Port considering outdated data in arena opposition

The Port of Seattle continues to fight the proposed SoDo
arena saying the increased congestion it would create
would be bad for business, but it might not have the facts
to back that up.

The port says the arena would interfere with its
operations, costing jobs and hurting expansion.

But The Seattle Times reports
the port has been using outdated information from old
traffic studies. The five studies the port has been using
in its opposition don’t really shed any light on how an
arena would impact traffic.

The port’s own regional transportation manager calls the
information “outdated.”

It has also said it hopes to add 100,000 jobs over the
next 25 years, but most of those would not be on the
waterfront.

The King County Council is planning to vote next week on a
proposal to invest $80 million in financing for the new
arena. The Seattle City Council has yet to schedule a
final vote.