Special Series
Seattle's Great Viaduct Debate
In a Series
Money for Nothing
(This post is part of a series.)
Two headlines today, on replacing the crumbling Alaskan Way Viaduct, the aerial highway through downtown Seattle that cuts off the city from its waterfront:
Seattle P-I: Viaduct Funding 'Impossible': Sen. Murray says U.S. won't put up $1 billion
Seattle Times: Murray Says Viaduct Request is DOA
Now, I'm not one to say "I told you so." No, wait. Actually, I am.
But, more seriously, this is going to put a crimp in the city's plans for replacing the viaduct with a tunnel. Which means that the city will have that much more time to consider whether -- with all the other transportation projects planned or underway in the region -- the $4.1 billion tunnel project is really worth the cost.
The Little Engine That Could?
Over the last two days, a question has circulated around our office, asked by green architect and Sightline friend Rob Harrison. His quandary: which car should he buy to replace an automobile that was totalled?
He's narrowed his choices to 4 -- a super-efficient Toyota Prius, a VW or Subaru station wagon, or a 1992 Honda Accord -- and is weighing factors including price, reliability, safety, utility, and environmental performance.
I can't claim any special expertise on the subject, but I can say this much (and I'm preparing to duck when people start throwing blunt objects at me): for most city dwellers, buying a new Prius is a fairly expensive way of reducing your environmental impacts.
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