City
McGinn One of Two "No" Votes on Tunnel at Regional Planning Meeting
Mayor Mike McGinn, a tunnel opponent, was one of just two "no" votes on a motion to move forward with the deep-bore tunnel at the Puget Sound Regional Council this morning.
Returning to his familiar mantra---the city could end up on the hook for cost overruns on the $4 billion project---McGinn voted along with Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson against approving construction of the tunnel project and the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Today's vote is conditional on federal approval of an environmental impact statement on the project; McGinn's transportation department director, Peter Hahn, signed that statement earlier this week.
Mayor McGinn was also the lone vote against a PSRC motion to remain part of a coalition of regional transportation leaders. And he was the only member of the group's executive board to vote against adopting a preferred option for the SR 520 bridge replacement.
City council members Sally Clark, Bruce Harrell, and Tim Burgess, who also sit on the PSRC board, all voted in favor of the tunnel.
Because the PSRC uses weighted votes, today's 22-2 vote works out to a 96 percent majority in favor of the tunnel, PSRC spokesman Rick Olson says.
Returning to his familiar mantra---the city could end up on the hook for cost overruns on the $4 billion project---McGinn voted along with Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson against approving construction of the tunnel project and the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Today's vote is conditional on federal approval of an environmental impact statement on the project; McGinn's transportation department director, Peter Hahn, signed that statement earlier this week.
Mayor McGinn was also the lone vote against a PSRC motion to remain part of a coalition of regional transportation leaders. And he was the only member of the group's executive board to vote against adopting a preferred option for the SR 520 bridge replacement.
City council members Sally Clark, Bruce Harrell, and Tim Burgess, who also sit on the PSRC board, all voted in favor of the tunnel.
Because the PSRC uses weighted votes, today's 22-2 vote works out to a 96 percent majority in favor of the tunnel, PSRC spokesman Rick Olson says.
