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.
Weekend disruptions for 1 Line riders in early November and December will likely cause headaches, but are set to ultimately benefit riders. Mark your calendar to navigate disrupted light rail service November 8-10 and December 7-8.
Saka is pushing to earmark $2 million in existing funding to remove a hardened barrier on Delridge Way SW, providing left turn access to a preschool used by Rob Saka's family. The proviso is apparently Saka's top priority this budget, but would reduce street safety.
Plans for a new connection between Wilburton and Downtown Bellevue are coming into view, as the City starts to look at how it can keep the project moving forward.
The editorial board of Seattle's only remaining daily newspaper has an abysmal track record when it comes to supporting the Seattle transportation levy. Voters should take their recommendation with a boulder of salt.
The Bike Bellevue plan was set to repurpose a lane on a minor downtown street to create a safe space for people on bikes. Then Kemper Development got involved.
Proponents of a $7.5 billion project to widen I-5 and replace the Columbia River bridge are ignoring induced demand, creating faulty traffic models that obscure its real environmental impact.
Ballard Link is still in planning, eight years after the passage of Sound Transit 3. With the environmental review process essentially starting over, major action on the project isn't expected until 2025.
Tacoma's $900,000 budget for Vision Zero is set to be slashed to $90,000 as the City prioritizes other areas for funding, leaving the Grit City without a dedicated revenue source for safety upgrades.