By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The City of Seattle Department of Transportation recently unveiled its Transportation Levy Proposal for 2024. The proposal, announced by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell last Friday, calls for an 8-year, $1.35 billion levy to renew the current levy, which expires this year.
“Seattle residents want a transportation system that is safe, connected, and well-maintained,” said Harrell. “This levy proposal will deliver more funding to get us there. No matter how you get around, it will make trips safer, more reliable, and better connected so that every Seattleite is set up for success when they experience our city. This is a top priority and will allow our transportation department to keep taking care of the essentials, be proactive stewards of our public assets, and keep the city working for you. We welcome your continued feedback and input.”
According to SDOT, “This levy proposal reflects the safety and maintenance needs of our transportation infrastructure. The $1.35 billion, 8-year proposal would cost the median Seattle homeowner about $12 more per month than the expiring Levy to Move Seattle, for a total of $36 per month. It would fund investments in every neighborhood and business district to help build a safe, reliable and connected Seattle.”
The benefits of the proposed levy include repaving and improving streets, and keeping bridges in good and reliable working conditions. In addition, it will connect people safely to transit hubs, build and repair sidewalks, crossings, and curb ramps.
City officials say that the proposal will also reduce traffic collisions, severe injuries, and fatalities, as it will pay for the installation, maintenance, and upgrade of traffic signals, and expand Seattle’s protected bike lane network and make public spaces more inviting and improve lighting.“The levy represents roughly 30 percent of SDOT’s budget for core services and new projects,” says SDOT officials. “38 percent of the busiest streets that are in poor condition will be repaved and reconstructed. We will be upgrading mechanical systems to keep moveable Ship Canal bridges working. We also intend to repair 34,000 urgent sidewalk defects and replacing sidewalks.”
“SDOT will update signal timing on 40 corridors, install new traffic signals that improve flow and safety,” they added. “The plan looks to build 160 projects that improve transit reliability, equity, and safety. We plan to partner with the community to support electric vehicle charging options and low pollution neighborhoods, amongst a host of other improvements to the city.”
The proposed projects included in the levy are as follows:
• Vision Zero & School Safety: Reduce traffic collisions, severe injuries, and fatalities through targeted improvements to streets, sidewalks, intersections, paths, and crossings ($107M).
• Major Street Maintenance: Repave and improve streets that carry the most buses, trucks, and cars, and make it safer for everyone to walk, roll, bike, and ride transit ($423M).
• Bridges & Structures: Keep bridges in good and reliable working condition and prepare for future bridge projects ($218M).
• Transit Corridors & Connections: Connect people safely to transit hubs, including Link light rail stations; improve bus stops; and reduce delays on bus routes ($121M).
• Pedestrian Programs: Build and repair sidewalks, crossings, and curb ramps so people walking and rolling can safely get to where they need to go ($109M).
• Signals & Operations: Install new and maintain and upgrade traffic signals for safe, reliable movement; improve pedestrian and bike accessibility; and support traffic operations during large events and for trips in and out of the port ($100M).
• Bike Safety Program: Expand Seattle’s protected bike lane network; connect schools to bike lanes, paths, and neighborhood greenways; and maintain and upgrade existing bike lanes ($94M).
• People Streets & Public Spaces: Make public spaces more inviting and improve lighting so people can enjoy unique and vibrant neighborhoods and business districts ($57M).
• Climate & Resiliency: Address climate change directly, reducing air pollution and making sustainable transportation options more available ($49M).
• Neighborhood Street Improvements: Build projects that are co-created with the community, focusing on neighborhoods with historical underinvestment ($48M).
• Freight & Goods Movement: Make freight improvements to support trucks delivering goods and providing services ($25M).
“The mayor’s levy proposal offers a balanced and practical set of investments to maintain and modernize our streets and bridges,” says Greg Spotts, Director, Seattle Department of Transportation. “Informed by the Seattle Transportation Plan, our Asset Management Strategy, and our strengthened Vision Zero program, this major program of investments will produce a safer, better connected and more reliable transportation system for all.”
According to Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, MLK Labor, now is the time to invest in the transportation infrastructure in the city.
“Working Seattleites don’t need studies or fancy PowerPoints to convince us that our roads, bridges, and sidewalks are in bad shape,” says Garrow. “We live it every day. Fortunately, traffic is not like the weather. We can improve our commute times, prevent tragedies like what recently happened in Baltimore, and help kids get to school safely on foot. Working people in our region are willing and eager to do our part to address our woefully inadequate transportation infrastructure. We look forward to reviewing the mayor’s draft levy plan and advocating for substantial improvements to Seattle’s biggest nuisance.”