Spring Subscriber Drive: Website Update Offers Ad-Free Reading for Members
Claim membership perks, explore the new website layout, and support The Urbanist as we roll out our Spring Membership Drive.
Top Stories
Our editors' picks from The Urbanist.
Sound Transit ‘Building Blocks’ Set Stage for Major Decisions this Spring
Hoping to avoid simply delaying projects or shortening lines, Sound Transit has been looking high and low for potential cost savings. Those options are set to be contemplated at a March 18 board retreat that will set the stage for major decisions in the months ahead.
Mosquito Fleet Act Seeks to Throw Ferry-Oriented Communities a Lifeline
The proposal to empower local governments across Puget Sound to set up their own passenger ferry districts fell short in the Senate after passing the House last year. Its sponsor is pushing even harder this year, seeking to bolster the precarious state ferry system.
2 Line Countdown Milestone Points to Light Rail Battles Ahead
Anticipation is building for the 2 Line extension March 28, crossing Lake Washington and tying the Eastside into Sound Transit’s broader light rail network. But much work remains to get the next set of expansions right, and removing Claudia Balducci as System Expansion Chair launches that work on a
Olympia Seeks to Boost Sound Transit with Long Overdue Permit Reforms
A pair of bills advancing this week at the state legislature would finally allow Sound Transit to rise above the local permitting fray in several key areas. The reforms could save as much as nine months on key transit projects, according to the agency.
One Week In, Katie Wilson Charts the Path Ahead
The Urbanist recently sat down with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson to get the latest on initiatives she has cooking now that her team is in office. We touched on emergency housing, bus lanes, World Cup preparations, Sound Transit, culture change at the police department, and more.
The Pacific Northwest’s Biggest Highway Project Could be Cooked
New cost estimates on the long-planned Interstate Bridge Replacement over the Columbia River reveal a funding gap that could range from $5 billion to a staggering $13 billion, an amount that neither Washington nor Oregon is prepared to absorb. The project looks poised to meet the same fate as a simi