Author: Mike O'Brien (Mike O'Brien)

As a member of the City Council’s Taxi, For-Hire, and Limousine Regulations Committee, my colleagues and I have spent countless hours figuring  out how to update the regulations surrounding the industry, which are far outdated.  We have been digging into the myriad of issues surrounding how to incorporate new market entrants like ÜberX, Lyft and […]

This is a guest post by our research aide, Giulia Pasciuto, who has been leading a research project I am collaborating on with the Seattle Women’s Commission to better understand the barriers and solutions to healthy food access for women in Seattle. Food Access is a significant problem for low-income women in Seattle. In 2011, […]

I am proud to join Mayor Ed Murray, County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, and fellow members from our region in our quest to continue developing a reliable transportation system for the tens of thousands of people who commute using this system every day. I first ran for office because of my interest in public transportation and […]

Hello and thank you all for being here today. I want to thank my wife, friends and family for being here today and for supporting me in this career path as a public servant. I also want to thank all of the people who supported my campaign for re-election to Seattle City Council. I love […]

Note: Below are my prepared remarks from last night’s Climate Legislative and Executive Workgroup public hearing. I was testifying on behalf of the City of Seattle, along with Mayor McGinn. The Workgroup is charged with recommending a state program of actions and policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, that if implemented would ensure achievement of the […]

What are your transportation priorities? The State Senate wants to know — and is coming to Seattle to find out. The Senate is holding a listening session to find out what our transportation priorities are.  This is a public event with an opportunity for public comment.  Click here to let organizers for Move King County […]

In May, the City adopted our Climate Action Plan to be a carbon neutral city by 2050.  Now it’s time for implementation! As the City develops our implementation for city-led actions, we’d want to hear YOUR ideas for neighborhood and community-led projects. Join us Monday October 7 from 5:30-8:00pm in the Bertha Knight Landes Room […]

Improving energy efficiency in your household is a sound investment – saving money and energy, and making your home healthier. But for those that can’t afford the initial investment, weatherization services are often beyond reach. But what if they were free? As it turns out, the City has a very successful and long-running weatherization program […]

City Council is nearing adoption on a resolution intended to help make sure that when we spend city dollars on public construction projects, we look to hire locally first. And not just hiring locally, but to hire those folks from our community who are out of work or face other barriers to getting work – […]

After working for three years to reduce the distribution of unwanted yellow pages phone books in Seattle, guess what was left on my porch yesterday?  A re-usable bag with two phone books in it.  Whoops! In April, the City signed a Statement of Shared Principles with the yellow pages industry, signaling their good-faith effort to […]