why a duck?

[jephly]

Seattlites: WSDOT has released a bunch of information about their eight proposals for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct. They've got a bunch of concept photos and a detailed traffic impact analysis report.

Which option is your favorite? (I still need to digest all this info.)

Comments

[jephly]

After digesting more info:

I don't like either of the Elevated options (D or E). They're good for getting cars thorough, but bad for pretty much everything else. They continue to waste the potential of the waterfront. I don't think the Integrated Elevated option (E) would work - it would just block off the rest of the city from the waterfront, and no one would use the park on the roof because it's too far out of the way.

Of the Surface options, B and C are both interesting. I have to be somewhat partial to B because of the Fremont streetcar (!), but C is also interesting because it provides for more car throughput without building a big highway or tunnel. C also provides the most waterfront open space.

The bored tunnel option (F) is no good. It's clearly the most expensive (and probably has the greatest risk of cost and schedule overruns), which means they'll be able to do far fewer of the other improvements. The Lidded Trench option (H) seems like the worst of both worlds - you don't get much waterfront space, and you still don't get much car throughput because the speed limit is only 40 mph. The Cut-and-Cover tunnel (G) actually looks pretty reasonable - you get decent throughput and a nice waterfront, along with a bunch of other improvements in the area (like streetcars on Alaskan and 1st).

I'd probably prefer B or C (or something in between), but I'm not very hopeful that a Surface option will get chosen, because of the significant loss of throughput. So the pragmatist in me thinks that G is probably the best option.