State Representative Mary Lou Dickerson (D - 36th District) has come down on the side of opponents of the latest proposed fix for the Mercer Mess.
Speaking at an Oct. 6 forum sponsored by Seattle City Council member Nick Licata - the lone council member who opposes the fix - Dickerson reminded forum participants that the city's own consultant concluded that "the so-called transportation fix will actually increase congestion and travel time," she said. "And I thought that was pretty odd for a transportation project," she added.
The Magnolia Community Club, the Queen Anne Community Council, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, and most recently, the Seattle Marine Coalition and the Ballard Interbay Northend Manufacturing Center (BINMC) action group have also gone on record as opposing the $201 million project, said Licata aide, Newell Aldrich. There were also a lot of e-mails from project opponents who couldn't make it to the forum, he added.
But Dickerson's stance on the project is especially significant because she sits on the transportation committee in the House. "And I will certainly not recommend the state pay $12.5 million the city is requesting for this project," she said. "I believe it's urban renewal."
The project is still doable without the state funding, according to Aldrich, but the potential loss of that money brings up another point. "I think there are some council members who want to see what happens with funding coming through," he said.
The Uptown Alliance - which represents Lower Queen Anne - supports the project, and so did the majority of those who spoke at the forum, Aldrich said.
And concilor Jan Drago - who chairs the council's Transportation Committee - was unwavering in her support, Aldrich said. "She came out for it pretty hard."
The City Council last spring approved a $93 million bond issue that will raise $43 million as a down payment for the Mercer Street project. Licata would like to see that money used instead for sidewalks, pedestrian improvements, the bicycle master plan and freight mobility, Aldrich said.[[In-content Ad]]
