Members of council question city vote on viaduct

Gov. Christine Gregoire's call last week for Seattle voters to decide the future of the Alaskan Way Viaduct was supposed to break a political stalemate.

But some on the Seattle City Council, the very people charged with putting the measure on the ballot, are now questioning whether the issue should go before voters.

"I was surprised and disappointed by the governor's decision, and almost everybody I've talked to shares those feelings," said Councilwoman Jan Drago, who chairs the council's transportation committee.

Along with council members Jean Godden and Richard McIver, Drago raised doubts Wednesday about the wisdom of an advisory vote on whether to build a tunnel to replace the viaduct.

While they wouldn't commit to opposing a vote — which Gregoire said she wanted by late April — the three council members said they might do so.

Gregoire had been expected to issue her own recommendation on whether to build the more expensive tunnel or a new elevated highway to replace the aging, earthquake-damaged structure. Instead, she kicked the issue back to voters — or so it seemed.

"The only way to break the logjam is to have a vote of the people," she said.

But Drago said a close advisory vote on the complicated issue might not prove decisive.

She also pointed to the fact that advisory ballots did not ultimately determine the fate of a proposed 14-mile monorail in Seattle. Voters canceled the project in 2005, after endorsing it in four previous elections.

"The real question," she said, "is if we do an advisory ballot what does the outcome mean and who accepts it?"

Leaders of two pro-tunnel business groups, the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Seattle Association, expressed similar concerns about the potential shortcomings of advisory votes.

"The chamber has long felt that advisory ballots are not a good instrument for gauging taxpayer sentiments," said Chamber President Steve Leahy.

Kate Joncas, president of the downtown group, said her members are concerned about their ability to mount effective campaigns for both the viaduct and a regional roads-and-transit package expected to be on the November 2007 ballot.

Mayor Greg Nickels, a tunnel advocate, said last week he welcomed a vote. Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis said Wednesday the mayor stands by that position.

A spokeswoman for Gregoire issued a terse statement regarding the council's wavering about an election.

"The Governor believes the legislature will have something to say if there is no vote," said Holly Armstrong in an e-mail.

To meet Gregoire's request for a vote by April — when the legislative session is scheduled to end — the council would have to act quickly. By state law, the council must vote by Jan. 19 to hold a special election in time.

City officials estimate that a special election would cost city taxpayers roughly $1 million.

A majority of the council supports a tunnel and decided last year not to send the matter to voters. Critics, such as Council President Nick Licata, contend council members avoided a vote because they were afraid it would go against a tunnel.

To add to the uncertainty, House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, a tunnel opponent, also questions what can be learned from a vote, saying it depends so much on the wording of any ballot question.

"Unless it's specific about what revenue sources would be raised to pay for additional cost, then it's just an opinion poll that has no force of law…There just needs to be a real vote if in fact there is one," Chopp said Thursday.

He also said that he wants to work with city and state officials and citizen groups to see if they can come up with a better idea than the current elevated and tunnel plans. Chopp said he wants to discuss the possibility of a more attractive design for an elevated highway and a surface-street option augmented by new transit services.

While Gregoire has dismissed a surface option as insufficient for handling the more than 100,000 cars the viaduct now carries daily, Chopp said he hasn't seen all the information the governor has, and is "still open" to considering that option.

Licata predicted that no matter what happens with a viaduct vote, extensive and expensive legal battles would follow.

"I think we'll end up hiring more lawyers than engineers for this project," he said.

Bob Young: 206-464-2174 or byoung@seattletimes.com