Licata: “Let’s Rethink Mercer West & Save $50 Million”

The Mayor isn’t the only one trying to wrestle down costs from expensive transportation projects. The City Council’s Nick Licata wants to take another look at what’s called Mercer West, which is supposed to cost in the neighborhood of $100 million. As the city faces cutting over $50 million from the budget next year alone, Licata hopes major savings might be realized by living within our underpass means. He writes in his Urban Politics newsletter:

The current Mercer West design would convert Mercer to 2-way traffic east of Dexter, and expand the underpass under Aurora from four to six lanes for the two blocks from Dexter to 5th. It also includes bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Most of the cost is for the underpass; re-striping Mercer west of 5th isn’t that complicated or expensive. 

Don’t we need the extra lanes, you might ask? Bottlenecks, and all that?

It may be possible to attain project goals without the underpass, since the state is funding three new crossings over Aurora at John, Thomas and Harrison between Mercer and Denny as part of the Viaduct replacement project. This adds six lanes of crossings over Aurora, three in each direction, and counterbalances the four lanes of Broad Street likely to be removed.

Licata told KING 5 news that living with the existing set-up could save $50 million all on its own. Licata has been a long-time critic of the expense and funding of the entire Mercer project, without gaining much traction. But the city’s deficit could turn out to be all the traction he needs, as people look for more than face-saving belt-tightening from public officials.