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 transportation levy on Seattle ballots this fall won't grow beyond $1.55 billion, despite a push by transportation advocacy groups to go bigger. A Morales-backed amendment to increase the levy's size failed Tuesday.
With permit applications for new apartment buildings still down in Seattle, the Harrell Administration is hoping to hit the brakes on a planned ramp-up of additional energy efficiency requirements in new buildings.
Councilmember Tammy Morales offered a new proposal Thursday for a $1.7 billion transportation levy that increases spending across a broad array of programs. None of her colleagues have yet backed the proposal.
A proposed amendment to the next Seattle transportation levy pushes the city to build 500 blocks of new sidewalks in five years. However, SDOT says that goal likely isn't achievable without more funding and broader changes.
The feds are awarding $25 million to nearly close the funding gap for a segment of Eastrail over I-90 and $5 million to advance design on the last segment of the trail in Woodinville.
The new bridge linking Wilburton's light rail station with the neighborhood to the south also includes artwork highlighting the history of Bellevue's Japanese-American community.
The Eastside's next RapidRide isn't set to open until 2030. Pivotal decisions around how much the line will benefit riders are being made now.
When Shoreline's south light rail station opens on August 30, two major projects intended to connect riders to the station will still be under construction. They will boost station connectivity once open.