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The Port is pleased to be part of today’s announcement about the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep-bore tunnel. The project is critical to the future of our region and to the Port’s ability to stay competitive and create and retain the jobs that depend on our activities. I want to thank Governor Gregoire for her leadership, and extraordinary hard work.
I also want to thank Mayor Greg Nickels, County Executive Ron Sims, and the outstanding transportation teams at the city, county, state and the Port.
I especially want to express my appreciation to the many stakeholders throughout the community who have worked on this critical decision.
Today, the Port, the city, King County and the state are here together because we believe a healthy seaport, and a vibrant regional economy, can go hand in hand with a waterfront that’s open and inviting to all. This is our generation’s chance to do it right.
Elliott Bay is more than a beautiful natural asset -- it’s our gateway to the world. Local manufacturers like Genie Industries, hay and fruit growers in Eastern Washington, and our fishing and wood-products companies all depend on the Port to reach markets around the world.
The agreement in concept we announced today addresses the key priorities identified by the Port Commission in its December 15th motion on replacement of the Viaduct.
The Commission called for a solution that ensures access to the Port’s cargo, cruise and fishing terminals in the south and central portions of the waterfront, as well as Terminal 91 to the north.
We need strong connections for freight traffic between Duwamish, Interbay and Ballard. A robust and efficient transportation network in the south downtown and northwest industrial areas is essential, because businesses there provide critical support to the Port and our regional economy. Together, those industrial areas support 79,000 jobs.
We also must minimize construction disruption to the waterfront during the several years of construction, or risk losing cargo, tourism and other business.
In the face of the recession, it’s more critical than ever that we support projects that create sustainable economic and environmental benefits. The Port’s marine activities support more than 34,000 jobs right here in our community. Our seaport activities alone generate more than $210 million a year in state and local taxes.
And this spring, we’ll be opening our new cruise terminal at T-91 near Interbay. Our cruise business alone last year brought 210 vessel calls and nearly 890,000 passengers – generating $274 million in annual business revenue and 2,400 jobs.
To help sustain these operations, we need a robust and efficient transportation network in the south downtown and northeast industrial areas, because businesses there also provide critical support to the Port and our regional economy.
The proposed deep-bore tunnel-surface hybrid offers essential transportation capacity, along with expansion of transit and surface-street improvements. And the crumbling seawall will be restored.
Port staff members looked carefully at the options presented late last year - street and transit improvements only or a rebuilt elevated Viaduct. Technical analysis was clear: the surface option could not guarantee the capacity that Port facilities need to move goods and people efficiently. A rebuilt structure, on the other hand, would mean up to seven years of construction on the waterfront, disrupting the operations of countless businesses across the region.
Either way, the Port would likely lose shipping business, and the region would suffer a real economic loss.
I believe the wise course is a plan that says “yes’’ to becoming more competitive and creating a transportation system focused on moving people and commerce, not just moving cars.
As I mentioned earlier, the Commission has set a clear policy direction that an alternative to the viaduct must maintain capacity and access to the ports terminals.
With today’s agreement in concept, I am pledging to seek appropriate funding sources and work to secure the support and approval of the Commission for this vital project. The Commission will consider this proposal in a public process.
I can tell you our first task will be to look very carefully at raising the money from within our current budget – we owe it to taxpayers and our customers to scrub our capital-spending plan very carefully.
Success of the Viaduct project is essential to our business lines. But we will not short-change our cargo, fishing and cruise customers, nor will we step back from our obligation to protect air and water quality.
Ultimately, it will be up to the Port Commissioners whether to authorize this investment, and set the level of our commitment, and as more information becomes available, they will be able to better assess whether this proposal ensures the access and connectivity among our terminals that are vital to our competitiveness.
There is a lot of work ahead for all of us in this partnership. But an efficient transportation system that opens up access to our beautiful waterfront is a prize worth fighting for.
Tay Yoshitani, chief executive officer of the Port of Seattle, has spent his career in international trade and transportation.
