Mercer Fix: The Issues

City Councilmember Nick Licata presented his case against the Mercer Fix at last night's Cascade Neighborhood Council meeting to mixed reactions: some supportive, some befuddled.

To be fair, Licata is not against fixing the Mercer Mess entirely—he's against the two-way Mercer as proposed and doing it at other project's expense. Unfortunately, this would likely mean nothing would be done (think Viaduct, 520, etc.).

Let's move on to the issues. But first, let me preface the rundown by explaining that most of Licata's arguments revert to an alternative plan formulated in 1999. Said plan would leave Mercer as is and instead widen Valley, with a possible pedestrian bridge across Valley Street for access to Lake Union Park. For the sake of brevity, we'll refer to this as the '99 plan.

Traffic

Let's start off with traffic. After all, it's certainly at the front of the mind for residents of Queen Anne, Magnolia and Fremont. Fair enough, it is a transportation project.

The two key routes are westbound (I-5 to Seattle Center) and eastbound (Seattle Center to I-5).

At the morning's peak traffic hour, travel times both ways would either stay the same or improve by up to 4 minutes (westbound) versus doing nothing.

At the evening's peak traffic hour, travel times get worse. Depending on whether two-way Mercer ends up being seven lanes or six lanes there's a big swing. Seven lanes gets up to 3 minutes longer (eastbound) than Mercer as is. Six lanes, however, would be up to 11 minutes longer going east.

This is Licata's main argument. The Mercer Fix Nickels et al are proposing has six lanes, but seven lanes could be achieved by lopping off a row of parking (which has some impact on pedestrians since they are that much closer to the traffic).

Cost and Funding

The Mercer Fix costs $200M and has a large ($170M) funding gap. According to Licata, his '99 plan would cost just $47M (80% less).

There's one problem here in Licata's argument. A large portion of the cost of either project is going to be in acquiring the land the widening thoroughfares would encroach upon. The city once owned the land necessary to move forward with the '99 plan. When the plan fell through, they sold it to Allen for $20M. The value of that land now, thanks to Lake Union Park and South Lake Union redevelopment in general, is upward of $60M. Licata's plan suddenly becomes more expensive.

As for the funding gap, Nickels is proposing to use internal funds from the Bridging the Gap levy, a fund for transportation maintenance and improvements, as well as the employee head tax and commercial parking tax. In addition, the project would use proceeds from utilities, any state or federal money, and 'other' (see section on economic development for likely source)

The real key to the funding plan is a windfall the city has seen in the commercial parking tax. That money can either go toward this project, or, as Licata would have it, shotgun sprayed across the city.

Viaduct Synergies

Nickels says its critical Mercer goes both ways to alleviate traffic during the Viaduct's destruction and rebuild whatever form that may take. Licata says his guys tell him it would make no difference. Not sure who to believe on this one.

Reconnecting the Grid

Along with the proposed Mercer Fix, we'd be connected to our friends in Lower Queen Anne / Uptown. Under Licata's '99 plan, Aurora would continue to keep us apart :(

There are some misconceptions that reconnecting the two long lost neighborhoods would require a lowered Aurora which would cost another $200M. This is not the case. The plan is moving forward under a surface-level intersection option on some of the smaller east-west arterials. This would require anywhere from 8 to 18 lights on Aurora, which has the truckers up in arms.

Economic Development

Licata admitted the two-way Mercer along with the more narrow Valley would yield more economic benefits to the area than any other alternative. The area that would benefit most is the three-block area between Valley and Mercer, and Fairview and Westlake.

The obvious question & answer followed—Q: Who owns that property? A: Paul Allen.

What's currently on those three blocks? A couple marine stores, a couple gas stations, a junkyard and some dilapidated office buildings. Sounds like it's in need of economic development. What's the difference if Allen makes some more coin.

Pedestrian -Safety and -Friendliness

Licata says crossing the two-way, six lane Mercer would make for some 'critical crossings'. Nevermind the design proposal clearly demarcating crosswalks by paving them in brick, or that there will be a tree-lined island.

Measuring pedestrian impact based on the number of lanes someone walking to Lake Union Park would have to cross going north, Licata says the Mercer Fix and the '99 plan is a wash.

The hole in this argument is that Mercer stays as is, and Valley becomes even wider. This seems much more vehicle-friendly than pedestrian-friendly.

The '99 plan had a pedestrian bridge over a widened Valley Street to Lake Union Park. A pedestrian bridge doesn't really inspire a walkable neighborhood type of feel. I've never heard of people funneling through a bridge over a bunch of speeding cars to get to their favorite sidewalk cafe.

In contrast, the Mercer Fix would narrow Valley Street and add wide sidewalks to Valley and Mercer.

Other things the Mercer Fix has going for it in this area are the proposed bike lanes running both ways on Mercer and Valley. Connecting the grid (see section above) also benefits pedestrians/cyclists tremendously, even Licata admitted this was so.

The End! Almost.

The Mercer Fix already passed through the City Council 8-1 (guess who the dissenter was) with a yellow light. Nickels wants to breakground in Q2 2009. Once construction starts, the debate virtually ends. Up until that point, Licata is hellbent on stopping the project. In the next few weeks he will join efforts with the commuter community groups to present to the city their proposed use of the funds in other parts of the city.

I'll leave you with a thought Licata passed on to those attending the CNC meeting:

When talking to the consultant the city hired to design the Mercer Fix, the consultant told Licata the purpose of the design was to let people know they've entered the city once they get off I-5 – that South Lake Union is more than just peripheral scenery flashing by on their way to and from work.

That is the key distinction between Licata's '99 plan and the proposed two-way Mercer. One is a concession to the single occupant commuter, the other is a benefit to the city.

Opposition Mounts Against Mercer Fix

Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata isn't the only one making a fuss about the Mercer Fix.

Three neighborhood organizations have stated their opposition: the Queen Anne Community Council, the Magnolia Community Club and the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. Notice that Mercer Street is not in any of the neighborhoods these organizations represent (Queen Anne Community Council is not to be confused with the Uptown Alliance).

"It's a for-the-look-of-it project for (South Lake Union developer) Vulcan. I'm all for Vulcan but the truth is it ain't about looks, it's about how we move," said Fremont Chamber's Suzie Berke.

Forget about making the city walkable or livable, I want to get home four minutes sooner! For more of this attitude, read the rest of the article on the P-I. Or better yet, come to tonight's Cascade Neighborhood Council meeting with Nick Licata.

City Council Curmudgeon Nick Licata at CNC Meeting

City Councilmember Nick Licata will be at next week's Cascade Neighborhood Council meeting.

Mr. Licata has some interesting stances on a few important issues facing South Lake Union right now: First, he was the only councilmember to vote against the Mercer Corridor Project. Second, he's against the Streetcar's expansion. But, he is for pedestrian safety. So it will be interesting to hear his perspective on these issues, and maybe set him straight.

Also presenting is Noel Franklin, newly elected SLUFAN board member and part of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, who will give an update on the proposed canoe center at Lake Union Park.

When:
6:00pm Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Where:
514 Minor Avenue North, on ground floor of the Kerner-Scott House

Cascade Neighborhood Council

President: Lloyd Douglas

The Cascade Neighborhood (CNC) is a nonprofit corporation organized for the purpose of preserving and improving the Cascade neighborhood in South Lake Union...
Learn More

Information provided by the South Lake Union Wiki

Sidewalk Cafes: Go Forth and Multiply

Nickels sent a proposal to the City Council this afternoon to make the permitting process less bureaucratic and less expensive for sidewalk cafes. Under the proposal, would-be cafes apply for a permit through one city department instead of two, pay just $600 instead of $2,300 (for 100 sq ft), and get a permit in 10 days. More on SeattleScape.

I don't know of any South Lake Union-domiciled sidewalk cafes in the true sense. Southlake Grill, Blue Moon Burgers and Vivace have a few tables outside–did they have to jump through hoops to get them?

Let us hope that sidewalk cafes proliferate following the implementation of Nickels' plan and the Mercer Fix!

Wheels for Abandoned South Lake Union Auto Showrooms

Pacific McKay Building. Photo: Seattle Times

The old Ford and Lincoln dealerships on Westlake and Mercer are going to get some new wheels, just not how you think.

The Ford McKay Building and Pacific McKay Building, designated historic landmarks, will find themselves in new surroundings as they stand in the way of the Mercer fix (which just got a $43M down payment) and Vulcan's plans for a six-story office building on the block.

SDOT and Vulcan are both committed to preserving the historic buildings, but it's still unclear whether the entire buildings will be moved intact or only the facade will be preserved ala the C.B. Van Horst Building.

Vulcan will present their plans to the Landmark Preservation Board June 13 and will go before the Queen Anne-Magnolia Design Review Board with their redevelopment plans July 2.

Seattle Times has more.

Mercer Street Study Released Following Vote

The city just released a study on the proposed Mercer fix that says the project would do little to help traffic flow and may even be of harm, shortly after the City Council voted 8-1 to proceed with caution.

Trips westbound from Interstate 5 to Seattle Center would improve by 2-½ to 4 minutes in the morning, because drivers won't have to make a pair of turns to reach Valley Street. Eastbound trips would be about the same. But in the afternoon, most trips in both directions would be slower, the study says.

The study confirms a similar study conducted years ago, and council members were presumably well aware of the findings — but weighed against the potential benefits to the community, the City Council voted almost unanimously for the project, albeit with a funding caveat (except for Nick Licata, who is also against the streetcar expansion and co-chair of the pedestrian safety committee - wtf?).

The Seattle Times also summarized some of the other findings from the study:

• Valley Street, to be narrowed from five street lanes to two, plus bike lanes, would "promote a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly atmosphere" next to Lake Union Park.

• The junction of Mercer with Fairview Avenue North would improve, but it would still be sluggish.

• "High delays" would occur where Mercer, Broad Street and Ninth Avenue converge at the west end of the rebuilt corridor.

• On-street parking would be provided on stretches of Mercer and Valley streets. One option would reduce Mercer by one lane — and boost a 10-minute eastbound peak trip to 18 minutes. The report says there's also a benefit: separating sidewalks from busy traffic.

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.

Mercer Street Warehouse Demolition

KING 5 ran a spot Friday night on the demolition of some warehouses along Mercer Street to make way for Amazon.com's new headquarters.

One of the warehouses slated for the wrecking ball is Far Fetched Import Furniture's, who is having a "blow out" sale to clear inventories.

Store spokesman Nick Tensen had this to say: "Now you have to push off to a suburb, we still have a store here but it's part of gentrification and that's part of life. It's always changing."

Nickels Pushing Mercer Fix

The Stranger has been following Mayor Greg Nickels' crusade for the Mercer Corridor Project. He's trying to pull a fast one on the city council, but they aren't buying it.

Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed a measure that would release $25 million in city funding to pay for bonds on two projects: the new Spokane Street Viaduct and the conversion of Mercer Street in South Lake Union into a two-way boulevard. The mayor's proposal links both projects together in a single ordinance; passing the ordinance would mean funding both a popular project (Spokane) and a controversial one (Mercer) simultaneously.

The Spokane proposal, which would ease congestion for drivers coming into the city from West Seattle, appears to have unanimous support on the city council, while the Mercer proposal, which the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) contends will make it easier for drivers to access I-5 and improve travel times to nearby neighborhoods, is far more contentious. SDOT and mayoral staffers say the Mercer proposal, which would convert Mercer into a two-way boulevard and reconnect some of the street grid in South Lake Union, will improve access for cars, bikes, and pedestrians if the city moves forward with a surface/transit option for replacing the viaduct.

The city council's concern lies primarily in the Mayor's optimistic funding plan, and whether the plan would do actually do anything to fix the "Mercer Mess".

At the moment, the committee appears inclined to move forward with funding for Spokane, and yellow-light Mercer until funding can be locked down—perhaps 6 to 12 months. That would mean Mercer construction would overlap with viaduct construction. Another option would be holding off on Mercer construction until the viaduct work is finished—an option that would push work on Mercer off until 2018 or beyond. The transportation committee will take a vote on the Mercer and Spokane proposals on May 6.

Here we have a case of the council reinforcing the single driver commute, and scrutinizing a plan to make the city more pedestrian-friendly and livable. What if we lived in a world in which the Mercer Corridor Project and a surface street-viaduct replacement had unanimous support, and the Spokane Street Viaduct project was met with disdain? Wouldn't that be nice.

Humpday Roundup

Ride the S.L.U.T., originally uploaded by M.V. Jantzen

Another S.L.U.T. calamity: The red trolley car is taken out of service after hitting a parked pickup

Friends of Seattle says South Lake Union may get the shaft: Nickel’s Mercer Street improvement proposal hits road block

From the “how’d they do that?” category: how they capture the prospective condo views at South Lake Union discovery center