Council News Release

Council President Richard Conlin
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Tim Burgess
Councilmember Sally J. Clark
Councilmember Jean Godden
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen

Seattle City Council set to override Mayoral veto on SR 99 agreements legislation

SEATTLE –On behalf of a majority of the Seattle City Council, President Richard Conlin and Councilmember Tom Rasmussen issued the following statement on the Mayor's decision to veto Council approved agreements between the City of Seattle and the Washington State Department of Transportation:

"While not unexpected, we are disappointed the Mayor has decided not to protect the City's best interests and to ignore the ten-year regional decision making process of elected officials, regional and local leaders, community members, and stakeholders in replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct portion of SR 99 with a deep bored tunnel. 

"Ten years of debate is enough. This solution is a critical safety measure for the corridor, while serving as an opportunity for better transit and mobility, bringing economic vitality to the region and creating a waterfront for all.

"The Council's next action will provide legally binding protections for the City of Seattle in our relationship with the Washington State Department of Transportation. Working with our regional partners including Gov. Gregoire, King County and the Port of Seattle, we are moving forward with this approved solution."

Background:
On February 7, the City Council passed C.B. 117101 with a vote of 8-1 approving agreements with WSDOT that ensure that the Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light are active partners on the project while the tunnel contractor finalizes designs and refines their construction approach.  These agreements will be affirmed with the state once the final Environmental Impact Statement and Federal Record of Decision are released, which is expected late this summer.