Avoiding the boondoggle of Seattle traffic takes years of foresight

It takes a lot of foresight to avoid Seattle construction projects that could have a huge impact on day-to-day life.

But that’s exactly what 710 ESPN’s Danny O’Neil and his wife had, before the waterfront tunnel project began causing problems for Seattle residents.

“My wife and I lived in West Seattle for 10 years,” O’Neil told KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney. As soon as the viaduct project was announced, O’Neil’s wife said they were moving. “‘We’re not going to deal with this,'” O’Neil repeated.

So the two headed over to Capitol Hill, about five blocks from where the Sound Transit light rail station is located. The station at Broadway and John Street is reportedly on-schedule and could even be completed early. It is part of the 3.2-mile University Link project that will connect with the Westlake Station downtown and Husky Stadium.

So O’Neil and his wife uprooted themselves on the hunch that the tunnel project &#8212 now behind schedule &#8212 would backfire?

“It wasn’t a hunch,” O’Neil said. “It was 20 years of history of living in the Seattle boondoggle and understanding the process.”

When the city says something will be complete in two-and-a-half years, it really means it hopes to complete the project in that time, O’Neil pointed out.

Now, the O’Neil family is preparing to welcome a light rail station.

“It’s almost like the Death Star: Fully operational,” he quipped, before crediting his wife’s decision to move.

OK, so Capitol Hill will have a light rail station. But what’s with all the bike lanes and the street car nobody will use, Tom asked. Either way, a light rail station being finished on time and reportedly under budget is a success story, he added.

Maybe now the boring machine, Brenda, that dug the light rail station can go help out her big sister, Bertha, on the Seattle waterfront.