A Tale Of Two Cities: Fort Worth And....

No, not Fort Worth and Dallas. I'm talking about Fort Worth and Seattle.

One of the many things that makes living in a new location interesting is noticing how differently things are done.

Like Public Works projects.

Both Seattle and Fort Worth have projects in the works that involve water.

In Fort Worth the water project involves changing the Trinity River, obliterating two forks that join at the north side of downtown, making the confluence into a little lake, taking down the flood levees, building a flood diversion channel and some canals where housing and restaurants will be built, along with 3 new bridges.

Seattle's water-related project involves tearing down what is known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct, that being an elevated section of Highway 99 that runs along Seattle's downtown waterfront. The Alaskan Way Viaduct is of a similar design to San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway that came crashing down in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The Alaskan Way Viaduct was damaged during Seattle's last earthquake.

There has been one public vote in Seattle regarding replacement options. That vote did not settle the issue. Because it is a state highway, the state got involved. After a lot of debate the governor decided on a $4.2 billion tunnel option.

In a classic example of how differently things work up north, Elizabeth Campbell filed an initiative to prohibit replacing the viaduct with a tunnel. The Initiative was coincidentally named Initiative 99, like Highway 99. This initiative was filed the same day Governor Christine Gregoire and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and King County Executive Ron Sims announced the agreement to build the $4.2 billion tunnel.

Campbell has to get 17,968 signatures to have her initiative either adopted by the city council or sent to a public vote. Campbell thinks the tunnel option is ridiculous, preferring a cable-stay bridge over Elliot Bay.

Meanwhile, in Fort Worth, what is known as the Trinity River Vision has not been put to a single public vote. Though a lot of people think the vision is a boondoggle, there has been no attempt to force a vote, via petition or any other means. Fort Worth has snagged some pork barrel bucks, due to the machinations of Congresswoman Kay Granger, who's son runs the Fort Worth Vision, in what many consider an outrageous example of nepotism.

In these new, leaner times it is likely the Federal dollars will be cut from Fort Worth's Bridge to Nowhere. Unless, I would guess, Fort Worth's citizens finally get to vote and approve of the project, including taxing themselves to build it.

And then there is a third city. Dallas. Also with a Trinity River Vision. The citizens of Dallas have voted and approved of their vision. The first of 3 signature bridges is under construction.

I'm guessing Dallas is going to see its vision turn into a reality long before Fort Worth's Town Lake sees its first boat or the first car drives through Seattle's mile long $4.2 billion tunnel.

Unless another earthquake knocks down the Alaskan Way Viaduct, forcing a fast fix.

Dallas Trinity River Corridor Project & Fort Worth Trinity River Vision

It is strange, now, getting my Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex news from the Dallas Morning News, rather than the Fort Wort Star-Telegram. I've learned of all sorts of interesting things going on in the Dallas zone that I did not know about from reading the Star-Telegram.

Like a huge new arts complex (was it opera?) going up in what Dallas calls its Arts District. I find that way less pretentious sounding than Fort Worth's Cultural District.

And there is a very cool new bridge about to open, spanning across Lake Lewisville.

But the most interesting thing I've read in the Dallas paper, that is pretty much ignored in the Fort Worth paper, is the progress Dallas is making with their Trinity River Corridor Project.

The gestation of the 2 town's river projects is interesting. The vision came first to Dallas. If I remember right, originally it was called The Trinity River Vision Project. The plan was to turn a huge flood plain into a lake with recreational amenities. That has grown to being quite more complex and interesting.

A few years after Dallas had its vision, Fort Worth had one of its own. Fort Worth's started off being called, quite simply, "Town Lake." But as the vision grew clearer, Fort Worth figured out it needed a way to scam Federal dollars. And it was renamed "The Trinity River Vision." So, Dallas changed its projects name to "Dallas Trinity River Corridor Project." Soon Fort Worth's vision will likely become "Fort Worth Trinity River Corridor Project." After which, Dallas will change its name again. It's a vicious cycle here, between these two towns.

So, the Town Lake was overshadowed by the suddenly necessary, "River Diversion Channel," to prevent a flood, the likes of what happened in the early 50s, that the Army Corps of Engineers already fixed with massive dikes along the flood zone. So, Town Lake grew from a little lake to a lake with canals and a diversion channel. This required 3 new bridges. Just like Dallas.

Of course, the Fort Worth bridges are smaller than the Dallas bridges and cost way less.

It is pretty easy to see where the Fort Worth Vision may go blind during the likely upcoming period where the Feds get a bit more picky about handing out bucks to bridges that go nowhere. Or River Diversion Channels where none is needed.

Meanwhile, over at the official website of the Dallas Trinity River Corridor Project I found some of the type verbiage that made me cringe when I read it in the Fort Wort Star-Telegram. As in this Dallas project is "the most complex and the largest urban development effort undertaken by the city and it will make Dallas the envy of other large cities..."

Maybe it is a Texas thing. "Envy of." "Green with Envy." However, looking at the info about the Dallas Trinity Corridor Project and all that has already been done and what the goal is, I'm thinking that this Project is going to amp up Dallas' coolness and Dallas is already pretty darn cool.

For those of you who know Dallas, only through J.R. Ewing, well, you know the opening credits of Dallas, where you swoop across an open area and head to downtown Dallas with Reunion Tower standing tall? Well, that open area is the zone of the Trinity Corridor Project. Picture the opening of Dallas now, swooping across a series of lakes, forests of trees, trails and 3 unique bridges designed by internationally acclaimed architect, sculptor and engineer, Santiago Calatrava.

I really like what I've seen of the bridge designs. The first bridge is supposed to soon be under construction.

Meanwhile, here in Fort Worth, the vision continues. So far, near as I can tell, it involves using Eminent Domain to tear down some businesses. I don't know when a Town Lake is going to destroy Fort Worth's historic confluence of the West and Clear Forks of the Trinity River.