You’re not to be blamed if you haven’t been watching the Mercer Soap Opera religiously as it can be a little frustrating with all the plot twists and cliff-hangers. But there are still enough juicy bits that make it worth subscribing to the weekly Mercer Soap Opera Digest:
On Tuesday, politicians in Olympia gave Seattle the finger by allocating the federal transportation stimulus dollars everywhere else but.
Which means 2-Way Mercer did not make the state legislators’ list of stimulus projects, despite backing from Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, the majority of Seattle City Council and Governor Gregoire.
House Transportation Chair Judy Clibborn (D-41, Mercer Island), one of the legislators who put together the list, said Nickels et al knew well in advance that there was no stimulus money for 2-Way Mercer.
This assertion by Clibborn does not agree with Monday’s City Council vote called for by Transportation Committee Chair Jan Drago to release the city’s share of the 2-Way Mercer money. A vote councilmembers made on the assumption that $50M in federal stimulus money would be apportioned to 2-Way Mercer the next day.
Taking Clibborn at her word, Councilmembers Nick Licata and Tom Rasmussen now feel the Council was duped by the Mayor and Drago and want to reverse the decision to release the 2-Way Mercer money and postpone the project until the funds are obtained—or forever in the case of Licata. (Seattle Courant)
Refuting that the Mayor or anyone else knew of the decision beforehand, Vulcan spokesman David Postman said everything was done behind closed doors, and no one knew what projects made the list until the press conference on Tuesday. (Publicola)
The latest from SDOT spokesman Rick Sheridan is that Two-Way Mercer can be thought of in two parts. East of Dexter and west of Dexter. Sheridan says the portion east of Dexter is 100% engineered and funded, and will go forward as planned. (Seattle Weekly)
This statement from SDOT may lend some credence to the Nickels/Drago/Vulcan conspiracy theory being espoused by Licata. If indeed that triumvirate knew 2-Way Mercer wasn’t on the state legislature’s list of federal stimulus projects, the City Council vote called for by Councilmember Drago to release the Mercer funds may have been a gambit to ensure that at least the South Lake Union portion of Two-Way Mercer would continue forward.
Barring a City Council vote to revoke the funds, South Lake Union will get the tree-lined Mercer boulevard and narrow Valley St., both of which benefit pedestrians. However, because 2-Way Mercer west of Dexter isn't funded the cramped Mercer and Broad St. underpasses will remain as the only ways to access the Uptown neighborhood until the bored tunnel / lowered Aurora is in place (2015 at best).
Two-Way Mercer -- East of Dexter Only
