Council releases money to fix "Mercer mess"

Just in time to compete for federal aid, Seattle City Council members voted this morning to release the city's share of cash toward the $204 million Mercer Street rebuild.

The council had withheld money to fix the "Mercer mess" last year, because Mayor Greg Nickels didn't have a finance plan — until the recession and a federal stimulus plan came along.

The city has designed a six-lane, two-way boulevard with trees and sidewalks, to replace today's four-lane eastbound street that spills onto Interstate 5. The project would narrow nearby Valley Street to two lanes, while adding bike lanes there.

It's all part of a broader strategy to turn South Lake Union into a pleasant urban neighborhood. Vehicle speeds are a secondary issue.

Mercer Street has been nominated for $50 million that Washington state will get from the federal stimulus package, signed Tuesday by President Obama. But most funding would come from city taxes, along with a neighborhood tax and donations from landowners, such as Paul Allen's Vulcan, Inc.

Councilwoman Jan Drago, who heads the transportation committee, said today's council vote sends a crucial message to the state Legislature, the city is ready to build.

One hangup remains: whether to build "curb bulbs" at some intersections. These concrete outcroppings give pedestrians a shorter crossing of Mercer, and they create a nook for on-street parking that would presumably calm traffic.

The downside is, they delay afternoon commuters bound for I-5. Lop off the curb bulbs, and there's room for a seventh traffic lane.

Seattle transportation Director Grace Crunican said the curb bulbs cause an afternoon slowdown of "two, three, four minutes," but the project improves traffic flow in other times and directions. An earlier study estimated on-street parking could slow peak traffic up to eight minutes.

Councilman Tim Burgess wondered if dumping the bulbs would save money. The North Seattle Industrial Association urged the council to open the extra lane, at least until the nearby Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement is finished, along with other road projects nearby.

But Crunican said removing the curb bulbs would add costs, because a seventh lane would completely change the slope and drainage of the street.

Drago plans further curb talks, while releasing money now. Today's vote was done in a committee, with final approval expected Monday.

"If we miss the opportunity to fill the financial gap by moving on the stimulus package, the chances of this project getting funded in the future are slim to none," Drago said. "This is the opportunity of a generation."

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com