Last week a King County Superior Court judge annulled the City of Seattle’s Waterfront LID assessments on seven properties, after those property owners appealed the assessments. The judge found that the city’s process of calculating assessments was fundamentally flawed, and arbitrary and capricious; that the Hearing Examiner misapplied the presumption …
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SDOT’s Vision Zero “top to bottom review” report
SDOT released today a “top to bottom review” report on its Vision Zero initiative.
Continue readingSDOT employee shuttle stop permitting
In 2017 SDOT began a pilot program to allow local employers’ private employee shuttle access to a small number of transit stops. According to SDOT, the program was successful, and it now wants to make the program permanent, with companies allowed to obtain paid permits to certain transit stop locations. …
Continue readingSafe Streets sidewalk permit strategy
During the COVID pandemic, the City of Seattle introduced a new, temporary “Safe Streets” permit that allows businesses to take over sidewalk space, and in some instances parking spots, to allow for more outdoor activity. The city is now strategizing on how to make the program permanent, with some modifications. …
Continue readingDSA Third Avenue Vision
The Downtown Seattle Association has published a report outlining its vision for remaking Third Avenue through downtown. It points out that the number of bus trips per hour during the day along Third Avenue is 290, far outstripping any downtown corridor in any other city. It argues, however, that the …
Continue readingSDOT nominee Q&A
Mayor Harrell’s nominee for SDOT Director, Greg Spotts, has provided answers to a long list of questions posed by the City Councilmembers in advance of his confirmation hearings and the Council’s vote on whether to confirm his nomination. I hope you found this article valuable. If you did, please take …
Continue readingSound Transit construction issues
Last week Sound Transit came clean on a couple of big issues it’s having with the East Link and Federal Way Link extension construction projects. On the East Link project, there are issues with plinths — concrete blocks that the rails sit on — along the I-90 segment. Those will …
Continue readingAppointment of Greg Spotts as SDOT Director
Mayor Harrell has nominated Greg Spotts to be the permanent Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, pending the City Council’s confirmation. Here is the appointment packet Harrell transmitted to the Council, including Spotts’ resume. Of note: he used to be an entertainment manager, with a list of clients including …
Continue readingSDOT “even better bike lane” materials
SDOT has a new “Even Better Bike Lanes” program to improve the condition and maintenance of existing bike lanes (as it continues to build out more bike lanes across the city). In a blog post, the agency describes the different options for materials it can use to provide a barrier …
Continue readingSound Transit approves preferred alignment for West Seattle light rail extension
This week the Sound Transit board approved a preferred alignment for the planned light rail extension to West Seattle, while deferring on alignment choice for the Ballard Extension so that more study can be done on the alternatives. More details on the adopted West Seattle alignment, and the alternative still …
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