With the highest levels of construction in over a decade, the city is working to reduce traffic congestion.

According to the Downtown Seattle Association, Seattle’s residential and commercial construction activity is at its highest level since the group began tracking it ten years ago. And with over 11,000 new rental units expected downtown by 2018, the record pace of growth is expected to continue.
To accommodate so many new residents and businesses, Josh Cohen reports, the city’s 20-year plan focuses on alternatives to solo driving. "It sets the goal of reducing solo driving for downtown work trips to 25 percent of mode share and reducing it to 10 percent of non-work trips by 2035." This plan includes major infrastructural changes to the transportation system, including extension of the light rail system and removal of the Alaskan Way viaduct.
The development boom dominates political dialogue, according to Cohen. With the passage of Prop 1 last year, voters approved a plan to improve the reliability of the city’s bus service and add service on busy routes. "Depending on whom you ask, these are either exciting times in a burgeoning city or a harbinger of a city that will soon be a homogenous playground for the rich," Cohen writes.
FULL STORY: As Seattle Booms, City Works to Cut Driving Downtown

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway
The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws
One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy
The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.
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