McGinn

We already know that Seattle's new mayor would prefer an alternative to Microsoft's Windows operating system. Turns out he feels the same way about the company's strategy for regional transportation.

Responding to Microsoft's newly launched campaign to press forward with the existing 520 bridge replacement plan, Mayor Mike McGinn yesterday continued to lobby for a competing proposal that would put light rail on the bridge rather than dedicated HOV lanes for vehicles. He pointed to a recent talk in which Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates called on the world to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

"This is the type of shift that I think Bill Gates is calling for when he talks about global warming," McGinn said during a news conference yesterday afternoon, as reported by KING-TV and others.

The city has hired a consultant to study the alternative plan.

Microsoft points in part to the expected 18- to 24-month delay that would be required to switch to the new plan. Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, yesterday said it's time for the region to move ahead with a replacement for the bridge after more than a decade of planning. The company cites state warnings that the existing bridge could sink in a natural disaster.

Previously: Microsoft vs. McGinn on 520