Viaduct Debate

The debate was centered around three main issues concerning the proposed viaduct: democracy, the environment and economics. I am mostly persuaded by the environmental arguments that building the viaduct will encourage use of cars and ultimatly lead to increased conjestion and CO2 emmissions of Seattle's roads. However, the debate also made me think about increased city traffic leading to urban sprawl. As it stands now, in areas like Ballard, the city is focused on adding condos and apartments within limits--urban density over urban sprawl. As one Ballard resident said, we can either have more dense "city" environments or have houses all the way "from the Columbia to the Cascades." Increasing traffic flow and encouraging people to drive--whether these cars are environmentally "clean" or not--will encourage people to live farther away from their jobs or preferred leisure activities.