Earlier this week, Governor Gregoire threatened she will simply tear down the Alaska Way Viaduct by 2012, if it is not replaced before that.

While Seattlites have been debating the merits of her threat (and whether she will even be in office in 2012), I found another part of her statements somewhat puzzling….and they need some correction lest Rentonites somehow take them at face value.

The Governor is quoted as saying:

“We really are fundamentally not efficient and effective now. Our offramps from I-5 are not efficient to the flow of traffic. What international city do we know of that would have two-way traffic in downtown? What international city do we know of that would have street parking in the middle of downtown?”

If I understand correctly, the governor is implying we need to get rid of Seattle’s remaining two-way street traffic, and on-street parking, to make Seattle an international city.

Knowing this did not seem right, I made a quick run-through of a few of travel photos:

Taipei (from Taipei 101, tallest building in the world)

Paris

Paris… (Champs Elysees)

Singapore

I could have published photo’s from many, many other international city that show two-way traffic and street parking in downtown.

I don’t think that going to one-way streets and getting rid of parking should be the answer to our traffic woes, in Seattle or in Renton.

I also don’t think the Governor should tear down the viaduct without a good plan in place… I don’t want Seattle to jump in front of I-405 in the funding race just because the Governor says “It’s coming down in 2012. I’m taking it down — the middle”.

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