McGinn makes it official: He vetoes tunnel deal

Mayor Mike McGinn on Thursday vetoed the legislation approved earlier this month that allows the tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct to move forward.

McGinn, who had previously signaled his intention to reject the agreement with the state of Washington, sent a letter (PDF) to the Council Thursday afternoon. The Council has more than enough votes to override his rejection.

"After careful consideration, in order to protect Seattle from the unacceptable risks of this project, I hearby veto this ordinance," the mayor wrote.

The veto is McGinn's second as mayor. In April he nixed an ordinance the Council passed that would've allowed police to cite aggressive beggars. That veto stood.

The tunnel legislation passed Feb. 7 allows preliminary design work to begin. A second agreement would have to be signed later in the year, after an environmental review is completed, to let the actual construction work take place.

In a statement, City Council President Richard Conlin said: "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."

On Wednesday McGinn had an hour-long meeting with business leaders and other tunnel supporters, who urged him to allow the agreement to stand. "We believe that the time has long passed to second guess the bored tunnel decision made by the Governor, state legislature, County, Port and past and present City Councils. Whether or not it was our initial choice, all of us agree that the citizens of Seattle, the region, and state are best served by moving forward," a group of 17 members of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Stakeholders Committee wrote to McGinn last week.

McGinn prefers a surface replacement for the viaduct. He also says it would be irresponsible to proceed because, as it stands now, Seattle would be responsible for any cost overruns to the $1.9 billion tunnel portion of the plan. Supporters of the tunnel say that part of the state legislation is unenforceable; however some lawmakers insist there won't be extra state money coming if the tunnel goes over budget.

McGinn says because of planned tolling of the tunnel, up two two-thirds of the 110,000 vehicles that now use the viaduct each day would be diverted onto downtown streets, increasing congestion without adequate planning to deal with the extra traffic.

Tunnel supporters say after a decade of planning and discussion, it was time to build the tunnel.

The legislation approved by the Council would ensure that the city's Department of Transportation, Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light are "active partners" on the project. Seattle would be responsible for about $900 million in projects - including the relocation of utilities and replacing the Elliott Bay seawall. The agreement also establishes a committee on tolling and traffic management.

The state recently signed a $1.1 billion contract with a private company to build the tunnel, which at 1.7 miles would be the nation's largest deep-bored tunnel. The tunnel project is supposed to be completed by 2015 or 2016.