Waterfront tunnel heats up Seattle mayor's race

Just when you thought Seattle's viaduct debate was over — after a mere eight years — it erupted again this week when Mayor Greg Nickels lashed out at challenger Mike McGinn, who has made killing the $4.2 billion waterfront-tunnel project a campaign centerpiece.

McGinn has pledged to storm City Hall to stop what he calls "the largest tax increase in Seattle history."

Instead of a tunnel, McGinn argues the city can tear down the Alaskan Way Viaduct and absorb its traffic with improved bus service and fixes to Interstate 5 and downtown streets.

For most of the summer, Nickels ignored the anti-tunnel barrage. But with the Tuesday primary just days away, and polls showing McGinn's support rising, Nickels and his downtown business allies are on the counterattack.

They accuse McGinn of misleading voters by downplaying the risk that his own viaduct plan would cost the city as much or more than the tunnel. The Nickels campaign said it plans automated phone calls to voters to "clear up the distortions and half-truths."

McGinn, the only major mayoral candidate to oppose the tunnel, has hit back. He says Nickels should put the tunnel up for a public vote and accuses the mayor of failing to level with Seattle taxpayers about exactly how they'll be asked to pay for the city's $930 million share of the project.

Here is a look at three of the major points of dispute in the latest viaduct fight:

1. Can the tunnel be stopped?

Reversing the tunnel decision would not be as simple as McGinn makes it sound.

The Legislature OK'd the project earlier this year and dedicated $2.4 billion in state gas-tax money to it.

Key state officials insist the tunnel is a done deal, even if an anti-tunnel mayor is elected in Seattle. They're in no mood to revisit the subject that caused so much political torment over the eight years since the Nisqually earthquake damaged the viaduct in February 2001.

"It is a state highway. We would be able to go forward. You could make it more expensive by creating all kinds of roadblocks, but you probably can't stop it," said Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, who chairs the House Transportation Committee.

Laura Lockard, a spokeswoman for Gov. Chris Gregoire, said the governor believes the debate is over. "It [the tunnel] will move forward as planned."

Tunnel supporters say there is a risk McGinn's stand could wind up costing Seattle even more because state lawmakers could take back the state's $2.4 billion if the city nixes the tunnel.

McGinn dismisses such talk as "tactics that elected officials use when they are trying to do something the public doesn't want." First, he said, "they tell you the decision has been made." And then, "if they don't get their way, they threaten the public."

State lawmakers made the deal even worse for Seattle, McGinn says, when they inserted language in the viaduct legislation that holds Seattle taxpayers responsible for cost overruns.

While Nickels and other tunnel supporters call that provision unenforceable, it could come back to haunt the city if the tunnel costs explode.

2. How solid is the financial plan?

Despite assurances by city and state officials, McGinn is accurate when he points out there are still big unknowns about how the viaduct work will be paid for.

The biggest single chunk of money is solidly in place — the state's $2.4 billion contribution of gas-tax money, mostly to construct the tunnel itself. (The state estimates the tunnel will cost $1.9 billion.)

But other portions of the $4.2 billion project are merely penciled in, with details to come later.

"The bottom line is this thing is still jury-rigged together by a lot of back-of-the-napkin design work," said Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata, a tunnel skeptic.

For example, the state has to come up with $400 million more, likely through tolls in the tunnel. The state Department of Transportation is studying tolls but hasn't said yet how much they would be or how much money they would raise.

The Port of Seattle is supposed to chip in $300 million, but that money has not yet been approved by the Port Commission.

Seattle's $930 million share has been laid out in broad strokes by Nickels.

Yet big portions of that city share have not been formally approved. That includes $200 million from a doubling of the tax on commercial parking lots and $300 million in property taxes on downtown property owners whose buildings will increase in value when the viaduct comes down.

The city's money will pay not for the tunnel itself, but for downtown street and transit improvements, relocation of utilities and reconstruction of the sea wall.

McGinn says Nickels should detail — before the election — exactly which taxes will be raised, how much, and for how long.

Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis said it's impossible to lay out all those details now. It's been only a few months since the Legislature approved the project.

"All the elements are there," Ceis said. "The public does know what the city is obligated to pay for."

The city money is not needed right away, Ceis added. The tunnel isn't scheduled to open until the end of 2015.

3. Biggest tax increase in Seattle history?

In a clever bit of political positioning, McGinn's political mailers and ads have framed his opposition to the tunnel as a stand against a megaproject requiring the "biggest tax increase in Seattle history."

That has allowed the Sierra Club leader to appeal to more conservative voters.

McGinn's campaign likes to display a chart stacking up the $4.2 billion tunnel-project cost against the $1 billion total for all of Seattle's voter-approved levies and bond measures for parks, libraries, fire stations and other projects.

(McGinn acknowledges he would oppose the tunnel even if money were no object because, he says, the city shouldn't be building new highways for polluting cars.)

The Nickels campaign points out that by his own logic, McGinn's viaduct solution would require the biggest tax increase in Seattle history.

Instead of a tunnel, McGinn favors a plan to fix I-5 through downtown Seattle and make major improvements to surface streets and transit.

The so-called "I-5/Surface Transit Hybrid" was estimated to cost $3.3 billion by the state Transportation Department and includes most or all of the sea wall and street improvements the city is on the hook for in the tunnel project.

"What McGinn is railing against, the cost to the city, you are not avoiding that under his proposal," Ceis said.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com