There has been a flurry of activity lately about fixing the interchange where I-5 and Mercer connect downtown (infamously known as the Mercer Mess). The long thought-out and discussed plan that has been fairly controversial, has gotten new wind as Mayor Nichols tries to push through funding with another more popular proposal for the Spokane Street interchange further south. The Stranger has weighed in as well.
The City of Seattle has been working on the Mercer Corridor Project for years. It's always been a traffic nightmare with no perfect option available. Critics are skeptic that the current plan, which calls for re-routing and reducing the number of lanes. They say it will potentially worsen the problem. While supporters say the cleaner traffic flow will offset the lane reduction and change Valley Street into valuable pedestrian-friendly connection for the neighborhood to South Lake Union Park.
I'd like to say that I am a big fan of “JUST DO IT – Seattle!”. I'm so tired of Seattle screwing up every mass transit and traffic solution that comes along. From the 520 bridge, the Monorail, the Viaduct, etc.. We have become pathetic on transportation issues. By bickering and over-analyzing we have boxed ourselves into a corner of non-working transportation systems that we will be regretting for generations to come.
This plan is not perfect – nothing is! Yes, it will be expensive – get over it and suck it up! Maybe it won't work and we'll have to do it over – So what? That's life!
Thank goodness Mayor Nichols has big enough kahunas to play hardball with the Seattle City Council on this. I think it is a great political tactic to tack it on another more popular proposal. I'm sure the critics will whine – what's new?