(Image: CHS)

The mayor’s proposal for the priorities that will define the size and scope of Seattle’s next more than $1 billion transportation levy is now in the hands of the Seattle City Council. The council must now finalize the plan in preparation for taking a new levy proposal to voters this fall.

The council’s transportation committee will hold its first meeting on the process Tuesday.

CHS reported here on the Harrell administration’s efforts to shape the transportation plan and a framework for safe and efficient protected areas for bikers along its arteries, a proliferation of transit-only lanes, and preparations for possible new light rail lines criss-crossing Capitol Hill and the Central District along 23rd Ave and Denny Way.

The final proposal from Mayor Bruce Harrell has crystalized on a roster of highest priority initiatives and projects while also downplaying massive investments like new light rail lines. The plan would emphasize equity and economic investments along with safety and motor vehicle traffic priorities while also continuing the long-running effort to lower speeds across the city — a mix that places 23rd Ave at the top of the heap for Capitol Hill and Central District area investments.

This combination of priorities would create a plan that emphasizes major investments in parts of the city that are heavily populated but have been left behind in current transportation priorities like the Rainier Valley where traffic deaths and safety issues remain disproportionately high despite transit and development investments.

Around Capitol Hill and the Central District, the plan would emphasize continued investment in the 23rd Ave corridor, the only District 3 project area to be included in the plan’s highest priorities. CHS reported here on the final stages of work to complete a six-year road diet along the 23rd Ave and 24th Ave corridor connecting the Central District, Capitol Hill, and Montlake neighborhoods. By the time the project made it to its third northern phase, many of the safety elements planned for the overhaul had been stripped away. Under the new proposal, the city continues to see the corridor as a key area of the city for transportation and transit improvements. UPDATE: We overlooked another D3 project among higher priorities as MLK from Madison to McClellan could be in line for major “multimodal improvements.”

Other Capitol Hill-area investments are also included as priorities but have lower rankings including a similar “multimodal” investment to Denny Way and another potential investment area on 12th Ave to better connect Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the International District.

The plan also sets the stage for important change across all of Seattle with the increased development of multifamily housing in more areas of the city including areas where single-family zoning has dominated. “Many existing low density, primarily residential areas will evolve into ‘complete communities’ with more urban places as part of Seattle’s growth strategy,” the plan reads. “To align with the directed growth in these places, investments in frequent bus transit are a priority. Investments may also include community and mobility hubs. For pedestrians, we will maintain and, in some cases, enhance our sidewalk infrastructure.”

How the investments and projects will be engineered, schedules, and more specifics will come later as SDOT takes on each project in the future, one by one.

The plan also does not address one of its key impacts — construction headaches that go on for months and sometimes years. The construction process for the E Madison RapidRide G bus line has been a mess for people living and working in the area as it will eventually bring important transit and safety changes for the route to the streets and sidewalks along Madison.

It also isn’t centered on funding. That will be shaped as the next transportation levy is put together at City Hall through the coming months. But the discussion about what that likely more than $1 billion proposal will actually fund has now begun. The plan is now with the council for additional consideration and a vote. If passed, it will appear as a ballot measure in November 2024.

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