Photo Left, Courtesy SCAT, Photo Right, Steve Shay
Seattle Citizens against the (Deep-Bore) tunnel, or SCAT, this morning filed a petition to leave the future of the Deep-Bore tunnel project in the hands of the Seattle voters. Picured left are some SCAT members by the City Clerk's office. Right is West Seattle's Bud Shasteen, a vocal SCAT proponent.

New initiative allows public vote for/against Deep-Bore tunnel

By Steve Shay
07/29/2010

Proposition 101 was filed at 10:00 a.m. July 29, at the Seattle City Clerk's Office by SCAT, or "Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel." It takes five days to process. Then Seattle citizens will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not they want the Deep-Bore tunnel built. We reported on SCAT here: http://www.westseattleherald.com/2010/06/14/news/deep-bore-tunnel-not-do...

The group believed, and still does, that the multi-billion dollar project is not a done deal, and that public sympathy has shifted against its construction.

"Yes, this vote will cost the city money, but we are trying to save a billion and a half dollars," said SCAT's Elizabeth Campbell. " I don't neccesarly believe the cost overrun issue is a strategy to stop the tunnel, which is what SCAT wants." The mayor of course wants to shield the city from cost overruns but if this criteria is met will go along with the project.

"I'm very good at vote-collecting, and very encouraged by this petition," said SCAT's Bud Shasteen from West Seattle. "The initiative looks good. According to our attorney, our petition is saying Seattle is not allowed to grant right of ways against the will of the voters."

"We officially need 20,692 votes for this to pass, but will go for 24,000 for a cushion," added Campbell, who joined about 10 other backers at the clerk's office. "We have six month to pass this but will try for three because it takes the clerk 12 days to verify the signatures and the Seattle City Council looks at the initiative for 45 days and can decide to adopt it, or to put up a competing initiative."

Campbell said it takes an additional 52-84 days to go to King County Elections to ready it for the vote. Richard Stephens of Groen, Stephens & Klinge LLP authored the initiative for SCAT.

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Comments

No tunnel

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Fri, 07/30/2010 - 8:46am.

Finally, we have folks promoting what the majority voted for years ago. NO TUNNEL. A revamped viaduct is perfectly fine for the next several decades. A tunnel with two lanes and no downtown exits is a boondoggle and will cause more traffic troubles than it purports to fix. The tunnel is promoted by developers who want high rise right down to the water. Just follow the money.
One other item, since this is an extreme earthquake zone, where do you want to be when the big one hits? In the tunnel?
I'll take my changes with the retrofitted or rebuilt viaduct.
Kudos to SCAT. You have my vote.

Deep Bore Tunnel

Submitted by Avery Schwartz (not verified) on Fri, 08/13/2010 - 3:10pm.

I am against the tunnel strictly for reasons my own - or at least in part. I never fail to get a rush when I drive through the Belltown tunnel going south on 99 and exit to see one of the most fantastic scenes of Seattle that we have. Anyone who has driven the Viaduct will appreciate the panorama of downtown, the cranes, the stadiums, and the Sound. It is a view that can only be seen elevated as the Viaduct is. And I still haven't mentioned the smell of the sea air that accents the whole experience. Try that underground. I really believe that there should be a way of preserving views the same way that architecturally extraordinary buildings are protected. Granted the Viaduct needs to be rebuilt in order to be safe - the people who designed the accesses to it (not to mention the structure) should be prosecuted for being homicidal.
The transportation system in Seattle should be designed for citizens who travel those roads, not for the purpose of making the city a cash-cow by which the most wealthy among us can capitalize.