PORT OF SEATTLE
MEMORANDUM
COMMISSION AGENDA-POLICY & STAFF BRIEFING
Item No.
6c
Date of Meeting
January 27, 2009
DATE: January 22, 2009
TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
FROM: Kurt Beckett, Director, External Affairs
Geri Poor, Regional Transportation Manager
SUBJECT: Alaskan Way Viaduct/Seawall Replacement Project
BACKGROUND
In March 2007, the Governor, Mayor and County Executive announced a Collaborative Process to
pursue the solution for the Viaduct’s central waterfront. Guided by six principles, they evaluated eight
scenarios, with multiple components such as investments in the SR99 corridor, city streets, Interstate 5,
transit and demand management strategies. On Tuesday, January 13
th
, the elected leadership announced
the selection of a Bored Tunnel Hybrid alternative, and the potential for Port of Seattle participation.
TODAY’S BRIEFING
At today’s briefing, Port staff will present an update on project benefits and issues for the Port of Seattle.
PREVIOUS COMMISSION REVIEW
After the March 2007 announcement of the Collaborative Process, the Port CEO voiced our business
interests to the Mayor, the Governor and the County Executive. Maintaining system capacity, freight
mobility, access to waterfront businesses and the seawall’s function are critical to the Port. As
important, construction must be planned to mitigate impacts and support Port tenants and other private
businesses.
In August 2007, the Commission reviewed and commented on the six Moving Forward projects and an
overview of the central waterfront Collaborative Process.
In August 2008, the agencies’ presented the guiding principles and measures and the eight scenarios for
Commission review and discussion. In advance and in response, Port staff summarized the discussions
between the project team and the Port, including the Commission’s consistent statements about our
overarching tenets to maintain or enhance: system functionality, complementary system upgrades,
freight mobility, access to Port and other waterfront properties (including provision for growth in
business activity) and the seawall’s function. These tenets must be measured both for the final design
concept and for its construction impacts.
COMMISSION AGENDA
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
January 22, 2009
Page 2 of 2
In December 2008, the Commission heard from Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, and reviewed and
commented on the project team about the scenarios’ performance on the guiding principles and
measures. On December 16
th
, the Port Commission passed a motion recommending to the State, City,
and County that a Subsurface Hybrid option be retained for further study as part of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
and Seawall replacement project.
On January 6, 2009, Port staff updated the Commission on the anticipated process for the final
recommendation.
