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.
Sound Transit is months away from selecting a final route for the West Seattle Link Extension project. One King County Councilmember is asking for additional options to be looked at that could reduce business displacement.
The transportation levy proposed this month by the Harrell Administration would overhaul at least 15 corridors around the city. Here's what's on the table when it comes to changes on those streets.
Service starts April 27 on eight light rail stations on the Eastside as part of the 2 Line. This week, Sound Transit offered a preview inside South Bellevue Station.
A long-vacant Target store is set to become home to around 1600 homes by the early 2040s under an agreement moving forward in Federal Way.
The mayor's levy proposal is focused on preserving the existing car-focused system rather than promising transformative changes. Advocates asked for at least $1.7 billion focused on pedestrians, bikes, and transit, but didn't get it.
Whether the city should stay out of the business of making Pike Place Market's main corridor more pedestrian friendly was put front and center this week by Councilmember Bob Kettle, who proposed an amendment seeking to starve the idea of funding.
The final piece of the decades-long replacement of the SR 520 bridge will move forward thanks to funding authorized this year, but Washington State's overall transportation budget is on rockier ground.
The new Swift Orange Line brings 10-minute bus service on weekdays, improving options for riders trying to get across Snohomish County. It runs from Edmonds College to McCollum Park, connecting destinations like Lynnwood City Center and Mill Creek Town Center on the way.