Seattle

Waterborne Transit Ridership Growing Around Seattle, Too
More than buses and trains are doing well in the Seattle region. Ridership on the state system of ferries has also climbed steadily in recent years.
Seattle Public Hearing on Affordable Housing Surprisingly YIMBY
Fort Lawton, an affordable housing proposal including over 200 units, got a warm reception at a meeting in Seattle.

Seattle Will Woo the NBA and NHL With Renovated Arena
Following a city council vote, Seattle's moving forward with a $600 million plan to renovate KeyArena in the hopes of attracting hockey and men's basketball.

Cross-Border High-Speed Rail Studied for the Pacific Northwest
The state of Washington has taken a first, serious look at a high-speed rail project linking Vancouver in British Columbia to Seattle and Portland.

Seattle Redoubles its Funding Commitment to Affordable Housing
A new levy and a new housing bond enabled new levels of spending on affordable housing in Seattle.

*New Amtrak Train Derails On Highway Overpass Outside of Seattle, Killing 3
The first southbound train on of the newly routed Amtrak Cascades Seattle-to-Portland service derailed on a highway overpass on Monday morning, with two passenger cars falling onto southbound Interstate 5, striking motor vehicles.

Forget 'Smart'—We Need 'Context Cities'
Frequent Planetizen contributor Charles R. Wolfe reflects on reconciling global forces and local context in cities across three continents.

More Buses Will Travel on the Shoulder to Skip Traffic in Seattle
Soon, Sound Transit buses will start traveling on the shoulder to skip a perpetually congested stretch of I-5. Over a dozen Sound Transit and Community Transit express routes operate on the 2.5-mile stretch.

Census: Seattle Quickly Ascending the Ranks of Most Expensive Cities to Rent
New American Community Survey Data reveals the cities where renters are paying the most.
Youth Fare Discount Sees Results in Seattle
Many high school and grade school students in Seattle have been riding the city's Metro for free during the school year, now to encourage ridership during the summer, the city has been offering steep discounts for riders between 6-18 years old.

Showdown in Seattle: Should Developers Forgo Parking?
A mixed-use project in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over parking. Activists are fighting rules that let developers omit parking in areas with a certain level of transit service.

Ranking Seattle's Transit Lines
With plans for expansions and realignment in the works, Sound Transit recently ranked the performance of the routes and corridors throughout the bus and light rail transit system.

Affordable Housing Near Transit: Seattle's REDI Makes Its First Loan
For a city in the middle of a rent crisis, the Tacoma Housing Authority project can't come too soon.

Op-Ed: Washington's State Environmental Policy Act 'Off the Rails' in Cities
Drawing on a slew of examples, Dan Bertolet argues that Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) has been co-opted in ways that run against its original purpose: protecting the environment.

Mandatory Housing Affordability Details Released in Seattle
Seattle has released the long-awaited environmental impact statement for the Mandatory Housing Affordability program—a final step in the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda process launched by former Mayor Ed Murray.

Evaluating Two Years of Transit Investment in Seattle
Two funding sources for transit investments approved by Seattle voters in 2014 are paying dividends in 2017 in the form of improved, expanded service.

Revisiting Single-Family Zoning After a Political Setback
Few cities have gone so far in considering drastic changes to single-family zoning as Seattle did in 2015. Still, the discussion about single-family zoning would have to go a lot further to turn into meaningful reform.
Seattle Councilmember Wants a Temporary Development Moratorium While Rezoning Proceeds
The vision for Aurora-Licton Springs includes more pedestrian-friendly housing developments—not the drive-in businesses, recycling and solid waste, vehicle sales, and mini-storage business that currently get permitted and built.

Could Seattle Be the U.S. Vancouver?
Seattle appears to be following the Vancouver, B.C. model by increasing population and residential density while investing in transit. If it works, traffic congestion will not deteriorate, and vehicle trips should drop.

Doubts Raised About Revenue Model for Seattle's Expanded Streetcar
Can an expansion of Seattle's streetcar system somehow outperform its previous iterations, and all other public transit modes in the city?
Pagination
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