Opinion

A quiet pedestrian street with a few people walking and plenty of tree canopy with a midrise residential building in the background.

Op-Ed: Harrell’s Growth Plan Shorts Housing and Tree Canopy

Architect Michael Eliason shares his blueprint for a greener Seattle with more abundant and affordable housing. The vision goes beyond townhomes to stacked flats amidst ample tree canopy.

Urbanist Election Committee Endorses Alexis Rinck for Seattle Council

We see in Alexis Mercedes Rinck the moxie to fight, the savvy to collaborate, and the backbone to stand up to the powerful people getting in the way of progress. Read on to see The Urbanist Election Committee's case for re-electing Rinck.

Op-Ed: Washington’s Legal Establishment Can’t Deliver True Justice for Our Kids

Washington’s legal establishment, led by King County Superior Court Judge David Keenan, are lobbying to fund more youth jails while doing little to expand a fractured social safety net. We, the public defenders of SEIU 925, reject Judge Keenan’s vague, misguided proposal.
A cartoon style illustration shows a smiling bus with EIGHT on the destination board and the skyline with Space Needle in the background.

Op-Ed: Route 8 Is Still Route Late, but Here’s the Fix

Route 8 is chronically late, but the Fix the L8 campaign is proposing bus lanes to fix the Denny Way mess delaying riders. Sign their action letter to help persuade the City of Seattle.
Two girls walk down 6th narrow sidewalk as cars zip by. One draps a jacket over her shoulder.

Op-Ed: Bremerton’s Multimodal Future at Crossroads with 6th Street Project

Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler has presented car-centric preliminary designs for the 6th Street project, with no alternative building sidewalks and bike lanes to state safety standards. Travis Merrigan argues the Bremerton City Council should press the City to study such an option.
A sign reads Resilient communities on the lectern in the lobby of city hall and people stand behind the speaker holding signs saying a protest JumpStart commitments and invest on Seattle's future.

Op-Ed: Seattle Voters Want Progressive Change, Data Shows

A recent Change Research poll found progressive Alexis Rinck is the only Seattle municipal official with a positive approval rating. In contrast, Mayor Bruce Harrell, Council President Sara Nelson, City Attorney Ann Davison were all under water. Precinct results for the recent social housing funding measure indicate widespread progressive buy-in as well.
An Amtrak Cascades train pulls out of Mukilteo Station.

Op-Ed: Legislature Should Advance Amtrak Planning in Central and Eastern Washington

If the Washington legislature is serious about setting tangible goals for Amtrak Cascades this year, now is the time to also restart the conversation on advancing east-west passenger rail service and connecting Spokane, the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Ellensburg, Auburn, and Seattle. All Aboard Washington is pushing for an amended version of HB 1837 setting eastward expansion goals.

Op-Ed: Adam Smith Is Responsible for Trump’s Victory, Not the ‘Left’

Defending the rich and blaming progressives for losses is a throughline in U.S. Rep. Adam Smith's long career, and it's gotten Democrats nowhere. Despite his recent efforts to again blame the Left, Smith and his corporate-friendly New Democratic coalition bears the blame for Trump's win, Austin Field argues.