Ben Crowther
Ben is a Seattle area native, living with his husband downtown since 2013. He started in queer grassroots organizing in 2009 and quickly developed a love for all things political and wonky. When he’s not reading news articles, he can be found excitedly pointing out new buses or prime plots for redevelopment to his uninterested friends who really just want to get to dinner. Serving as the Policy and Legislative Affairs Director, Ben primarily writes about political issues.
On Monday, the House Transportation Committee voted to expand Community Transit’s revenue authority to help restore deep service cuts and fund an expansion of the popular bus rapid transit line known as Swift II (vote breakdown below). The 0.3% sales tax increase will bring the first opportunity in 13 years...
The House Transportation Committee successfully passed Sound Transit 3 out of committee by a close vote on Monday. Only one member, Jim Moeller (D-49, Vancouver), crossed party lines to vote against the measure. The final vote was 13-12. A full roll call of the votes is provided below.
The bill...
Last Tuesday, the Seattle City Council Transportation Committee discussed the creation of a woonerf along 8th Ave between Harrison St and Thomas St in South Lake Union. The woonerf (a living street designed to slow traffic and prioritize pedestrian activity and green space) would be part of a public private...
News broke yesterday that Pioneer Square and much of the waterfront is sinking—up to 1.4”—and many are pointing fingers at Bertha as the reason why.
Since the giant tunnel boring machine shut down last December, workers have begun digging an access shaft to rescue and replace its broken cutting head....
The Seattle City Council held a briefing Wednesday afternoon on the creation of a municipal bank. Councilmember Licata, chair of the Finance and Culture Committee, invited experts to testify about successful models from around the world, including the Bank of North Dakota and the German public banking system.
Municipal banks...