I have never been a fan of basketball, but the Port of Seattle’s claims that a new arena will cost our region family wage jobs fail to identify the real problem.

There is no doubt that port traffic and sports fans are an issue, but are the issues caused by the sports fans or the port?

Although I do not work at the Port of Seattle itself, I have worked on port facilities and in the general area. There are problems with traffic gridlock and with the ability to efficiently move freight into and out of the area.

I do not doubt that adding a new arena and additional sports fans will adversely impact that already gridlocked traffic. However, the answer to me is not to block the new arena, but to address some of the issues that add to the gridlock.

Ten years ago I heard discussions of a redesign of the Port of Seattle, specifically in the area of Terminal 46. One of the issues discussed was how inefficient it was for the rail yard to be separated from the terminal itself, so containers would need to be shuttled over surface streets between the port and the rail hubs.

A redesign was discussed that would extend rail into the terminal and/or expand the port itself to include the existing hub. This would require moving surface traffic away from the water from the West Seattle Bridge to Terminal 46.

With changes also occurring with the viaduct/tunnel project, it makes much more sense to me to create partnerships to fix the real problems rather than remain siloed.

I propose that instead of opposing the new arena, the Port of Seattle sit down with the developers as well as DOT and SDOT to find real solutions that address the real problems.

Regardless if the arena is built there or not, port traffic does not now move with efficiency.

– Richard Hildreth