Seattle’s massive highway tunneling project delays while solutions are sought for the mechanical error that brought the project’s massive drilling machine, Bertha, to a halt. Some are starting to examine life after Bertha.
Ben Schiendelman sees solutions for the Bertha mess, and they don't involve fixing Bertha. In fact, the writer never agreed that the Washington State Department of Transportation's tunnel project was the best way to meet the capacity currently carried by the Alaskan Way Viaduct: "That’s just how cost-ineffective this tunnel really is – most of this capacity can be met with an order of magnitude less money. Sure, the trips in cars aren’t as fast, but the trips on transit are much faster..."
If the state pulled the plug on the tunnel project, there would be about $800 million leftover from the project. For $150 million, Schiendelman claims the state could accomplish three things that would meet the required 60,000 car-trip capacity of the viaduct: 1) Reconnecting the street grid in South Lake Union, 2) the Center City Connector, and 3) RapidRide bus priority projects. Schiendelman gets the 60,000 number from data recently released by the Seattle Department of Transportation.
FULL STORY: What Could $800 Million Do?
Bertha Finally Breaks On Through (To the Other Side)
The Bertha tunnel boring machine was once stuck under the city of Seattle for more than a year. Now it has reached its goal, four years after it began its journey.
Bertha on the Move Again in Seattle
Finally, a breakthrough we've all been waiting for: Bertha is on the move again in Seattle and will soon be ready for repairs. The tunnel Bertha was built to drill will have to wait, however.
How Seattle's 'Rose-tinted Fantasy' Threw Billions in Public Money Away
"Seattle is in the midst of a full-spectrum transportation fustercluck," writes David Roberts for Grist.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research