The Wilson administration and the Seattle City Council are starting to get on the same page around what it means to go much bigger in the next phase of the city's growth plan. Despite 'faster' right in the name, the process could stretch into 2028.
An amendment put forward by King County Councilmember Steffanie Fain would cap Seattle's participation in a new pass-through funding program to well below the city's proportional share, resulting in millions less going to the city.
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.
After public comments decried the idea of "tax shift" and subsidies for new housing, the Maple Valley Council voted 5-2 to pull the plug on a yet to be implemented Multifamily Tax Exemption program. The City will now have to look for additional tools to spur affordable housing or risk state censure.
The "affordable ST3" plan still leaves $11-$13 billion in projects unfunded, as Sound Transit board members vow to look for additional revenue and cost savings. With a May 28 board vote fast approaching, the rebalancing proposal looks mostly baked at this point.
To unlock a novel funding source intended to fund 15% of the cost of a new pedestrian bridge, Bellevue needed five different levels of government to sign off. This week, the final vote at the King County Council put the City on the path to approval.
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.
"It may take a few generations to solve the problem," Walsh told his colleagues, seeming to blame people hit by drivers while walking in Federal Way. His comments are far from being an outlier in the pedestrian-hostile city.
Bellevue Transportation Director Andrew Singelakis told city councilmembers he'd like to see spending on vehicle mobility ramp up from 10% to 25% of the city's spending on transportation. That looks to be at odds with Council, which is focused on safety investments.
The former entrance to the Battery Street Tunnel could become a gathering spot in one of Seattle's densest neighborhoods, but funding hasn't yet been identified to pay for construction of a full park yet.