Mayor Mike McGinn's office today released a set of questions regarding the deep bore tunnel project, meant to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct. According to his office it was felt that in the absence of a formal debate (which Councilmember Conlin declined last week), or public forum where these issues can be openly discusssed, it was appropriate to put these questions out to the public.
To learn more about the proposed project see this Washington State Department of Transportation page.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/viaduct/

Questions regarding the state's deep-bore tunnel project

An open public discussion of whether or not Seattle residents should worry about the prospect of cost overruns on the tunnel is still important. Here are some of the questions that need to be asked before it is too late:

Why did the state cap its contribution to the tunnel at $2.4 billion and make Seattle taxpayers responsible to pay for cost overruns?

How can the City Council protect Seattle taxpayers from paying for cost overruns on the project?

How can the city manage a state project to prevent cost overruns?

Given the cap in state law, how would the state legally pay more than $2.4 billion for the project?

Why has the state shifted risk on the performance bonds away from itself and the contractor and onto Seattle?

What is the cause of cost overruns on other megaprojects? Is it as proponents claim due to delay? Are there other causes?

What is the state doing differently here than on other megaprojects to prevent overruns?

What will happen if the tunneling machine gets stuck underground? Who will pay? How will it be resolved?

If Seattle has to pay for cost overruns, how would the city pay for them? What taxes would the City Council raise, or what programs would it cut?