How Seattle's 'Rose-tinted Fantasy' Threw Billions in Public Money Away

"Like most megaprojects, Seattle's tunnel was sold to voters and city leaders through a rose-tinted fantasy that is already in shambles," writes David Roberts. "But no city or state leader seems willing to reverse course."

"That is typical. One of the main reasons transportation megaprojects end up being such nightmares is that leaders are terrified of abandoning sunk costs. (Has the term 'sunk costs' ever been more apropos?) They will keep throwing public money down holes even as disasters unfold. Anything is better than admitting a catastrophic mistake."

Not only was the project a mistake of engineering, according to Roberts, it's also an example of bad planning. "Seattle does not need an urban highway, any more than San Francisco, Milwaukee, Portland, Vancouver, Madrid, or Seoul needed theirs. They tore theirs down and the traffic jams did not materialize. Instead their urban cores became more walkable and pleasant, so they attracted more people, more businesses, and more tax revenue. Cities work best when designed for the people who live in them, not the people trying to get through them as quickly as possible."