Vision Zero

A newly signed Washington State law aims to “improve safety for young drivers” by expanding access to driver’s education and raising the minimum age at which new drivers can get a license without completing a formal driver’s education course.

The proposal for a 0.1% sale tax hike comes in response to structural issues with King County's budget, and would generate around $100 million annually. Half would fund maintenance on unincorporated roads, and the other half is likely to go to safety upgrades at Metro.

The fully completed plan, intended to provide an array of strategies that would advance Pierce County toward a goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries by 2035, was only approved by a 4-3 vote last week.

Car access to Pike Place's main corridor will be restricted to loading vehicles, emergency access, and people accessing ADA parking. The Market is calling the move a "test and learn" opportunity that could open the door to long-term pedestrianization.

New types of traffic cameras allowed by the state legislature have the potential to lead to big safety gains in Seattle -- but a potential clash over how those cameras are deployed could be on the horizon. SDOT and transportation chair Rob Saka are not seeing eye to eye.

Lori Markovitz shares how House Bill 1596 could have saved her son by requiring anti-speeding technology for motorists with records of reckless driving. The bill needs to pass the state Senate by Wednesday to avoid a cutoff and become law in Washington state.

New legislation in Olympia could help us rethink and reclaim the street as a true public easement. If passed and its provisions delivered, we can look forward to streets that are not only more welcoming of public life, but a lot less deadly to all users. 

In 2020, Rob Saka advocated against proposed safety infrastructure along a critical greenway in West Seattle. This week, the issue resurfaced, and Saka, now a city councilmember and chair of the transportation committee, again railed against traffic diverters.