Transportation

"To put the city on track to meeting its mobility, safety, equity, maintenance, and sustainability goals," the coalition of mobility and climate groups wrote, "Seattle must invest just over $3 billion over the next 8 years" in building 60 miles of dedicated transit corridors, 331 miles of new sidewalks, and 154 miles of new bike facilities, among other goals.

A 10am ribbon-cutting ceremony at Downtown Bellevue Station will inaugurate Eastside light rail service on April 27. 2 Line trains will run between Bellevue and Redmond in advance of full service into Seattle expected in 2025.

After three years of construction to upgrade a water main, rebuild Eastlake Avenue, and install new bus shelters and protected bike lanes, the J Line will open in 2027, replacing Route 70.

Shoreline and North Seattle's evening and weekend transit will see a big boost as Metro restructures its bus network to pair with the soon-to-open Lynnwood Link light rail extension. However, Route 20 and Route 73 with get cut with no replacement service in some sections.

Plans to create room for people biking on 11 corridors across BelRed, Wilburton, and Downtown Bellevue have been paused. Staff said it's a routine step to address an ethics complaint, but opponents are hoping to make the pause permanent.

Washington continues to build new highways even as maintenance, safety, and community needs continue to grow. America Walks is pushing for a nationwide reconsideration of continued highway expansion.

With the launch of RapidRide G service later this year, a whole slate of changes to nearby routes are planned pending adoption by the King County Council. Nearby routes see frequency reductions, with the boosted Route 60 an exception.

A vocal critic of highway expansion, Mello's urbanist vision includes "parks and open space trails, a good transportation network, safe places to walk and bike." He's running for County Executive to seek to implement that vision.