Cascadia's Agnew Weighs in on the Most Under-Reported Regional Stories of 2009

Mike Wussow

Last week, KUOW's Ross Reynolds show focused on the "Most Overlooked News of 2009." Cascadia Center's Bruce Agnew was asked to weigh in:

I'm not sure there was a bigger news story this year than the (Alaskan Way) Viaduct (replacement) deep-bore tunnel. Certainly, it was the biggest issue in the mayor's race. Yet there seemed to be precious little media attention to the difference between the deep-bore tunnel and the infamous Boston Big Dig, which was a much, much bigger, more complicated, multiple tunnel and bridge project. And later, there was no real media comparison to the tunnels completed here in Seattle, like the recently-completed Sound Transit Beacon Hill light rail tunnel, which came in on time and on budget. Certainly now, the media would do us all a favor comparing the difference between the Brightwater King County project (and the Viaduct replacement tunnel) in terms of (cost overrun) risk."

You can link to and listen to the full "Most Overlooked News of 2009" show here. Bruce Agnew's interview is near the end of the show.