Funding, Funding where is the Funding

Mercer Mess Update

The Seattle City Council gave the go ahead to the Spokane Street Viaduct project on Tuesday, but in regards to the Mercer Fix the Council told Nickels - show us the money!

The project isn't dead, but the Nickels administration must show documentation on how they plan to fill the $88M shortfall. Nickels said he could get federal and state grant money along with $36M from private sources to help cover construction—let's hope he can back it up.

Read more on the P-I.


The S.L.U.T. gets around

Meanwhile, SDOT proposed four possible streetcar extensions, each connecting to the South Lake Union line or the new light-rail line, opening next year. The four proposed lines are as follows:

• Central Line. Streetcars would run every six minutes from KeyArena along First Avenue through downtown, turning east on South Jackson Street and end at 23rd Avenue South. Crunican favors doing this project first, given the uncertain future of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Cost: $180 million.
  


• Fremont/Ballard Line. Streetcars would run every 10 to 15 minutes from 22nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market Street in Ballard, through Fremont and end at the South Lake Union line. Cost: $130 million
  


• First Hill/Capitol Hill Line. Streetcars would run every 12 minutes from East Aloha Street, south on Broadway, ending at Union Station. Cost: $110 million
  


• U-Line. Streetcars would run every 10 minutes from the University of Washington along Eastlake Avenue East to the South Lake Union line. Cost: $170 million.

The money for the projects would come from property owners, transportation agencies and other public grants. I think it's a solid proposal and would love for the plans to come to fruition—but there's that pesky funding issue again.

Read more in the Seattle Times.