Monthly Archives: August 2013

Study: U.S. Air Pollution Causes 200,000 Early Deaths Annually

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

A study published this summer by the MIT Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment quantifies the startling health impact of air pollution on Americans’ health, finding that about 200,000 people die per year a decade before they otherwise would have. … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Energy, Policy, Transportation | Tagged air pollution, climate change, electricity generation, emissions, fossil fuels, industry, marine, MIT, pollution, power generation, premature deaths, rail, road transportation, study, vehicles | 1 Comment

Problems on SR-520 Floating Bridge Causing Delays, Cost Overruns

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

The project to replace the Governor Albert D. Rosellini/Evergreen Point Bridge, the world’s longest floating bridge, is facing costly delays due to design and construction problems by WSDOT and contractor Kiewit. Now due to open a year and a half … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Rail, Roads, Transportation | Tagged 520, Bellevue, bridge, concrete, construction, costs, delays, design, Eastside, engineering, floating bridge, funding, HOV, Kiewit, Lake Washington, lanes, light rail, new, pedestrian, rebar, replacement, Seattle, sound transit, State Route 520, steel, tolling, tolls, WSDOT | 6 Comments

New Columbia River Bridge Project Cancelled

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

The Columbia River Crossing, a joint venture between the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation, was recently cancelled. The project would have replaced the pair of Interstate 5 bridges, built in 1917 and and 1958, rebuilt several highway interchanges north … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Land Use, Rail, Roads, Transportation | Tagged bridge, bridge lift, cancellation, Coast Guard, Columbia River Crossing, congestion, corridor, freight, funding, Hayden Island, I-5, Interstate 5, legislature, light rail, Oregon, Portland, project, safety, ships, Vancouver, Washington | 2 Comments

Mixed-Use Project to Increase Urban Vitality in D.C.

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

For a little break from the Northwest we venture to the nation’s capital in the other Washington, where an exciting urban design project is under construction. On a 10-acre megablock previously home to a convention center, the CityCenterDC project will … Continue reading →

Posted in Density, Housing, Land Use, Mixed Use, Parks, Public Space, Sustainability | Tagged apartments, CityCenterDC, condominiums, condos, convention center, green roofs, hotel, LEED ND, mayor, mixed-use, neighborhood development, office, park, pedestrian, redevelopment, retail, urban design, Washington D.C. | Leave a comment

Seattle Waterfront Plan Remains Car-Centric

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

The Alaskan Way Viaduct in downtown Seattle, a concrete double-decker relic of the 1950s highway boom, was slated for removal after damage from the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. The WSDOT, in partnership with the City of Seattle, Port of Seattle, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Buses, Editorial, Government, Land Use, Landscape, Parks, Rail, Roads, Transportation | Tagged Alaskan Way, downtown, Highway 99, pedestrian, plan, Seattle, shoreline, street, tourism, transit, tunnel, urban design, viaduct, water, waterfront | 9 Comments

New Job, New Commute

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

Although I’ve been traveling to Seattle frequently this summer, today was special because it included my first full day at a new job. I am in a part-time student position at University of Washington Commuter Services, and my job is … Continue reading →

Posted in Buses, Editorial, Ferries, Parking, Rail, Roads, Transportation | Leave a comment

Washington State Ferries Upgrading Fleet

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

The Washington State Ferries (WSF) system is the largest of its kind in the United States, operating 22 vessels and carrying over 22 million passengers per year on 10 routes. The service is operated by the state Department of Transportation … Continue reading →

Posted in Ferries, Government, Roads, Transportation | Tagged Bremerton, budget, department of transportation, fares, fleet, Mosquito Fleet, MV Hyak, MV Samish, MV Tokitae, Olympic class, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Seattle, Washington State Ferries, WSDOT, WSF | 1 Comment

My Time at a City Committee Meeting

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

Currently and last summer I’ve had the unique opportunity to intern with my hometown planning department. This year an anonymous art donation prompted the new planning director, who is a graduate of the same program I will be attending, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Editorial, Government, Parks, Public Space, Roads | Leave a comment

Planning to Preserve Wilderness

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

Trees, mountains, streams, and wildlife. These attributes and the recreational opportunities offered by them are why many people choose to live in the Northwest. The abundance of wilderness areas in this region goes back to European colonization being only recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Density, Government, Housing, Land Use, Resources, Sustainability, Wilderness | Tagged agriculture, boundaries, city limits, conservation, density, forest service, forestry, growth management, law, logging, mining, national parks, naturalists, Oregon, outdoors, preservation, recreation, urban growth area, urban growth boundary, Washington, wilderness | 1 Comment

Proposed Coal Terminals Meet Opposition

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Scott Bonjukian

Energy companies’ plans to export coal to Asia is at the heart of an ongoing debate in the Pacific Northwest, with proposed shipping terminals and coal trains prompting a public outcry that pits environmental concerns against economic interests.

Posted in Climate, Energy, Government, Rail, Roads | Tagged activism, Asia, BNSF, coal dust, coal terminals, coal trains, ecology, energy, export, freight, power, public, Puget Sound, Seattle, traffic, transportation, Washington | 2 Comments