Nov. 26, 2007 at 12:08am

Dueling Sound Transit "Artist Renditions"

One of the recent criticisms of the proposed Sound Transit line is of the over reliance of the overhead computer generated "artist renditions" that have been submitted to the public:

The problem is that such a view does not show the blight and effective barrier on the street level which will effectively sever the Dome District.  Few of us will be flying over the overpass at 200 feet.

Planning Commissioner David Boe has sent around a photograph indicating what a realistic overpass would look like so someone on the ground.

This view illustrates how foreboding such an overpass is.  Few would want to walk under it unless they had car trouble and were forced to.  Here's another submission by Sound Transit, yet even this view is far above street level.

Tacoma may want to look at the example of  the city of San Francisco who removed their Embarcadero Freeway.  Here's how it looked before:

After the removal, much of the crime and drug activity disappeared and the area fluorished for people and businesses.





Here is a clip on the compelling reasons why San Francisco removed Embarcadero Freeway elevated highway.  Watching the video makes it hard to believe Tacoma would willingly allow a "dead zone" to be created in the Dome District after it has been a high priority of many cities to remove such blight inducing structures. 

The clip also discusses an elevated structure in NY that was recently removed.  Of course, the City of Seattle is working hard (against the state) to remove the elevated viaduct.