As Josh noted this morning, in what could be seen as an indication that he's been considering a run for council for a while, last November, former Seattle Municipal League head-turned Bruce Harrell opponent Brad Meacham wrote an op/ed for the Seattle Times last year arguing that "a combination of additional transit, improved streets and reconfiguration of Interstate 5 would open up the waterfront and improve mobility more quickly and for billions less than a new tunnel"---basically, the Mike McGinn position.

"Why not tear down the viaduct for safety reasons, improve transit and streets and then see if a tunnel megaproject is truly necessary?" Meacham continued.

I've since talked with Meacham to flesh out his opinion.

He told me he supported the recommendations of a group of stakeholders assembled by the state in 2008, which included a new viaduct or the surface/transit/I-5 option---and no tunnel.

"We said that we'd do all the stuff that we can now, and that in the longer term, we'd study [if] the tunnel" was necessary, Meacham said. "That's not how things went. That's history at this point. ... But I do think that waiting until 2016 to do anything is irresponsible."

"I'm not going to sign a blank check" on the tunnel, Meacham continued. "It's too early to say how [the tunnel discussions] will go. It's going to be a long-term issue."

Meacham said he also plans to target Harrell's leadership on City Light (he's head of the council committee that oversees the utility), adding that Harrell proposed "raising rates without knowing where the money is going."

I have a call out to McGinn to find out if he's decided whether to support Meacham against one-term incumbent Harrell. As of the end of last December, Harrell had just over $77,000 in the bank.