South – S. Spokane Street to X. Xxxxxxxx Street The locations of the parks, recreation facilities, and public shoreline access points in the south section are shown on Exhibit 4‐2.
South – S. Spokane Street to X. Xxxxxxxx Street The Tunnel Alternative analyzed in the Draft EIS is similar to both the stacked and side‐by‐side tunnel alignments between S. Atlantic Street and S. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Way. SR 99 would be at‐grade with full‐access elevated ramps for the local streets to cross the highway and elevated streets parallel to SR 99 to connect the elevated ramps. Differences in the current design that result in changes in effects, as compared to the Draft EIS discussion, include the following.
South – S. Spokane Street to X. Xxxxxxxx Street The current proposal is a surface roadway that extends from S. Spokane Street to approximately X. Xxxxxxxx Street. The Draft EIS Aerial Alternative incorporated a double‐level aerial structure that began south of X. Xxxxxxx Street. Differences in impacts between the two include the following. Waterfront Bicycle/Pedestrian Facility: The Elevated Structure Alternative incorporates a modified trail location as compared to the Draft EIS Aerial Alternative, which included a multipurpose asphalt pathway from X. Xxxx Street to S. Atlantic Street west of the aerial structure. The current proposal would provide a separate multipurpose trail in a similar configuration to the updated Tunnel Alternative. It would be located west of the new roadway from X. Xxxxxxxx Street, then would be routed under the southbound off‐ ramp and continue adjacent to SR 99 under the elevated structure that carries the ramps serving S. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Way and S. Atlantic Street. The route has few visual amenities, such as landscaping, and little or no opportunities for enjoyment of scenery. The proposed route would have considerable noise levels, especially where noise would reverberate from the elevated structure carrying S. Atlantic Street and S. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Way. Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail: In the SODO Ramps area, the trail under the Elevated Structure Alternative would be similar to the trail under the updated Tunnel Alternative. Pedestrians would use the sidewalks and crosswalks on the S. Atlantic Street overcrossing and continue until they reach the Alaskan Way surface street. Alternatively, trail users could use the sidewalks and bicycle lanes on First Avenue to cross under the elevated structure and cross the surface street at X. Xxxx Street. Both routes would have less visual interest than the existing multipurpose trail.
South – S. Spokane Street to X. Xxxxxxxx Street Compared to the 2004 Draft EIS Appendix I, Social Resources Technical Memorandum, the north boundary of the project’s south section changed from X. Xxxx Street to X. Xxxxxxxx Street, four blocks to the south near the south portal of the updated Tunnel Alternative.
South – S. Spokane Street to X. Xxxxxxxx Street The south section of the Elevated Structure Alternative is slightly different from the Rebuild Alternative described in the Draft EIS. The configurations proposed include either reconfiguring the Whatcom Railyard or relocating the railyard and the tail track. In addition, the SODO Ramps would not be a full‐ access interchange, as they have no southbound on‐ or northbound off‐ramps near X. Xxxxxxxx Street.
