SDOT’s plan for adding barricades ahead of this summer’s World Cup leans heavily on planters and movable barricades. While the infrastructure could ultimately form a template for longer-term upgrades, these changes look to be quick and dirty and aimed at protecting pedestrians as Seattle opens itsel
The full list of 430 levy-funded projects across Seattle was mostly assembled before Mayor Katie Wilson took office. But it contains significant opportunities for the new administration to shape transportation investments over the years ahead.
While the upgrades wouldn’t happen all at once, and would only go in as other maintenance work occurs, the proposed concept sets a strong baseline for one of the state’s most dangerous surface highways.
The governor’s proposed $3 billion in bonds would add onto a Washington state transportation budget that already allocates nearly 12% to debt service. With a 60% vote needed to authorize, the idea will likely face considerable skepticism at the state legislature.
Rainier Avenue has too many cars traveling at dangerous speeds, but conventional planning practices make it hard to change that and design a future where Rainier Avenue thrives. Let’s stop making harmful assumptions, Anna Zivarts writes.
A trove of documents obtained from City of Seattle through public disclosure requests shows work is proceeding gradually but steadily inside the transportation department to take advantage of Washington State’s new Shared Streets Law. Pedestrianizing a number of streets could be around the corner.
Seattle Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson’s transportation platform is bold and visionary, and she will need ongoing community support to achieve it. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways shares some ideas on how she can get started.
Tacoma’s recent election elevated two urbanist-backed progressives, which could buoy efforts to expand housing, roll out street safety upgrades, and improve transit. The Urbanist chatted with Tacoma Mayor-Elect Anders Ibsen and incoming Councilmember Latasha Palmer about their plans.
Lowering speed limits on residential streets to 20 mph has already been implemented in cities like Seattle, Portland, and Tacoma, and has been associated with a significant drop in high-end speeding. The Bothell City Council endorsed making the change citywide, pushing back on the idea of implementi
Which Washington cities have the deadliest streets and roads may surprise you. Puyallup, Lynnwood and Olympia are by far the most dangerous cities for people walking and biking based on per capita serious crash rate. Travis Merrigan breaks down the data.
Flanked by a crowd of transit advocates, Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck announced a “Better Bus Lanes” campaign on Wednesday, demanding expanded and improved bus lanes on the city’s busiest routes. The press event took place at the site of a recent victory by bus advocates: a new bus la
While Bruce Harrell is touting a drop in the number of pedestrian deaths in Seattle last year, that number has shot up again in 2025. And despite his promotion of safety spending in a newly approved transportation levy, his legacy on the issue of traffic safety likely won’t be known for years.
A major intersection redesign near Seward Park was ready to go to construction with a Mayor’s Office review the only impediment, records show. The exchanges reveal what was happening behind the scenes as the public was kept in the dark about the future of upgrades on the high-profile corridor.
People on bikes can finally connect from Little Saigon to Jefferson Park in their own protected lane, with future connections planned to the north and south. Concerns about lost parking on 15th Avenue S almost doomed the project.
An extension of the Georgetown to South Park Trail and a new two-way protected bike lane on E Marginal Way would finally provide a safe connection to the First Avenue S bridge. The project is an early litmus test for the new Seattle Transportation Levy.
In pushing back on a requirement to adopt a Complete Streets ordinance to compete for infrastructure grant dollars, Medina’s leaders clearly saw a threat of changes being forced on the city. The wealthy enclave doesn’t appear to want to change.
SDOT’s latest report indicates the agency is envisioning the future of Aurora Avenue N to look nearly exactly the same as it has for the last 100 years: a dangerous, high speed, six- to seven-lane highway. Seattle needs to do better.
Over 1,500 people have been seriously injured or killed in crashes along Rainier Avenue S in the last decade. The upgraded transportation levy approved by voters last fall represents an opportunity to truly transform the street… if city leaders grab it.
Since the 2023 Seattle council elections, a new dynamic has been taking shape in which extra deference is given to policy decisions made by the seven district-based councilmembers within their own district. If that shift continues, it could have dramatic impacts on how projects and programs are prio
The City of Seattle quietly dropped speed cushions and other traffic safety treatments from long-made plans after months of radio silence. The backpedal received swift pushback from some District 2 city council candidates.
Seattle Parks and Recreation rolled out plans to add traffic calming to Lake Washington Boulevard last year. But traffic safety advocates are pushing for answers after installation of those upgrades stopped midway through without explanation.
As the city prepares to celebrate the grand opening of the full Seattle Waterfront revamp, the only planned direct connection between downtown and the waterfront is set to remain uncompleted. At the center of the issue is an antiquated traffic signal.
A newly signed Washington State law aims to “improve safety for young drivers” by expanding access to driver’s education and raising the minimum age at which new drivers can get a license without completing a formal driver’s education course.
The proposal for a 0.1% sale tax hike comes in response to structural issues with King County’s budget, and would generate around $100 million annually. Half would fund maintenance on unincorporated roads, and the other half is likely to go to safety upgrades at Metro.
The fully completed plan, intended to provide an array of strategies that would advance Pierce County toward a goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries by 2035, was only approved by a 4-3 vote last week.
Car access to Pike Place’s main corridor will be restricted to loading vehicles, emergency access, and people accessing ADA parking. The Market is calling the move a “test and learn” opportunity that could open the door to long-term pedestrianization.
New types of traffic cameras allowed by the state legislature have the potential to lead to big safety gains in Seattle — but a potential clash over how those cameras are deployed could be on the horizon. SDOT and transportation chair Rob Saka are not seeing eye to eye.
Lori Markovitz shares how House Bill 1596 could have saved her son by requiring anti-speeding technology for motorists with records of reckless driving. The bill needs to pass the state Senate by Wednesday to avoid a cutoff and become law in Washington state.
New legislation in Olympia could help us rethink and reclaim the street as a true public easement. If passed and its provisions delivered, we can look forward to streets that are not only more welcoming of public life, but a lot less deadly to all users.
In 2020, Rob Saka advocated against proposed safety infrastructure along a critical greenway in West Seattle. This week, the issue resurfaced, and Saka, now a city councilmember and chair of the transportation committee, again railed against traffic diverters.
Ray Delahanty of CityNerd takes a look at what Hoboken, New Jersey has been doing on safety. Across the river from New York City, the city hasn’t been a road fatality since 2019 and has worked hard to implement Vision Zero redesigns on streets citywide.
Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler has presented car-centric preliminary designs for the 6th Street project, with no alternative building sidewalks and bike lanes to state safety standards. Travis Merrigan argues the Bremerton City Council should press the City to study such an option.
The permanent renewal of Tacoma’s Streets Initiative would enable the city to make significant progress on overhauling its most dangerous streets, and significantly expand safe bicycle infrastructure. The ballot measure goes to voters in an April 22 special election.
A recent peer-reviewed study of identical twins illustrated the value of living in a walkable neighborhood, showing a strong correlation between walkable neighborhoods, time spent walking, and positive health outcomes. Simply put, it appears that people tend to lead healthier lives in walkable neigh
The 2025 delivery plan for the first year of the Seattle Transportation Levy spells out a broad array of projects that will enter the pipeline this year.
Raised crosswalks and flashing beacons are set to be installed this summer at Judkins Park’s I-90 ramps, which are steps from the forthcoming light rail station.
The idea of slowing drivers along one of the city’s most scenic waterfront routes had been seen as the compromise position, in the face of competing visions for Lake Washington Boulevard. But behind-the-scenes, the upgrades have been under attack.
Bike and scooter riders have been waiting a long time for the separated pathway along Downtown Seattle’s waterfront to open. The wait is set to continue for another few months.
Greg Spotts is the latest SDOT Director to leave the city after a short stint, departing after overseeing a strong finish on the $930 million Levy to Move Seattle.
Washington State could be set to pay a significant price for decades of underinvesting in basic maintenance of the state transportation system, outgoing WSDOT head Roger Millar said.
Sound Transit plans to make a series of spot improvements over the next few years intended to improve safety at its at-grade stations in the Rainier Valley. But multiple board members are pushing the agency to think much bigger.
A new “Target Zero” safety roadmap for reducing serious injuries and fatalities on Washington’s roads includes some clear, evidence-based recommendations. But implementation could be challenging given political realities.
Washington State’s transportation chief Roger Millar is out after eight years, as Governor-elect Bob Ferguson prepares to take office. Widely recognized as a leader in progressive transportation policy, Millar will be tough to replace.
King County Metro is testing out on-board cameras that capture license plates in order to issue citations for violations of bus only lanes. It’s the first transit agency in Washington to try out this technology.
Saka is pushing to earmark $2 million in existing funding to remove a hardened barrier on Delridge Way SW, providing left turn access to a preschool used by Rob Saka’s family. The proviso is apparently Saka’s top priority this budget, but would reduce street safety.
Recently completed Bremerton street projects have fallen well short of modern safety standards. The projects fail to shorten crosswalk distances, slow traffic speed, or protect cyclists with more than paint.
The Bike Bellevue plan was set to repurpose a lane on a minor downtown street to create a safe space for people on bikes. Then Kemper Development got involved.
Cyclist Steve Hulsman died after being struck by an SUV in West Seattle on December 21. His widow, Rita Hulsman, urges Seattle residents to vote YES on the Keep Seattle Moving levy to prevent future deaths.
Tacoma’s $900,000 budget for Vision Zero is set to be slashed to $90,000 as the City prioritizes other areas for funding, leaving the Grit City without a dedicated revenue source for safety upgrades.
Several high profile officials are pushing for the next update to the central Puget Sound’s Regional Transportation Plan to be more transformative than it might otherwise have been. The plan sways which projects get grants.
The groundbreaking for the RapidRide J between Downtown, Eastlake, and the U District marks the last RapidRide project scheduled to open in Seattle this decade.
A plan to expand the number of school zone speed cameras has been in the works for nearly two years. But Councilmember Rob Saka is raising questions about the idea and funds allocated to make it happen.
Renton wants to spur development around the planned Sound Transit bus rapid transit station in South Renton. But considerable hurdles stand in the way of creating a truly multimodal neighborhood in that location.
Bellevue is positioned to lead on traffic safety so long as it makes investments in safer roads. This fall’s budget is a great time to start.
Transportation advocacy and business groups alike are supporting Seattle’s Prop 1, the $1.55 billion renewal of the city’s transportation levy.
Fire departments rightly get high praise for fighting fires, rescuing people, and saving lives. But North American fire departments have been resistant to change when it comes to the vehicles they use and street design. As a consequence, they’re getting people killed, Jason Slaughter at Not Just Bikes shows.
Ryan Packer broke down local “Vision Zero” traffic safety campaigns on a recent episode of the Hacks and Wonks podcast.
WSDOT Secretary Roger Millar is asking for a dedicated funding source to fix the most dangerous state highways in Washington, laying down a $150 million per year benchmark.
The Seattle Department of Transportation has wrapped up work on a new bike connection between Judkins Park and Mount Baker. Its roots can be traced back to a vision the Seattle City Council moved forward in 2019.
It had looked like the idea of reallocating street space to bike lanes was off the table in Bellevue, but a city council discussion last week restarted the debate.
Seattle Councilmember Bob Kettle has asserted that projects intended to improve traffic safety can negatively impact emergency response. The data to back it up is not there.
With the loss of the SoDo Busway for Sound Transit light rail expansion, 4th Avenue S in SoDo will have to accommodate dozens of additional buses per hour. The Seattle Department of Transportation is pushing for a plan that won’t worsen safety on the street.
A “Safe Systems” motion from King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci would prompt county government to harness the power of every department to help reduce deadly and serious-injury traffic crashes.
Safety-focused changes to busy Bel-Red Road, an unavoidable corridor for many Bellevue residents, were taken off the table by a 3-2 vote of the Bellevue Transportation Commission last week.
With Bellevue backsliding on many of its prior commitments to improve safety and multimodal connectivity, a coalition of advocates are trying to get things back on track. The group is seeking bigger investments in the city’s next biennial budget.
It’s official: Voters this fall will get to weigh in on whether Seattle should invest $1.55 billion over eight years to improve transportation infrastructure, with most funding allocated to road and bridge maintenance.
The transportation levy on Seattle ballots this fall won’t grow beyond $1.55 billion, despite a push by transportation advocacy groups to go bigger. A Morales-backed amendment to increase the levy’s size failed Tuesday.
Since Ann Davison took over as Seattle City Attorney, the office has been much slower in prosecuting drunk drivers. While her office blames the state toxicology lab, it appears her office is not making DUI cases a priority.
WSDOT is scrapping the planned SR 520 bike and pedestrian tunnel, forcing people who travel outside cars into dangerous territory. It’s not too late to push back and contact policymakers.
Councilmember Tammy Morales offered a new proposal Thursday for a $1.7 billion transportation levy that increases spending across a broad array of programs. None of her colleagues have yet backed the proposal.
Anna Zivarts recently published When Driving Isn’t an Option with Island Press, a book outlining her experience as a low-vision nondriver and shining a light on the frustrating, dangerous, and sometimes deadly situations involuntary nondrivers face every day. This is a letter she wrote in response t
Seattle councilmembers are seeking to amend the $1.55 billion transportation levy proposal in a number of ways, including boosting sidewalk repair funds, closing a few gaps in protected bike routes, and further revamping the Ballard Avenue cafe street. Council will discuss amendments Tuesday in comm
The newly transformed section of Beach Drive SW has turned walkers and rollers into priority users while still allowing vehicle access. Meanwhile, a coalition allied around parking concerns continues to plot a way to undo the safety project.
A planned overhaul of Shoreline’s 175th Street is prompting a call for a reset after complaints over tree removals. City leaders don’t appear ready to back off the planned multimodal improvements.
A new report analyzed traffic safety data, finding that the U.S. recently reached a 40-year high for pedestrian deaths. Pedestrian fatality rates vary widely across the country, with Seattle ranked 64 highest out of 101 metros studied.
Amending the Mayor’s final proposal for a transportation levy, committee chair Rob Saka has revised the proposal by increasing funding for new sidewalks, freight mobility, and electric vehicle charging.
The councilmember stewarding Seattle’s next big transportation levy says his goal is prioritizing all modes at the same time. It may be hard to square this approach with pressing climate goals and an urgent traffic safety crisis.
After building over 40 miles of protected bike lanes since 2015, the City of Seattle only promises around 10 additional miles through 2032. The potential for extra projects depend on additional funding beyond the mayor’s levy proposal.
The Seattle Department of Transportation’s project delivery is ramping up in 2024. What does that tell us about where the department is heading under a new levy?
People biking, walking, rolling, and driving through the busy intersection of Dexter Avenue and Thomas Street are now interacting in a new way, with protection that research shows cuts down on the risk of collisions.
State highways like SR 900 in Skyway are missing safe places to bike and walk. A mandate to fix that could be expedited by an ambitious $100 million grant that the state is seeking from the EPA.
A recent poll found Seattle would support a $1.9 billion transportation levy focused on fix-it-first and safety investments, but the City’s proposal currently sits at $1.45 billion.
Months before Seattle’s waterfront trail opens to people on bikes, the City finally has a plan to connect it to the rest of the downtown bike network.
250 blocks of new sidewalks was a big win from the Move Seattle levy. Now it’s seen as the new baseline, with the 27% of missing blocks citywide being put front and center in the levy debate.
Seattle’s 2015 transportation levy committed to expanding the city’s bike network by 110 miles. Its follow up doesn’t include a specific target.
With the idea of creating space for people to bike on busy Bel-Red Road and Northup Way off the table, the only option left on the table is a project to create a new street in Bellevue’s BelRed neighborhood sometime in the 2030s.
The transportation levy proposed this month by the Harrell Administration would overhaul at least 15 corridors around the city. Here’s what’s on the table when it comes to changes on those streets.
A UW student is seeking to spark a community conversation about finally pedestrianizing The Ave after decades of dreaming.
The current attempt to reshape how Aurora Avenue operates represents a phenomenal test for the City of Seattle. Is its pledge to end traffic deaths real or just for show?
By being crystal clear that most councilmembers don’t support reallocating existing street space to create new bike corridors, the Bellevue City Council effectively rejected the network its transportation department created.
Recent initiatives at both Sound Transit and the City of Seattle have put the issue of safety along the at-grade segment of light rail tracks in the Rainier Valley back in the spotlight.
Aurora Avenue should have a continuous design with safe sidewalks, crossings, bike lanes, and center-running bus lanes to speed up the E Line. Aurora Reimagined Coalition had a design that does all that. Fill out SDOT’s survey to back the idea.
The Washington legislature just approved a broad set of changes expanding the authority of cities and counties to use automatic cameras.
As a $930 million transportation levy winds down, its oversight body has made it clear that a simple renewal this year won’t be enough to address Seattle’s transportation issues. The group is pushing Mayor Harrell to go big.
The Seattle Transportation Plan, shows a lofty vision for the next two decades of city investment in transportation. The hard part comes next with funding it and effectively implementing it — plus, aligning it with a delayed comprehensive plan for land use.
Franz Loewenherz, a longtime employee of Bellevue’s transportation department, has been cleared of wrongdoing after an ethics investigation into his work on Bike Bellevue. The complaint was made by a project opponent, who did succeed in causing a minor delay.
“To put the city on track to meeting its mobility, safety, equity, maintenance, and sustainability goals,” the coalition of mobility and climate groups wrote, “Seattle must invest just over $3 billion over the next 8 years” in building 60 miles of dedicated transit corridors, 331 miles of new sidewa
Plans to create room for people biking on 11 corridors across BelRed, Wilburton, and Downtown Bellevue have been paused. Staff said it’s a routine step to address an ethics complaint, but opponents are hoping to make the pause permanent.
The project has gone out to bid, but business and freight advocates continue to campaign to pause and scale back Route 40 speed and reliability improvements.
2023 saw serious injuries and fatalities involving people who walk or bike skyrocket in Kent. The City has small improvements in the pipeline, but systemic changes may prove more elusive.