Is Microsoft working at cross purposes with company chairman Bill Gates?

Today, a full-page ad in the Seattle Times calls for construction to begin on a new, larger 520 bridge, painting an ominous scenario if we don’t. The ad says “there is finally an agreed-upon design and funding plan for a new bridge, and the state is ready to begin construction”—which is not exactly true.* In the photo, a storm whips up whitecaps on Lake Washington; in the text below, the ad says, “state engineers warn that it could sink in a major storm or earthquake.” (The full text appears after the jump.)

The ad goes on to print the phone number of the mayor's office, the legislative hotline, and a website advocating to build the bridge without delay.

Below that, the page reads: “This ad paid for by Microsoft.” An ad rep at the Seattle Times couldn't quote the price that Microsoft paid for the ad, but he said that the standard rate for a full-color, full page weekday ad is $23,055.

This is an odd position for the company to take, considering widely reported recent statements from its leader.

At the annual TED conference (video), Gates said: “Now we put out a lot of carbon dioxide every year—over 26 billion tons. For each American, it's about 20 tons, for people in poor countries it's less than one ton. It's an average about five tons for everyone on the planet. And somehow we have to make changes that will bring that down to zero. It's been constantly going up, it's only various economic changes that have even flattened it at all. So we have to go from rapidly rising, to falling and falling all the way to zero.”

Which is it, Microsoft? Your company wants a wider freeway—one that the state estimates will accommodate 500 more cars per hour at peak times than the current bridge does—with a design that allows it to expand to eight lanes of vehicle traffic, further doubling auto capacity. But your chairman publicly lectures on the pursuit of zero carbon emissions. If "somehow we have to make changes," building a bigger, anti-transit freeway is a terrible way to do it.

* Suburban and rural lawmakers have agreed on a plan, however, much of Seattle’s legislative delegation, the mayor, and the city council (even those council members who think construction can proceed on part of the bridge) say the design must change. That’s not “an agreed-upon design.” Moreover, proponents of a wider bridge that contains no lanes exclusively for transit, or any light rail, keep banging the drum that there have been 13 years of planning. But the planning produced a bad design: one that generates more traffic with nowhere to put it and one that ignores the rail network that's been in development for years. Bad planning is terrible excuse for a bad design.

It's Time for Action on the 520 Bridge

Let's Move!

We've known for many years that the aging Highway 520 Floating Bridge must be replaced-to ensure the safety of the public and a reliable transportation system for the region. After 13 years of deliberation and outreach, there is finally an agreed-upon design and funding plan for a new bridge, and the state is ready to begin construction. Contracts are in place to begin building the new bridge pontoons in Grays Harbor County. We commend Governor Gregoire, state legislators, and local leaders who have helped bring this important project closer to reality.

While there are still some final design issues that need to be resolved with the City of Seattle, we should not let last-minute objections undermine the hard-won agreements already in place for the rest of the project. Doing so would cause yet more delay, increase the cost to taxpayers, and put this vital transportation and economic corridor at risk. The current bridge is 47 years old, and state engineers warn that it could sink in a major storm or earthquake.

Microsoft is part of a broad coalition of civic leaders and organizations that is urging decisive action now. Please join us in sending a clear message to our leaders in Olympia and Seattle: It's time to move forward so we can start construction on the new 520 bridge.