The Seattle City Council will hold its final public hearing Tuesday on the 2024 transportation levy renewal as the proposal has grown another $100 million to $1.55 billion with proposed amendments that would “double investments in creating new sidewalks and safe routes to school, as well as triple funding for safety on public transit.”
Council transportation chair Rob Saka is bringing the proposed $100 million boost to the table for committee approval. The additions would bump the anticipated property tax bill from the levy for the Seattle median assessed value home to $499 a year — $30 higher than the initial proposal from Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Saka’s proposed changes include:
- Double the investment in creating new sidewalks in areas that don’t have them
- Double the investment in creating safe routes to schools to keep Seattle’s kids safe
- Triple the funding to increase safety on public transit
- Add $10 million for new investments in electric vehicle charging stations to address climate change
- Add $20 million for a freight program to keep Seattle’s supply chain and economy moving
- Add $7 million to the District Project Fund to ensure the unique needs of each council district can be met better and faster.
CHS reported here on the mayor boosting his office’s proposal with an additional $100 million in spending for sidewalks, bikes, and transit in the now $1.45 billion proposal.
The additional planned spending followed transit, biking, and pedestrian groups calling for an improved proposal after criticism over the plan’s focus on repairs, replacements, and realignments over new street and transit projects.
Tuesday’s hearing is part of wrapping up a sequence of committee and council activity culminating in a hoped for final committee vote in early July followed by a vote by the full council.
The levy decision would then go to voters and be part of November’s ballot.
The transportation committee is meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the proposed amendments. The public hearing (PDF) is scheduled for 4:30 PM.
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It’s a handout to drivers. I’m voting no, redo it so it makes sense for a city.
Got to remove all the car-centric budget. Need way more money to Vision Zero and transit.
As a cyclist who commutes throughout the city I welcome road maintenance! These roads need some work to be safer
Even Alex Pederson is against this.
“Even Alex Pederson is against this”
He’s like the worst on transportation. I’m against the levy but Pederson being against it makes me question whether I’m wrong.
So 20 million to increase the turning radii of street corners so tractor trailers don’t have to slow down turning while making it more dangerous and longer to cross the street? How otherwise do our streets not accommodate “Freight”?