Seattle Department of Transportation

Two-way bike lane in downtown Seattle, Washington protected wtih concrete curbs

Seattle Planning Commission Urges Reimagining of the City’s Streets

In a set of recommendations submitted to the city, the commission calls for revised land use and transportation policies that reclaim public space from cars and shift focus away from vehicle throughput to more pedestrian-oriented uses.

November 7, 2022 - The Urbanist

SR-99 on-ramp in Seattle

Seattle's Vision Zero Program Emphasizes Safe Systems Over Enforcement

Looking for traffic safety improvements while responding to 2020's Black Lives Matter protests, Seattle has spent much of the past two years implementing a Safe System approach to move closer to its Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic fatalities.

January 12, 2022 - The Urbanist

Beg Button

Seattle Recalculates Walk Signal Timing to Make Crossings Safer for Pedestrians

The new formulas for calculating the length of walk signals are designed to give people more time to safely cross the street.

April 2, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Protected Bike Lane

Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Proposed for Seattle Light Rail Stations

Anticipating the opening of two new stations in 2024, the Seattle Department of Transportation released a study prioritizing bike infrastructure in the surrounding areas.

January 25, 2021 - Seattle Bike Blog

Broadway Bike Lane

The Uncertain Future of Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan

By prioritizing a multi-modal approach and preserving existing vehicle space, the Seattle Department of Transportation risks abandoning the goals of its bicycle master plan.

January 4, 2021 - Seattle Bike Blog

Maokong Sky Gondola

Seattle Neighborhood Groups Propose Aerial Gondola to Replace Light Rail Expansion

Impatient with the city's light rail expansion plans, some residents are looking to aerial gondolas as a new mode of public transit.

December 28, 2020 - The Urbanist

Transportation Planning

Criticisms for Two Seattle Transportation Studies

Two studies begin the process of spending billions of dollars for infrastructure in Ballard and Interbay in Seattle. According to this critique, the effort is off on the wrong foot.

November 25, 2020 - The Urbanist

Duwamish River

A Big Trail Win for Seattle

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council have given all the funding necessary to make the Georgetown-to-South Park Trail a reality.

November 24, 2020 - The Urbanist

Beacon Hill Intersection

Seattle Lacks Accessible Pedestrian Signals At Most Intersections

Processing a growing backlog of requests, Seattle Department of Transportation must prioritize which intersections will be made accessible.

November 23, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Port of Seattle

Scrambling to Replace the Heavily Used West Seattle Bridge

The West Seattle High-Rise Bridge Safety Project is in high gear, more than six months after the city's most heavily trafficked bridge was closed suddenly for safety risks.

November 19, 2020 - The Urbanist

Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge

A Thorough, Mixed Review for a New Protected Bike Lane in Seattle

So many highly anticipated bike facilities finally deliver only to fall short of real game changing status. Seattle provides the latest example of the phenomenon in the wild.

October 20, 2020 - The Urbanist

King County Metro Transit

Bus Rapid Transit Plan Taking Shape in Seattle

The Madison Bus Rapid Transit LIne, also known as the RapidRide G Line, got a green light from federal authorities to move forward in the grant funding process.

August 17, 2020 - Seattle Department of Transportation

pedestrians in a Time of Coronavirus

Vehicles Restrictions for COVID-19 Made Permanent for Seattle Streets

The temporary measures of the coronavirus pandemic are being made permanent fixtures on 20 miles of streets in Seattle.

May 10, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Sidewalk

Without Sidewalks, Making Seattle Streets More Pedestrian Friendly

Over a quarter of city blocks lack sidewalk infrastructure. An advocacy project to reduce traffic speeds and increase pedestrian safety on these streets has evolved into a city-funded program.

November 7, 2019 - Next City

Red Carpet Lanes

Seattle on a Roll With New Bus Lanes

A new plan to upgrade an existing bus lane in Seattle isn't the first and it probably won't be the last.

October 13, 2019 - The Urbanist

Seattle Streetcar

Central City Connector Streetcar Inches Forward in Seattle

In the first signs of life for the beleaguered transit project in over a year, Seattle officials found some of the money they need to proceed with the Central City Connector streetcar project.

July 30, 2019 - The Urbanist

Empty Parking Garage

Op-Ed: 'Mammoth' New Parking Garages Belie Seattle's Green Talk

"Seattle is still a car town at heart," Danny Westneat writes, pointing to a number of gargantuan new parking garages like the 2,300-stall complex at Expedia's new headquarters.

July 1, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Bus Stop and Bike Lane

Transit Shelter Modernization Plan on the Shelf in Seattle

Transit advocates thought a public-private partnership to modernize transit shelters and enhance the public realm was a done deal.

August 24, 2018 - The Urbanist

King County Metro Transit

A New Daytime 'Bus Only' Lane Hits the Street in Seattle

New 'bus only' lanes on 3rd Avenue in Seattle are expected to save bus commuters a lot of time, and bus drivers a lot of headaches.

August 22, 2018 - The Urbanist

Getting the Politics of Cordon Tolling Right

With Mayor Jenny Durkan's announcement that Seattle will pursue cordon area congestion pricing coming five days after New York dropped its plan, a Washington State pro-business publication looks at the difficulties in getting the politics right.

April 20, 2018 - Lens

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.