Seattle Forward

January City Inside/Out: Council Edition

Earlier this month I joined Councilmembers Bagshaw and O'Brien and host Brian Callanan on the Seattle Channel to talk about Bertha, encampments and public safety issues. You can watch the video below.

City Inside/Out: Preschool, Police, Waterfront and More

The January edition of the Seattle Channel's City Inside/Out program airs at 7:30 p.m. tonight. This month, Councilmembers O'Brien, Bagshaw and myself joined host Brian Callanan to talk about preschool for all, the police department, the tunnel, potential Metro service cuts, the minimum wage and more. Take a look below:

City Inside/Out: Budget, Preschool for All, Federal Shutdown and More

I joined Councilmembers Bruce Harrell and Jean Godden on the October edition of the Seattle Channel's City Inside/Out. The video premieres tonight at 7:30 p.m., but is available online now:

Bertha Arrives Today

Bertha, the world's largest tunnel machine, will arrive in Elliott Bay today after cruising 5,000 miles from its construction site in Japan. After the ship carrying Bertha docks, it will take several days to unload the various parts of the machine. The State Department of Transportation is preparing for Bertha's arrival by digging an 80-foot launch pit in which it will be reassembled. After the reassembly and further testing, the tunneling will begin later this year. You can follow Bertha's progress here.

The deep bore tunnel is only one element of the massive effort underway to transform our central waterfront and reconnect it to the rest of the city by replacing the seawall, tearing down the viaduct and creating attractive public open spaces. Read more about the creation of a Waterfront for All.

SODO Arena, Crime, Seawall Ballot, Northgate and More

Get the latest on the proposed SODO Arena, street crime, the Elliott Bay seawall ballot measure, Northgate and more on the new edition of the Seattle Channel's City Inside/Out: Council Edition. Councilmembers Nick Licata, Jean Godden and I share our perspectives. 

Keeping Downtown Neighborhoods Attractive and Strong

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a quiet little celebration that highlighted the new residents and new jobs that have sprung up and transformed the South Lake Union neighborhood. About a hundred neighborhood activists, representatives of the area's mega-developer Vulcan, business owners, urban planners, and others reflected on the ten-year conversion of a sleepy, somewhat run down area adjacent to downtown into a thriving, upbeat area with thousands of new residents and jobs.

Danny Westneat wrote about South Lake Union's success in last Sunday's Seattle Times, giving appropriate credit to former Mayor Greg Nickels for his vision and persistence in pushing forward the redevelopment of the area.  David Brewster posted an interesting historical perspective at Crosscut.com last Monday.  (Here's a link to the report that both Westneat and Brewster cite that summarizes what's happened in South Lake Union.)

Brewster, in his Crosscut piece, raises an interesting question about how the success of South Lake Union will impact the downtown core of Seattle.  Frankly, we would do well to accept Brewster's commentary as more of a challenge than a question. We dare not become complacent about our downtown, an area of multiple neighborhoods stretching from Lower Queen Anne to the International District and Pioneer Square and from South Lake Union to First Hill and the Central Waterfront.

An attractive and strong city center doesn't flourish on its own.  It takes determined work and a constant focus on things that matter, like the attractiveness of the pedestrian environment, crime and street disorder, quick and efficient transportation options, and strong businesses. (Continue after the jump for a list of key steps to maintaining an attractive and strong downtown . . .)

On Public Education, Transportation, Collaboration, Marijuana and Tim Harris

CR Douglass covered a host of subjects in this edition of City Inside/Out.  I was on with my colleagues Councilmembers Sally Clark and Bruce Harrell.

Seattle Channel Video can be played in Flash Player 9 and up

Studied to Death: Council Votes 8-1 to Continue Tunnel Project

My colleague, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, and pro-tunnel advocates holding a photograph in Council chambers earlier today showing 10 years worth of studies, reports, and technical reviews related to the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project.

(UPDATED February 28 at 4:48 p.m.) The City Council voted 8-1 (O'Brien voting against) this morning to proceed with the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project by approving contracts between City utilities and the State of Washington.  Our vote to override the Mayor’s veto of these agreements comes on the 10th anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake that damaged the viaduct.

For a good citizen perspective on why this project should proceed, read this opinion piece in today's Seattle Times.  After the jump, read Councilmember Nick Licata's perspective on all this.  Not usually known as a voice for downtown interests or mega spending, Councilmember Licata provides a fact-based, rational argument in favor of the tunnel and why the so-called surface/I-5/transit alternative isn't viable. 

Viaduct Starts Coming Down

A giant claw took the first bites out of the Alaskan Way Viaduct last night.  The northbound on-ramp to the viaduct from First Avenue South, just north of Qwest Field, is being removed this weekend.  When this phase of the project is completed in April, all viaduct traffic will be diverted to a new surface street and the elevated viaduct from this point south will be taken down.

The current configuration of the southbound and northbound ramps is shown in the diagram below, followed by the new configuration scheduled to open in April.

Mayor McGinn and the History of Mayoral Vetoes

Mayor McGinn has declared that he will veto Council legislation likely to be adopted today that will allow us to protect our interests as the state proceeds with construction of the downtown deep-bore tunnel.  If he follows through, the veto will be the second of his first 14 months in office.

There have been eight mayoral vetoes in the past 20 years, McGinn's will be the ninth.  In the past 20 years, the Council has overridden a Mayor's veto twice, five times the Council has sustained a Mayor's veto, and one time the Council did not reconsider.

Here's the list of previous mayoral veteos:

Council Bill 108078 related to city retirement policies.  Adopted by Council July 9, 1990; Mayor's veto overridden on August 6, 1990.

Council Bill 113302 related to teen dancing restrictions.  Adopted by Council on August 21, 2000; Mayor's veto sustained on September 18, 2000.

Council Bill 113803 related to public restrooms and automatic public toilets.  Adopted by Council on August 20, 2001; Mayor's veto overridden on September 10, 2001.

Council Bill 113818 related to parking regulations.  Adopted by Council November 5, 2001; Mayor's veto sustained on December 10, 2001.

Council Bill 114147 related to transition housing.  Adopted by Council on June 24, 2002; Mayor's veto sustained on July 22, 2002.

Council Bill 114183 related to a contract land rezone.  Adopted by Council on June 24, 2002; Mayor's veto sustained on July 22, 2002.

Council Bill 115986 related to the regulation of nightlife.  Adopted by Council on September 17, 2007; Mayor's veto never reconsidered by Council.

Ordinance 116807 related to regulation of public conduct, specifically aggressive solicitation.  Adopted by Council on April 19, 2010; Mayor's veto sustained on May 24, 2010.