Later today, I will vote “no” on legislation that would, if approved, have the city government purchase the insolvent Pronto bike sharing network and all of their bicycles, stations and equipment. Instead, I will propose amended legislation that will position...
Tag: transportation
Connecting Neighborhoods by Lidding I-5
One of the largest and most visible structures in Seattle is I-5. Construction of the Interstate from Mexico to Canada destroyed many neighborhoods and neighborhood connections. From the day the freeway opened you could see it, hear it and smell it, but it was hard to get over, under or around. To this day it […]
Supporting the Muslim Community, a Voice for Drivers, Labor Standards, and More
Yesterday was the last Full Council meeting of 2015 and it was jam packed: 52 agenda items, 3 ½ hours of deliberations. We started with a resolution expressing our support for Seattle’s Muslim community in the wake of increasing anti-Muslim...
Final Decisions on 2016 Budget
The Full Council voted to adopt the City’s 2016 budget today, incorporating changes Councilmembers have made from the Mayor’s proposal over the last two months. The Mayor’s proposed budget provided us with a good start, including funding for a hospital-based...
Round 1 Budget Proposals
Budget deliberations have kicked into high gear here at City Hall. The first deadline for proposals to secure a baseline support of three councilmembers comes this Wednesday. After a couple more rounds of discussion over the next three weeks, the...
More Sidewalks for Less Money
Today Mayor Murray and I announced new strategies to construct more sidewalks for less money. For decades, neighborhood advocates have pushed the City to provide sidewalks to the areas that have none, but the biggest hurdle has been cost. Traditional...
Our Mission: Making it safer and easier to Move Seattle
Of the critical issues facing the City of Seattle, transportation infrastructure is one of the most urgent to address. Relieving traffic congestion and making safer streets are the issues I hear about in every neighborhood. It’s true. Seattle’s hour glass shape makes it challenging to get people and goods through our city efficiently and safely. […]
Lowrise Multifamily Code Updates: Balancing Design and Density
Legislation a Council committee discussed earlier this week has been characterized by one side as a dramatic giveaway to developers and, by the other side, an unnecessary and dangerous downzone. Both characterizations are false. The Council’s land use committee considered...
Meet Laura! Guest Post: Change Doesn’t Need to be Painful
This post was written by Laura Robinson, my new Part-Time Temporary Legislative Assistant, who will be helping my office this summer! Laura is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia. Laura grew up in the Columbia City neighborhood and attended Garfield High School. She spent four years living and working in […]
Our Tax System: The Worst in the Country
The special session of the Washington State legislature will end today with no resolution to our state’s budget dilemma. Yet another special 30-day session will begin immediately. What a mess. The facts about the need for a complete top-to-bottom overhaul...