At last, a fix for the "Mercer mess"; now let's take advantage of it

Sep 14, 2004

A view of the clogged traffic on Seattle's Mercer Street as drivers struggle east toward Interstate 5. (STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES, 2003)

By Grace Crunican

Special to The Times

"MERCER mess." These two words conjure up various images, unfortunately none good.

Our region has talked about the mess for decades. It's the muddle in the middle of Seattle.

For some, it's the source of frustration when trying to go to a Sonics game, the Pacific Northwest Ballet or any other Seattle Center event. For others, it's what you experience trying to get to a business in Fremont or Interbay. For Queen Anne and the growing Uptown community, it's a feeling of being held hostage by rush-hour backups.

And for those trying to get around on foot or on a bicycle, it's a hostile environment.

Today, the Seattle City Council will be presented with an opportunity to take an important step to change all this. Council members will be asked to move forward on a proposal to convert what is now a one-way Mercer Street into a widened two-way Mercer boulevard, with turn lanes. This simple step provides a variety of benefits. It:

• untangles streets that create barriers in the middle of Seattle;

• improves the flow of freight;

• reconnects a growing neighborhood in South Lake Union to the city;

• improves mobility for people in surrounding neighborhoods;

• supports transit, walking and biking.

A two-way Mercer boulevard also provides another benefit. It moves much of today's traffic off of Valley Street, which acts as a barrier to Seattle's and the region's newest waterfront park at Lake Union's southern tip.

This proposal enjoys broad support. The recently released South Lake Union Transportation Study found support from residents, small-business owners and others, not just in South Lake Union, but also from adjoining communities in Uptown, Queen Anne and elsewhere.

Many say it's time for city government to set a direction for the corridor and make the needed improvements. The Seattle Parks Foundation, which has a goal of raising funds for the new waterfront park, supports a two-way Mercer. And just last week, the South Lake Union Friends and Neighborhoods group unanimously endorsed a two-way Mercer.

We have talked about this issue for more than 40 years. And, in retrospect, the ideas for freeways and other approaches failed for good reason. Our thinking has changed. Today, we recognize that transportation solutions must address a balance of issues. We fail if we try to run speedways through neighborhoods. Our goal must be to balance different forms of transportation and connect, not divide, our neighborhoods.

With new jobs and housing growth in and near South Lake Union, we have an opportunity to rethink the corridor and act now to start fixing the mess.

With planning for replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, we have an opportunity to think boldly about improvements we can make from Highway 99 to Seattle Center — serving Seattle Center, connecting neighborhoods, creating livable communities in the center of the city, and making our street grid serve cars, trucks, transit and people.

At last, after 40 years, we have a solution. Let's not allow it to slip from our grasp.

Grace Crunican is director of the Seattle Department of Transportation.