A 3-0 Land Use Committee vote sends Eddie Lin's proposal to close a commonly used avenue of growth plan appeals to a full Seattle City Council vote next week. The proposal has sparked opposition from many of the same groups that have used appeals to delay zoning changes in the past.
Councilmember Bob Kettle's proposal to slash the Seattle Transit Measure renewal by one-third drew significant pushback this week at a public hearing on potential amendments. Among those strongly advocating against the move was the Seattle Transit Advisory Board and the Amalgamated Transit Union.
The 0.3% sales tax bump going onto the November ballot would increase service by around 40% by the mid-2030s, the biggest expansion of transit service in Pierce County in decades. Since May, the proposal has been tweaked to include free rides for seniors.
While other cities struggled to handle World Cup 2026 crowds, Seattle thrived, with pedestrians happily exploring and transit records being broken. Good planning and an urban stadium location was key to Seattle outperforming its American peers.
The I-5 Interstate Bridge Replacement project has completed its federal environmental review and the first phase of work is marching toward construction. Does that mean internal strife over major elements of the program is in the rearview mirror? Far from it.
The Downtown Seattle Association recently released a “report” that was meant to convince us that taxes on high earners are smothering the Seattle economy. Here’s why their analysis is flat wrong.
Join The Urbanist for our July events, including a soccer social with Sounder at Heart on July 19 and our Endorsements Rollout Party on July 23.
Support The Urbanist, connect with endorsed candidates, and celebrate the hard work of the Endorsements Committee as we approach the primary.
Join The Urbanist for our June 10 housing forum and get your ticket for our Summer Endorsed Candidate Party on July 19. We're also hosting two social hours in June.
Join The Urbanist and other partners for a King County Candidate Forum on June 10th. The Assessor and District 2 races are both hotly contested.
Josh Kline of YouTube channel Build Core recently took a look at the $3 billion plan to improve I-405 in Seattle's Eastside suburbs and deliver a new bus rapid transit network.
Kirkland's Sheila Stanton Place opened earlier this year with 101 units of permanent supportive housing. It marks King County's 15th Health Through Housing facility funded via a 2020 sales tax measure.
A bill scaling back building requirements for upper-level "stepbacks" and outdoor balconies was approved last week, but with two dissenting votes. In voting against, Councilmembers Kevin Nichols and Tola Marts cited the need to look at the full range of options for potential housing reforms.
In remarks to a transportation advisory committee, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin painted a clear picture of the need to increase bus frequencies in the city as Sound Transit advances plans for light rail and the city accommodates significant population growth in the coming years.
Last week, Community Transit operated its last bus to Seattle, with the retirement of Snohomish express commuter Route 424. The agency added the Bellevue-bound Route 908 to replace it, with six other routes seeing tweaks.
A proposal to close a $34.5 billion gap in the voter-approved ST3 plan is on a fast track to a Sound Transit board vote on May 28. Developed by Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, it would prioritize completing the regional rail "spine" while deferring and delaying multiple other major projects.
The 0.3% sales tax bump going onto the November ballot would increase service by around 40% by the mid-2030s, the biggest expansion of transit service in Pierce County in decades. Since May, the proposal has been tweaked to include free rides for seniors.
In the year since Tacoma adopted new zoning standards last February, the number of housing permits entering the pipeline jumped by 62% compared to the five-year average.
Thanks to a 0.3% sales tax increase that voters could consider as soon as November, Pierce Transit is touting a plan that would result in 40% more transit service across South Sound. That increase would be a game-changer for a part of the region that has long lagged behind in transit service.
KUOW's Soundside recently did a special on Sound Transit system expansion deliberations that heavily featured Urbanist contributing editor Ryan Packer. It's a great primer on the debate about how to best close the agency's $34.5 billion budget gap. Give it a listen!
The Urbanist newsroom discusses April headlines, like Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson expanding Bicycle Weekends, 300 transit advocates marching to save Ballard light rail from the chopping block, and pushback against a Capitol Hill crisis case center.
The Urbanist newsroom discusses the big opening day for Sound Transit's crosslake 2 Line, how we got here, and what it means for the future of light rail expansion in the Seattle region.
