Statement by Seattle Councilmember Alex Pedersen on the Malfunctioning and Closure of the Multimodal University Bridge

Home » Statement by Seattle Councilmember Alex Pedersen on the Malfunctioning and Closure of the Multimodal University Bridge

SEATTLE – Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4 – Northeast Seattle), Chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee issued the following statement about the malfunctioning and closure of the University Bridge: 

“After the devastating closure of the West Seattle Bridge and the citywide audit of bridges I ordered last year, City Hall should not need additional evidence to do more for bridge safety, but I’m hopeful the sudden closure of the University Bridge – blocking buses, freight, commuters, bikes, and pedestrians — finally propels our Seattle Department of Transportation to expedite how it addresses our aging bridge infrastructure. After a year of debate and delay to prioritize Seattle’s bridge network, I’m eager to have a majority of City Council finally approve later this month my long-standing proposal to authorize a boost of funds needed to fix our aging bridges. I want to thank the workers who have been struggling to repair and reopen another broken bridge and to urge all City leaders to give them the help they need to do their jobs to keep all Seattle bridges safe and secure.” 

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About Councilmember Alex Pedersen:  Before his election in Nov 2019 to represent the 100,000 residents of Seattle’s District 4, Alex Pedersen worked on community development, affordable housing, and fiscal accountability issues for 25 years in both the public and private sectors.  After earning a Master of Government Administration, he served the Clinton Administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). His career includes 15 years managing financial analysts to fund the preservation, renovation, or construction of over 30,000 units of affordable housing across the country. He served as Legislative Aide to former Council President Tim Burgess and crafted the original resolution that became the nationally acclaimed Seattle Preschool Program enacted by voters in 2014. Alex and his wife have been raising their two children in Northeast Seattle for over a decade.