July and 25 times each week day in November.
3) The south end of the viaduct begins to rise at a spot almost exactly one mile north of the “Seattle Fault.”
Seismologists believe the Seattle Fault is the worst earthquake hazard in the state. And that’s saying something because Washington ranks fifth among the 50 states for earthquake frequency and second only to California for projected loss of life and property due to expected earthquakes. That second claim to fame derives mostly from the existence of the Seattle Fault. It lies directly beneath the Spokane Street Viaduct and the West Seattle Bridge. A study in 2003 estimated that a modern quake similar to historic ones along the fault would now claim 1,600 lives, cause 24,000 injuries and result in economic losses of about $33 billion.
BOTTOM LINE
You shouldn’t plan for viaduct transportation challenges without accounting for the possibility of collateral earthquake damage. But the planning challenges don’t stop there. Throw into the mix that Ballard depends on SR 99 and the viaduct as major routes for commuters and truck access and that the Duwamish is also a major hub for international marine traffic, a regional center for railroad operations and the home base for companies that transport all the food, medicines and other consumer goods to Southeast Alaska. Now you know why they called it “Alaskan” Way as well as the extent of viaduct-related planning challenges.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE
A Growing Tool Kit
A number of public agencies and a private foundations are providing new services to help SODO, Georgetown, the International District, Pioneer Square and Ballard to begin preparing for a viaduct closure. These activities are being coordinated through the Duwamish Transportation Management Association (DTMA). For more information about the services below, call the DTMA office at 206-762-2470.
• Earthquake planning with American Red Cross
The Red Cross will help businesses prepare earthquake preparation plans. The service is free to businesses with fewer than 20 employees. The service is available to larger businesses for $250. The free service is available for up to 20 businesses in Pioneer Square, the International District, SODO and Georgetown. The free service is made for with a South Downtown Foundation grant. Learn more about Red Cross services at www.redcross.org.
• Financial incentives to reduce drive-alone commuting
Employees in the Duwamish and Ballard industrial areas can earn financial incentives of up to $225 for trying carpools, vanpools, public transit or some other form of commuting other than a single-occupant vehicle. Businesses can also earn incentives for starting new “commute trip reduction” programs for their employees. This project is part of an on-going effort to reduce single-occupant cars in the industrial viaduct-impact areas to preserve more street space for trucks and freight mobility. The incentives are funded by grants from the Washington State Department of Transportation “TRPPS” and Metro.
• Neighborhood Viaduct Plan
SODO, Georgetown, Pioneer Square and the International District are now engaged in a process to identify their best community strategies for responding to a viaduct closure due to reconstruction or an earthquake. Preliminary findings will be circulated for community feedback in January 2007. The planning effort is made possible by a grant from the South Downtown Foundation and volunteer help from the Cascade Region Earthquake Workshop, a non-profit association of seismologists, engineers and professional emergency planners. For more information about services available from “CREW,” visit their website at www.crew.org.
OUTCOMES
Lessons learned through these and other community activities will help to define continued efforts to help businesses and neighborhoods prepare for the full range of viaduct-impact scenarios.
The 1953 opening ceremony for the Alaskan Way Viaduct was immediately followed by a huge traffic jam as too many eager motorists tried to use the new elevated highway at the same time. Traffic jam history will repeat itself when the viaduct comes down, but the ensuing traffic disruption will last much longer – maybe years.
