The Seattle City Council has passed the Seattle Transportation Plan—a 20-year vision for the future of Seattle, Wash.’s streets, sidewalks and public spaces.
The legislation is sponsored by Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1), chair of the Seattle Transportation Committee. It is the culmination of a two-year collaborative process between the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the Office of the Mayor of Seattle and the Seattle City Council.
“Seattleites deserve safe, reliable, and accessible transportation. During the past few months, I’ve been out with SDOT crews filling potholes, inspecting bridges and assessing sidewalks. They are some of the most hardworking, dedicated public servants we have. It’s time we commit to our transportation goals and give them the resources they need to succeed. That’s what this plan is all about,” Saka said.
What will the Seattle Transportation Plan do?
The Seattle Transportation Plan’s goals are safety, equity, sustainability, mobility and economic vitality, livability and maintenance and modernization. To achieve the goals, among other things, the plan intends to:
- Preserve, modernize and maintain the area’s aging bridges, roads, sidewalks and other critical infrastructure
- Increase access to sidewalks—particularly by constructing new sidewalks, improving bike lanes and enhancing public transit opportunities
- Reduce the number of traffic deaths and serious injuries
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make roads more efficient.
The plan includes an expansive and aspirational list of more than 81 projects that could be pursued to achieve the goals during the next 20 years.
While the Seattle Transportation Plan does not include specific funding, it is intended to guide future funding decisions, including the proposed Transportation Levy renewal.
What’s next?
The Seattle Transportation Plan calls for SDOT to create an implementation strategy by September 2025. That implementation strategy will take into account all the funding available for the transportation projects. The Seattle City Council says much of that strategy will depend on the potential renewal of the Transportation Levy.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is expected to formally transmit his proposal for the Transportation Levy renewal in the next few weeks. It will then be considered by the Seattle City Council’s Select Committee on the 2024 Transportation Levy, which is scheduled to meet for the first time on May 7.
