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City, Consultant Say Tunnel Report Doesn't Contradict Earlier Findings
In response to questions about seeming contradictions between statements they made about the deep-bore tunnel back in January and a report released yesterday, the city's department of transportation (SDOT) and SDOT consultant Nelson/Nygaard issued a statement this afternoon to the effect that traffic downtown will be virtually identical whether the city builds the tunnel or goes with the surface/transit/I-5 alternative. PubliCola asked both Nelson/Nygaard and SDOT to clarify their positions on the tunnel options yesterday afternoon.
As PubliCola reported earlier this week, the Nelson/Nygaard report concluded that the tunnel alternative would create more traffic downtown --- through diversion because of high tolls on the tunnel---than the surface/transit option. However, a pro-tunnel group countered that Nelson/Nygaard consultant Tim Payne testified back in January that the "surface street proposal would have much greater impact on the number of cars traveling downtown.” The group, Let's Move Forward, also cited emails between SDOT director Peter Hahn and Payne purportedly demonstrating that SDOT was concerned Nelson/Nygaard's numbers looked bad for the surface/transit option, which Mayor Mike McGinn supports.
"The Nelson/Nygaard tunnel tolling diversion report shows that traffic on downtown streets under a surface and transit scenario in 2015 would be 155,000 vehicles per day. Conversely, traffic downtown due to tolling of a deep bored tunnel would be 158,100 vehicles per day," the joint statement says. "The Nelson/Nygaard analysis, using data from the Washington State Department of Transportation, shows that traffic on downtown streets is virtually the same for a surface and transit solution versus a tolled deep bore tunnel."
The release goes on to quote Hahn, who says Payne "did not have full information about the traffic impacts for downtown streets" back in January, when he made his statements disparaging the surface/transit alternative.
As PubliCola reported earlier this week, the Nelson/Nygaard report concluded that the tunnel alternative would create more traffic downtown --- through diversion because of high tolls on the tunnel---than the surface/transit option. However, a pro-tunnel group countered that Nelson/Nygaard consultant Tim Payne testified back in January that the "surface street proposal would have much greater impact on the number of cars traveling downtown.” The group, Let's Move Forward, also cited emails between SDOT director Peter Hahn and Payne purportedly demonstrating that SDOT was concerned Nelson/Nygaard's numbers looked bad for the surface/transit option, which Mayor Mike McGinn supports.
"The Nelson/Nygaard tunnel tolling diversion report shows that traffic on downtown streets under a surface and transit scenario in 2015 would be 155,000 vehicles per day. Conversely, traffic downtown due to tolling of a deep bored tunnel would be 158,100 vehicles per day," the joint statement says. "The Nelson/Nygaard analysis, using data from the Washington State Department of Transportation, shows that traffic on downtown streets is virtually the same for a surface and transit solution versus a tolled deep bore tunnel."
The release goes on to quote Hahn, who says Payne "did not have full information about the traffic impacts for downtown streets" back in January, when he made his statements disparaging the surface/transit alternative.
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