Seattle Forward

Thoughts on Taxis, Flat-Rate For-Hires and App-Based Car Services

The intensity of the debate about regulations for taxis, flat-rate for-hire vehicles and app-based services like UberX and Lyft has been rivalled only by its complexity. With a meeting this morning on this issue, and a final vote coming soon, I wanted to share my position in more detail.

Let’s start with the basic question that many have asked: why regulate this industry at all? Why not just let the free market take control?

City Inside/Out: Preschool, Police, Waterfront and More

The January edition of the Seattle Channel's City Inside/Out program airs at 7:30 p.m. tonight. This month, Councilmembers O'Brien, Bagshaw and myself joined host Brian Callanan to talk about preschool for all, the police department, the tunnel, potential Metro service cuts, the minimum wage and more. Take a look below:

City Inside/Out: Budget, Preschool for All, Federal Shutdown and More

I joined Councilmembers Bruce Harrell and Jean Godden on the October edition of the Seattle Channel's City Inside/Out. The video premieres tonight at 7:30 p.m., but is available online now:

Budget Public Hearings in October

October means it's city budget time. The City Council will hold two public hearings this month to receive comments and concerns about the proposed 2014 City budget.

The Council received the Mayor’s 2014 budget proposal last week and we have begun our review. Councilmembers will spend the next two months pouring over the proposal and making any changes necessary to meet the needs of Seattle residents in areas such as public safety, education, transportation and affordability. 

The first hearing is this Thursday, October 3 at City Hall (600 Fourth Avenue). Sign-up for public comment opens at 5 p.m. and the hearing will start at 5:30 p.m.

The second hearing will be on Thursday, October 24 in the Garfield High School Commons (400 23rd Ave). Sign-up for public comment at this hearing opens at 5 p.m. and the hearing will start at 6 p.m.

If you don't want to show up in person, you can also tune in through the Seattle Channel. More information about the budget process is available on this page or through this two-page handout. 

Council Dedicates Camera Revenue to School Safety

The City Council passed legislation today that requires revenue from automated school zone speed cameras be dedicated to traffic and pedestrian safety improvements near schools.

These cameras were installed to keep children and families safe. Establishing a dedicated fund is the most straightforward way to put the camera revenue right back into school safety. The Council’s action will bring street and sidewalk improvements to the areas close to our schools and provide driver, pedestrian and bicyclist education — all to increase safety for our kids.

The fund will take effect January 1, 2014. Earlier this month, the Council allocated $2.5 million from 2013 speed camera revenue for these types of projects and these funds can be put to use as soon as projects are identified.

City Inside/Out: Marijuana, Waterfront, Taxis and More

I joined Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Jean Godden on the latest edition of the Seattle Channel's City Inside/Out. You can watch the video below:

Meeting Immediate Traffic Safety and Mobility Needs

The City Council authorized funding for immediate traffic safety improvements and improved transit mobility today through supplemental budget legislation. Street maintenance, bus corridor improvements and new crosswalks are included in the Council’s adopted transportation package.

We added and reallocated $3 million from the Mayor's proposal to fund important safety improvements and backlogged maintenance. As I’ve said consistently, we must use our limited transportation dollars to fix what we have, finish what we've started and plan wisely for the future for all transportation modes.

Legislature's Failure Raises Questions about Future Transit Service

In a major blow for the significant transportation challenges we face in Washington, the State Legislature adjourned over the weekend without acting on a statewide transportation revenue package; the House passed it, the Republican-dominated Majority Coalition Caucus in the Senate refused to take it up for consideration.

The impact—or more accurately, disaster— for Seattle and the rest of King County will be felt next year when Metro will be forced to eliminate 17% of its current transit service due to lack of funds. Losing this much transit service will create congestion chaos on city streets (even worse than what we see today).

The City and County pushed for local authority to impose an increase in the motor vehicle excise tax (a sales tax on automobiles) to fund transit service. Now that the Legislature failed to provide this level of local control, we may need to find other creative solutions.

Stepping back, the Legislature’s failure points to an even greater challenge for our region.

Seattle's Bridges

Questions have come up about the state of Seattle’s bridges in the wake of the I-5 Skagit River bridge collapse last week. Bridges are rated on a “sufficiency” scale of 0 to 100, with 100 meaning a sufficient bridge and 0 meaning a deficient bridge. As described on the Washington State Department of Transportation website, “The sufficiency rating doesn’t necessarily indicate a bridge’s ability to carry traffic loads. It helps determine which bridges may need repair or replacement, not potential for collapse.”

The I-5 Skagit River bridge was rated 57. As of last December, 37 of Seattle’s bridges had a sufficiency rating lower than 57, with several of those the subject of current or planned replacement or repair projects. A full list is available here.

The Seattle Department of Transportation made a presentation on the status and condition of our city’s bridges in January. The slides from that presentation include some interesting charts and data points.

More Detail on Looming Transit Cuts

The Council received another briefing this morning from King County Metro officials about potential service cuts if the State legislature doesn't take action and provide funding options for transit agencies. The impact of the cuts (a 17% loss of service) would be disastrous for Seattle and the greater region; the red lines on the map to the left are routes that would be potentially eliminated, reduced or revised. 

Transportation is the backbone of a robust economy and public transit is essential to that vitality. 

Seattle is the largest job center in the state. An estimated two-thirds of the City’s 200,000 daily commuters don’t drive; they rely on a quality transit network. The legislature’s failure thus far to fund Metro service is a direct blow to these commuters and will mean decreased service and increased gridlock for many of us who live and work in and around Seattle. The legislature’s inaction could also have a cascading effect through the system as bus routes are eliminated and riders compete for space on other already-crowded routes.