Ryan Packer
Ryan Packer has been writing for The Urbanist since 2015, and currently reports full-time as Contributing Editor. Their beats are transportation, land use, public space, traffic safety, and obscure community meetings. Packer has also reported for other regional outlets including BikePortland, Seattle Met, and PubliCola. They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.
The Seattle City Council has selected SPD crime prevention coordinator Mark Solomon to fill the District 2 vacancy created by the resignation of Tammy Morales earlier this month. He'll serve through November.
Raised crosswalks and flashing beacons are set to be installed this summer at Judkins Park's I-90 ramps, which are steps from the forthcoming light rail station.
Emery previously served as the head of SDOT's traffic operations division, spearheading work on the Transportation Equity Framework and leading on the installation of adaptive signal technology on Mercer Street.
On top of recommending a focus on building homes near transit, the new report also supports a number of proposals in front of the legislature to reduce housing costs, including parking reform and rent stabilization.
The release of the city's final environmental review of the One Seattle growth plan is likely to be followed by an appeal, in an attempt to stop neighborhood-level zoning changes. But while an appeal may add time, it's likely to ultimately fail.
House Bill 1491 would require cities to increase development capacity around train stations and bus rapid transit stops. But a contentious affordability requirement for that new development could be a sticking point.
As other states start to reassess their prioritization of expanding highway capacity in the face of ambitious climate goals and other transportation needs, Washington is still in denial mode.
The Denny Regrade, completed between 1897 and 1930, changed the face of Seattle's downtown forever. This video from Seattle's municipal archives breaks down how it happened and why.