Advocates are watching intently to see how the Seattle City Council will modify the $1.45 billion, eight-year transportation levy that Mayor Bruce Harrell’s administration added finishing touches to early this month. The council’s select committee on the levy, made up of all nine councilmembers, has just three scheduled meetings left before a final vote on the proposal is scheduled in early July, in time to meet the county’s deadline to send it to the ballot this November. So far, signals from councilmembers about their specific priorities have been few and far between.
Late last week, committee chair Rob Saka (D1, West Seattle) sent out a list of six “guiding principles” that he says he’s using to approach the levy renewal. Saka will be shepherding the amendments over the coming weeks, and many councilmembers will likely be following his lead. Number one on his list of principles? “Recognize the importance of ALL modes of travel.”
“Walking, biking, transit, cars, trucks (including those moving critical cargo and freight!), and more,” Saka continued. “We must expand transportation choices and incentives to keep us all moving safely and efficiently.”
Many Seattle transportation advocacy groups already find the Mayor’s proposal to be out of balance, with less than 40% of the funding set to be spent on pedestrian, bike, transit, and traffic safety programs. They want a larger levy with at least 50% dedicated to safety upgrades and transit. Advocates point to independent polling that shows that a $1.9 billion levy, 30% larger than the one the Harrell administration has proposed, with majority support if respondents are told about additional transportation investments that could be funded.
While his exact funding priorities are unclear, Saka is hinting at making more than minor changes to the Mayor’s proposal.
