2/13/2024  Press release

Advocates’ report sets a $3 billion price tag to the City’s Seattle Transportation Plan for the next transportation funding package.

Dear Mayor Bruce Harrell, Seattle City Councilmembers, and Seattle City Staff,

The next transportation funding package, including the transportation levy, must realize the goals and visions of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)’s draft Seattle Transportation Plan (STP).

The attached report contains cost estimates based on numbers from  Seattle Transportation Plan’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) “Alternative 3 for Rapid Progress” (as preferred by 95% of community surveyed). We used the city’s Climate Change Response Framework, Transportation Equity Framework, ADA Transition Plan, and Vision Zero plan to fill in missing gaps. 

To put the city on track to meeting its mobility, safety, equity, maintenance, and sustainability goals, Seattle must invest just over $3 billion over the next 8 years in building:

• Safety redesigns on Seattle’s five deadliest streets to prevent fatal crashes.

• 331 miles of new sidewalks to fill in gaps in the network.

• 60 new linear miles of dedicated transit corridors to cut commute times by 20% or more on key bus routes.

• 154 miles of new safe bike lanes and 73 miles of upgraded protection on existing bike lanes to advance our citywide bike network.

• 750 intersections with upgraded safety treatments and 320 accessible pedestrian signals.

• And more.  See the FULL plan document here

This report outlines the dollar amount needed to meet the city’s goals. The city must now figure out how to fund these important projects  between the levy, other local matching dollars, state and federal funds, private partnerships, and other funding sources.

We also hope this report can be used by City Councilmembers, policymakers, advocates, and voters to assess the alignment between the Mayor’s forthcoming transportation funding proposal and the needed projects that reflect our city’s adopted values, plans and priorities.  

CONTACT:

Cecelia Black, Community Organizer, Disability Mobility Initiative

ceceliab@dr-wa.org

Clara Cantor, Community Organizer, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

clara@seattlegreenways.org 

350 Seattle

Be:Seattle

Cascade Bicycle Club

Disability Mobility Initiative

Disability Rights WA

House Our Neighbors

Puget Sound Sage

Real Change

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

Seattle Subway

Transit Riders Union

Seattle can have a world-class, multimodal transportation system

…that moves people efficiently and reliably. We can slash Seattle’s carbon emissions and be a model for other cities by taking real action on climate change. We can have a city where people of all ages can walk to the store or bike to the park without close calls in intersections, or hop on a bus without getting stuck in gridlock. We can achieve Seattle’s stated goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. We can have a government that doesn’t criminalize and disproportionately police Black and brown community members in public space. We can create an equitable transportation system that treats mobility as a human right.

But right now, Seattle is not on track.

Public transit is facing a funding crisis due to a lack of progressive revenue sources,  defunding of Vision Zero, homeless encampment sweeps masquerading as Sidewalk projects,  lingering impacts of the COVID-19 recession, and Tim Eyman’s Initiative 976. We are not on track to achieve Vision Zero, or even Seattle’s insufficient Climate Action Plan. We can’t get on track without moving swiftly to prioritize public transit, walking, biking, and freight mobility, and minimize reliance on private vehicles.

We need city leaders to step up. That’s why Move All Seattle Sustainably (MASS) formed in fall 2018. We are a coalition of multimodal transportation and climate advocates dedicated to creating a carbon-neutral, equitable, and livable city for all. Join us!

Email us: MoveAllSeattleSustainably [at] gmail [dot] com   Follow us on Twitter: @MASScoalition