February 2007

administrator's picture

Steinbrueck Will Leave Office to Campaign for Waterfront (The Stranger)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Erica C. Barnett, "Steinbrueck Will Leave Office to Campaign for Waterfront," The Stranger (27 Feb 2007)

On Tuesday, February 27, three-term Seattle City Council Member Peter Steinbrueck announced that he will not seek reelection to the council later this year. Instead, Steinbrueck says, he will work full time to promote the surface/transit option to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, an option that has gained momentum as opposition to a new elevated viaduct and a politically moribund tunnel has grown.

administrator's picture

Live from Steinbrueck's Announcement (Slog)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Erica C. Barnett, "Live from Steinbrueck's Announcement," Slog: The Stranger's Blog (27 Feb 2007)

Earlier Tuesday, Steinbrueck told me that he hopes to build a large coalition between the various environmental and urban-planning groups that currently oppose the new elevated viaduct, one of two options on the ballot March 13. Those include pro-surface/transit groups like the People’s Waterfront Coalition, Friends of Seattle, and the Sierra Club, as well as more mainstream environmental groups like Transportation Choices and Futurewise, which both support the mayor’s tunnel. “Until we get the election behind us, we can’t really jell into a larger, more powerful civic coalition,” Steinbrueck said.

Read the whole thing.

administrator's picture

Vesely Picks Winners, Losers, and Changes Steinbrueck's Position (HorsesAss.org)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Will, "Vesely Picks Winners, Losers, and Changes Steinbrueck's Position," HorsesAss.org (25 Feb 2007)

James Vesely, the Seattle Times columnist who referred to Darcy Burner as “Miss Bruner” several times during the Reichert-Burner debate he moderated last fall, comes to some odd conclusions in his Sunday column... Then there’s this: "The most passionate, emotional voice for the tunnel is Peter Steinbrueck’s; the calmest and most logical against a tunnel is Nick Licata’s. Go figure."

That’s weird. I was standing 10 feet away from Peter at a Friends of Seattle event when he bashed the hell out of th tunnel. You see, Peter’s for the “surface plus transit” option.

Read the whole thing.

administrator's picture

What Needs Fixing Is City/State Relationship (Seattle P-I)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Cathy Sorbo, "What Needs Fixing Is City/State Relationship," Seattle P-I (24 Feb 2007)

Wherever the traffic is supposed to flow while these freeways are being built, is where the traffic flow should stay. Vote no on the tunnel, and no on the rebuild. Let's fix our surface streets and public transportation problems once and for all. A double-no vote on March 13 shows a willingness to be fiscally responsible, even if the cost of this vote may run upward of $1 million. It will send a message to (insert any government player name here) that Seattle needs to stop accommodating the automobile. Someday someone might be able to explain why the surface street plan as favored by the People's Waterfront Coalition as well as the Friends of Seattle has been virtually ignored by all but a few civic leaders. It's inexcusable that this option is unallowed on the March 13 freeway poll, and I hope some of us will write it in.

Read the whole thing.

administrator's picture

Viaduct Groups Step Up Pre-Vote Pressure (Seattle P-I)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Larry Lange, "Viaduct Groups Step Up Pre-Vote Pressure," Seattle P-I (23 Feb 2007)

Two other groups, Friends of Seattle and the new Repair and Prepare Viaduct Plan, advocate voting against both the viaduct and tunnel ballot options and searching for other solutions. Friends of Seattle President and viaduct opponent Gary Manca says he's heard some voters say they'll do just that, either to force repairs to the existing viaduct or to tear it down and force traffic onto city streets, as Friends of Seattle prefers.

Read the whole thing.

administrator's picture

Local Democrats Urge 'No' on Both Viaduct Options (Seattle Times)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Bob Young, "Local Democrats Urge 'No' on Both Viaduct Options," Seattle Times (22 Feb 2007)

Democratic activists aren't the only ones souring on the ballot options.

The Sierra Club said Wednesday it's mailing postcards to its 8,000 members in Seattle urging "no-no" votes, saying neither option would be good for the waterfront or the environment. Friends of Seattle, a new group of urban activists, is calling for two "no" votes.

Read the whole thing.

administrator's picture

New Group Says Vote No and No Again to Stop Tunnel and Rebuild (Seattle Times)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

David Postman, "New Group Says Vote No and No Again to Stop Tunnel and Rebuild," Seattle Times (19 Feb 2007)

A new green-leaning group has formed to campaign against both viaduct options on the March ballot. NoAndHellNo.org is a grassroots effort that is running a do-it-yourself campaign with printable signs on its site. Organizers aren't asking for any money... The Sierra Club, Friends of Seattle, and People's Waterfront Coalition have endorsed the campaign.

Read the whole thing.

administrator's picture

Seattle Will Get Its Viaduct Vote (Seattle P-I)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Larry Lange, "Seattle Will Get Its Viaduct Vote," Seattle P-I (16 Feb 2007)

Seattle will get its advisory vote on replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct -- and with its results, perhaps one more card to play in the high-stakes game over state Route 99... Councilman David Della acknowledges that the vote may not be conclusive. City residents will vote up or down on either the elevated highway or the tunnel, separately, raising the possibility that either option could receive a favorable majority of the votes cast for it.

"I've been in meetings where people have said to vote no on both," Della said. Friends of Seattle, an urban-issues group, is advocating just that.

Read the whole thing.

administrator's picture

Friends of Seattle Decides to 'Double-Down' (HorsesAss.org)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Will, "Friends of Seattle Decides to 'Double-Down,' HorsesAss.org (15 Feb 2007)

FoS is advocating a ‘No-No’ vote on the pointless and stupid (and expensive) vote this March. From a press release:

Friends of Seattle announces that it will recommend to its members that they vote NO on Measure 1 to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel and NO on Measure 2 for an elevated replacement.

administrator's picture

In the Hall: No and Hell No (The Stranger)

Friends of Seattle is in the news.

Erica C. Barnett, "In the Hall: No and Hell No," The Stranger (14 Feb 2007)

At last week's launch party for Friends of Seattle, a new group that aims to unite the issues of density and livability (good luck with that), more than 200 people jammed into the back room of a Belltown bar whose regular clientele is more likely to arrive by stretch Hummer than bike. The buzz that night was all about the Alaskan Way Viaduct, visible just 50 yards to the west of the high windows.