Monthly Archives: July 2025
Rinck Backs Capitol Hill Crisis Center, Other Seattle Officials Coy
King County is seeking to site a walk-in mental health crisis center in Capitol Hill, but a group of local business owners and residents are pushing back. Health care providers have backed the location, and Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has emerged as a vocal proponent, while her colleagues and Mayor Bruce Harrell have mostly withheld support.
Federal Way Light Rail Extension On Track for Early Opening
Light rail riders are poised to be able to take 1 Line trains all the way to Downtown Federal Way before the end of 2025, thanks to work accelerating the grand opening. That will pave the way for a full opening of the 2 Line across Lake Washington by spring of 2026.
Bothell Drops Parking Mandates, Legalizes Neighborhood Corner Stores Citywide
Bothell becomes the first city in either King or Snohomish County to fully eliminate off-street parking mandates in order to reduce costs for homebuilding. The move clearly solidifies the city as a leader on housing and land use reform.
Seattle Council To Pave the Way for Sound Transit 3 Permitting
Two votes next week will align the City of Seattle with Sound Transit, opening the door to West Seattle Link Extension permit applications later this year. The move comes right on the heels of an overhaul of the city's land use code's light rail provisions.
Op-Ed: How to De-Trumpify the Washington State Budget
The mega wealthy are gaining even greater wealth thanks to Trump tax cuts while hundreds of thousands people are set to lose health care, food stamps, child care, and K-12 educational necessities. The Washington State Legislature should pass progressive funding to maintain and rebuild public services, John Burbank argues.
Promised Lake Washington Boulevard Traffic Calming Remains Uncompleted
Seattle Parks and Recreation rolled out plans to add traffic calming to Lake Washington Boulevard last year. But traffic safety advocates are pushing for answers after installation of those upgrades stopped midway through without explanation.
Get Early-Bird Tickets for The Urbanist’s August 17th Endorsed Candidate Party
Get your ticket to meet our endorsed candidates, mingle with urbanists from across the region, and prepare for the general election in November.
Sunday Video: New York Is Tackling Traffic Through Congestion Pricing
Rollie Williams of Climate Town dives into the long history of how road congestion pricing came to be and why it provides so many social, economic, and environmental upsides for the New York region.