A roundup of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle.
by Vee Hua 華婷婷
Mayor Bruce Harrell Submits Updated Transportation Levy Proposal Following Community Feedback
Following a month of community engagement and feedback, Mayor Bruce Harrell has submitted an updated Transportation Levy Proposal, which totals $1.45 billion. The proposal adds an additional $100 million to the draft proposal submitted in early April but remains focused on fundamental improvements to transportation, including sidewalk improvements, fixing potholes, maintaining bridges, upgrading public spaces, facilitating better transit connections via bicycle and pedestrian routes, and more.
Spread across eight years, the transportation levy would replace the current “Move Seattle” levy, which passed in 2015, will expire in 2024, and was valued at $930 million. It will now go to the Seattle City Council, which will review it and put forth a final amended package for residents to vote on during the November 2024 election. Their first meeting will be held on May 7 at 10:30 a.m., during the Select Committee on the 2024 Transportation Levymeeting, led by Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1).
“After a month of consultation with the public, Mayor Harrell has made the Transportation Levy proposal even better with additional investments in walking, biking, and transit,” said Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Director Greg Spotts, via the SDOT blog. “The revised proposal would give SDOT 17% more purchasing power to maintain [and] modernize our streets than the current Levy to Move Seattle.”
Levies are paid for by Seattle property owners. The current Move Levy costs about $24 per month for homeowners of a median-cost home, assessed around $866,000. If passed, the new levy proposal would increase monthly costs by $17 per month for those same homeowners.
The current Move Seattle transportation levy funds 30% of the SDOT office, and the department’s participation is essential in transportation infrastructure and repair. Some key highlights from the recently proposed transportation levy include:
- $423 million to repave high-traffic arterial streets, in order to improve infrastructure for buses, trucks, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians.
- $221 million to repair current bridges and prepare for future bridge projects.
- $162 million to facilitate community-requested community safety improvements to streets, sidewalks, intersections, and crossings that have been outlined via the city’s Vision Zero program and are designed to reduce traffic collisions, severe injuries, and fatalities. Includes $55 million for community groups that work with Vision Zero, including $41 million for the Neighborhood-Initiated Safety Partnership Program, which co-creates safety projects with community, and $14 million for the District Project Fund, which will help address emergent concerns and requests.
- $145 million to connect residents to transportation hubs such as light rail stations and bus stops, or to reduce delays on bus routes.
- $135 million to build and repair sidewalks, crossings, and curb ramps, as well as build new sidewalks or alternate walkways where necessary.
- $114 million to expand or upgrade existing network of protected bike lanes, including an additional $20 million added to focus on South Seattle specifically.
- $100 million to maintain or install new traffic signals for safety, accessibility, and efficacy.
- $66 million to better activate public spaces and improve lighting in connection with community groups or business districts.
- $59 million to address climate change through air pollution reduction or expanding sustainable transportation options, including $29 million for planting and maintaining trees, especially in neighborhoods that have had fewer investments, plus $22 million for the buildout of electric vehicle charging stations or e-bike programs.
- $25 million to make freight improvements for large trucks on major industrial corridors.
- $5 million to repair sidewalks and establish a Transportation Funding Task Force, which will propose potential long-term funding and policy solutions for infrastructure needs by the end of 2026.
The full Transportation Levy Proposal can be viewed on SDOT’s website. It includes locations and details for specific projects.
Puget Sound Energy May Enact Controlled Blackouts to Curb Summer Wildfire Risks
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has announced a new potential program called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which is designed to help the area address safety risks related to hot, dry summers. While the prevalence of PSPS is not yet determined, PSE may temporarily shut off their power lines as a measure of last resort “during high-risk wildfire conditions, including strong winds, very dry vegetation, and low humidity, when power lines run a risk of catching fire.”
According to its website, the shutoffs may affect anyone within PSE service areas, though those in wildfire-prone regions are most susceptible. PSE aims to communicate with any impacted residents at least two days before the temporary shutoffs begin, but power will only be restored after PSE deems dangerous weather conditions have passed.
Ongoing conditions and status would be initially updated on PSE’s Alerts and Advisories page and later on their Outage Map once their field teams reach the affected sites.
PSE account holders can also sign up online to receive automated calls, texts, or email alerts related to potential shutoffs. Residents with medical needs that require power are advised to make preparations in advance. Those who use life support equipment should contact PSE at 1-888-225-5773 to get life support status associated with their PSE account.
May Is Safe Kids Month
In preparation for Safe Kids Month throughout the month of May, Safe Kids Washington and the Washington State Department of Health have compiled events and advice focused on important focus areas such as bike safety, child passenger safety, home safety, water safety, and sleep safety.
Tips related to child safety can be seen on the My High Five Child Safety Checklist and include advice such as the importance of properly installed car seats, life jackets in swimming pools, carbon monoxide alarms in homes, and bright-colored clothing or helmets while biking.
Among the events co-presented with community groups include a Water Safety Day event at Rainier Beach Community Center on May 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The free event will have activities, food, a life jacket giveaway, and an open swim session from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is presented in collaboration with Swim Seattle, a pilot program that began in 2023 and offered free swim lessons to 250 youth who otherwise could not afford them.
Visit the Safe Kids Washington interactive website for stories, videos, and activities.
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the editor-in-chief of REDEFINE, a co-chair of the Seattle Arts Commission, and a film educator at the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they previously served as executive director and played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences. After a recent stint as the interim managing editor at South Seattle Emerald, they are moving into production on their feature film, Reckless Spirits, which is a metaphysical, multilingual POC buddy comedy. Learn more about them at linktr.ee/hellomynameisvee.
📸 Featured Image: A bicyclist rides down the street during Rainier Valley Summer Streets in 2014. (Photo is attributed to SDOT Photos, under a Creative Commons, CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED license.)
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