Dubbed the "Seattle Squeeze," heavier traffic is expected in the new year as the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes and downtown construction projects continue. While the city prepares, activists want to use the opportunity to encourage other modes.
"On Jan. 11, 2019," Josh Cohen writes, "the Highway 99 Viaduct will close, three weeks before its replacement tunnel opens. With the Viaduct's more than 90,000 daily drivers spilling onto other streets and highways, January is sure to be a mess." On top of that, major construction projects will continue to impact traffic conditions until 2024, a period some are calling the "Seattle Squeeze."
During the Viaduct closure and beyond, the city is "desperate to get fewer people to drive solo." But as the city focuses most of its attention on mitigating the Squeeze's immediate effects, activists want to use the moment to change how Seattleites get around in a lasting way. They include Move All Seattle Sustainably (MASS), an advocacy group that has released a list of priorities for the city during the crunch.
Activists are focused on ways to improve bus service, build out bike lanes, and make it easier for commuters to walk to work. Making progress on those fronts, they argue, will make the city's long-term transportation goals more feasible as people contemplate getting out of their cars. Those goals include congestion pricing, "the centerpiece of [Mayor] Durkan's long term strategy." If implemented, Seattle would be the first U.S. city with such a policy.
FULL STORY: As Seattle’s traffic doom looms, some see a silver lining
Opinion: Los Angeles Must Prioritize Bikes and Buses
L.A. has a plan for improving mobility. Why are city leaders ignoring it?
Feared Traffic Increase From New Bike Lanes Failed to Materialize
Data from a much-criticized bike lane project in Montgomery County shows no noticeable decrease in vehicle capacity and a sharp decrease in bike fatalities.
Bike Lanes Don't Cause Congestion
Research from Europe shows bike infrastructure doesn't add to urban traffic and can shift mode share from cars to bikes and reduce the need for solo car trips.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
New York’s Deadliest Neighborhoods for Pedestrians
Pedestrian deaths rose last year, but remain below pre-2020 levels.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
