>>> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD MORNING.
JANUARY 15, 2026
MEETING OF THE TRANSPORTATION
AND
WATERFRONT COMMITTEE WILL COME
TO ORDER.
THAT'S A LONG NAME FOR A
COMMITTEE. IT IS 9:34 A.M.
I AM ROB SAKA, CHAIR OF
THE COMMITTEE.
WILL THE COMMITTEE
CLERK PLEASE CALL
THE ROLL? [ ROLL BEING CALLED ]
>> CHAIR, THERE ARE FIVE MEMBERS
PRESENT.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION,
THE AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
HEARING AND SEEING NO OBJECTION,
THE AGENDA IS HEREBY ADOPTED.
THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES,
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, FOR
JOINING US
TODAY. VERY IMPORTANT MEETING.
BEFORE WE START TODAY'S
AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A
SPECIAL WELCOME TO COUNCIL
MEMBERS
FOSTER AND
LIN. WELCOME.
REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU.
IN FACT, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE
YOU ON
THIS COMMITTEE. I REALLY DO LOOK
FORWARD
TO PARTNERING CLOSELY WITH YOU
AND
YOUR OFFICES TO ADVANCE
OUR SHARED WORK TOGETHER IN THIS
CRITICAL FORUM TO BETTER SERVE
THOSE WHO LIVE IN, WORK IN,
AND VISIT OUR FINE CITY.
ALSO WANT TO WELCOME OUR
DEPARTMENT PARTNERS, MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC, AND THOSE WATCHING
AT HOME TO THE INAUGURAL
MEETING OF THE SAFETY
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
PROJECTS SPORTS AND
EXPERIENCES COMMITTEE, OR
SIMPLY PUT, S.T.E.P.S.
WE CHOSE THAT NAME
INTENTIONAL BECAUSE HOW SEATTLE
MOVES
FORWARD HAPPENS ONE STEP AT A
TIME.
AND BECAUSE SAFETY HAS TO
COME FIRST EVERY SINGLE TIME.
I WANT TO START BY GROUNDING US
IN HOW WE GOT HERE BECAUSE
S.T.E.P.S. IS NOT A DEPARTURE
FROM OUR PAST WORK.
IT IS THE NEXT
NECESSARY EVOLUTION OF IT.
IN 2024, WHEN I BECAME
CHAIR OF THE FORMER
TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE, OUR FOCUS WAS
FOUNDATIONAL.
WE WERE SETTING DIRECTION
AND SECURING THE TOOLS NEEDED
TO DELIVER.
THAT YEAR WE PASSED THE
SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION
PLAN, ESTABLISHING A 20- YEAR
VISION CENTERED ON SAFETY,
EQUITY, AND
RELIABILITY.
AND IMPORTANTLY, LATER THAT
YEAR, WE BACKED THAT VISION
WITH VITAL RESOURCES AND REAL
INVESTMENT BY PASSING A
$1.55 BILLION
TRANSPORTATION LEVY RENEWAL
PACKAGE THAT
WAS LATER APPROVED BY VOTERS.
AS CHAIR, I PUSHED HARD TO
ENSURE THAT THAT LEVY
INCLUDED THE LARGEST INVESTMENT
IN VISION
ZERO UPGRADES IN SEATTLE'S
HISTORY, ALONG WITH
HISTORIC FUNDING TO PROTECT OUR
MOST VULNERABLE ROAD USERS.
THAT MEANT EXPANDING
AND UPGRADING BIKE LANES
AND BUILDING NEW SIDEWALKS IN
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN
LEFT BEHIND FOR TOO LONG.
IN 2025, THAT
WORK MATURED. THE FOCUS SHIFTED
IN
AUTHORIZATION TO
ACCOUNTABILITY, IMPLEMENTATION,
AND INNOVATION.
WE WORKED TO ENSURE A STRONG
START TO
THE LEVY. WE ELEVATED TRANSIT
SAFETY AND
SECURITY.
AND WE PASSED THE FIRST IN THE
NATION E- CARGO BIKE LEGISLATION
WHILE LAUNCHING A BRAND-
NEW DISTRICT PROJECT FUND,
GIVING COUNCIL MEMBERS MORE
TOOLS TO
RESPOND MORE QUICKLY TO NEIGHBOR
LEVEL SAFETY NEEDS.
SAFETY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT
THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO IN THIS
COMMITTEE, AND S.T.E.P.S.
DOES NOT REPLACE THAT PRIOR
WORK.
IT BUILDS UPON IT.
THAT SAID, WHAT S.T.E.P.S. DOES
DO DIFFERENTLY IS RECOGNIZE THAT
THE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY
AREARE INTERCONNECTED THAN EVER.
SEATTLE IS GROWING.
WE ARE DELIVERING
COMPLEX CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE'RE ALSO PREPARING TO
HOST MAJOR GLOBAL EVENTS THAT
WILL PUT UNPRECEDENTED DEMANDS,
PRESSURES, AND STRAINS ON THE
BROADER
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC
SPACES.
S.T.E.P.S. IS DESIGNED TO
MEET THIS MOMENT.
BY BRINGING TOGETHER SAFETY,
TRANSPORTATION, ENGINEERING
DELIVERY, CIVIC PROJECTS, AND
MAJOR EXPERIENCES INTO A
SINGLE COORDINATED FRAMEWORK.
IT POSITIONS US NOT JUST TO
PLAN WELL, BUT TO EXECUTE WELL.
IN ADDITION, S.T.E.P.S.
MODERNIZES THE
COUNCIL'S TRANSPORTATION
OVERSIGHT
BY UNITING A SAFETY FIRST
MOBILITY POLICY WITH MAJOR CIVIC
PROJECTS, SPORTS, AND
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES.
THOSE THINGS ARE NOT
SEPARATE CONSTRUCTS.
THEY INTERSECT LITERALLY, QUITE
LITERALLY, IN OUR STREETS, OUR
SIDEWALKS, OUR TRANSIT
SYSTEMS, AND IN OUR PUBLIC
SPACES.
BEFORE WE GO FURTHER, I WANT
TO
SHARE WHY THIS WORK MATTERS TO
ME IN 2014, MY
COLLEAGUE WAS KILLED WHILE
RIDING
TO WORK ON HER BIKE DOWN SECOND
AVENUE.
SHE WAS A WIFE, MOTHER,
AND SO MUCH MORE.
SHE WAS ALSO A FELLOW ALUM AT
MY LAW SCHOOL AND A
LEGENDARY LAWYER AT MY OLD LAW
FIRM.
SHE WAS THOUGHTFUL,
GENEROUS, AND DEEPLY COMMITTED
TO THIS
CITY.
SHE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT, AND
SHE SHOULD STILL
BE HERE. HER DEATH WAS NOT
INEVITABLE.
IT WAS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE.
AND THAT REALITY HAS SHAPED
HOW I APPROACH THIS WORK EVERY
DAY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
VISION ZERO, WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT A
SLOGAN OR A SPREADSHEET OR EVEN
A
SLIDE
DECK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
PEOPLE
WHOSE LIVES SHOULD NOT HAVE
ENDED
ON OUR STREETS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE
LIKE CHER.
WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT
PEOPLE LIKE STEVE HOLZMAN, ONE
OF MY
CONSTITUENTS, WHO TRAGICALLY
LOST HIS LIFE ON OUR ROADS IN
WEST SEATTLE IN
DECEMBER OF 2023.
PEOPLE WHOSE ABSENCE STILL
RIPPLE THROUGH FAMILIES,
WORKPLACES, AND COMMUNITIES.
THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY TRIBUTE
RIDES, GHOST BIKES,
AND MAKESHIFT MEMORIALS HONORING
THE PEOPLE, OUR NEIGHBORS, WHO
LOST
THEIR LIVES ON OUR CITY STREETS.
THAT IS
WHY TRAFFIC SAFETY AND VISION
ZERO IS AGENDA ITEM
NUMBER ONE AT OUR
VERY FIRST INAUGURAL MEETING
TODAY.
THAT'S ALSO WHY WE ARE STARTING
S.T.E.P.S. WITH AN
HONEST ASSESSMENT OF PROGRESS IN
BARRIERS TO SUCCESS.
AND THAT IS WHY SAFETY
REMAINS THE FOUNDATION OF
EVERYTHING
THIS COMMITTEE WILL DO.
THE SAME TIME, SEATTLESEATTLE
STEPPING INTO A LARGER STAGE AND
TAKING OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AS A
LEADING WORLD CLASS
CITY. WE ARE PREPARING FOR FIFA
WORLD
CUP, FINALIZING OUR PLANS FOR
THAT, ADVANCING THE
REDEVELOPMENT OF MEMORIAL
STADIUM, AND CONTINUING MAJOR
INVESTMENTS IN THE
SEATTLE CENTER AND THE
WATERFRONT.
THESE MOMENTS BRING
OPPORTUNITY AND PRIDE.
BUT THINK ALSO DEMAND
RELIABILITY, COORDINATION,
AND A RELENTLESS FOCUS ON
SAFETY.
S.T.E.P.S. IS BUILT TO DELIVER
ON ALL THREE.
BILINING SDOT, THE OFFICE OF
THE WATERFRONT AND CIVIC
PROJECTS AND SEATTLE CENTER,
THIS COMMITTEE REFLECTS HOW THE
CITY
ACTUALLY FUNCTIONS WHEN THINGS
ARE WORKING WELL, TOGETHER,
NOT IN SILOS.
THIS COMMITTEE IS ABOUT
FORGING PARTNERSHIPS AND
STRENGTHENING
COLLABORATION WITH THE
EXECUTIVE, WITH REGIONAL
AGENCIES, WITH ADVOCATES AND
COMMUNITIES, AND WITH
EACH OTHER.
THE URGENCY IN THIS WORK IS
CLEAR. LIVES ARE QUITE LITERALLY
AT
STAKE. AND THERE
IS ACCOUNTABILITY. THE PUBLIC
EXPECTS RESULTS.
MY COMMITMENT AS CHAIR IS
TO HONOR THE FOUNDATION WE
HAVE BUILT WHILE LEADING THIS
NEXT CHAPTER WITH SERIOUSNESS,
TRANSPARENCY, AND COLLABORATION.
WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK
SDOT AND INTERIM DIRECTOR BRADY
FOR
BEING HERE TODAY.
IT MEANS A LOT.
NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO
BRIEFLY TOUCH UPON THE STATE'S
REVIE
BY -- PROJECT.
THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION, WASH DOT,
IS INNOVATING THE -- BRIDGE IN
SEATTLE, RECALL COLLEAGUES -- I
KETTLE
AND VICE CHAIR -- WERE ON THE
COMMITTEE LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD
A BRIEF TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
THIS PAST WEEKEND, THERE
WAS A FULL CLOSURE OF NORTHBOUND
I-5.
TWO LANES OF NORTHBOUND I-5
WILL REMAIN CLOSED FOR
MULTIPLE MONTHS AS CREWS CONDUCT
BRIDGE
PRESERVATION WORK.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE THIS
INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY PLAN TO
TRAVEL
NORTHBOUND ON
I-5 THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
THE TAKEAWAY IS, PLAN AHEAD.
ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON TO TODAY'S AGENDA.
WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM
SDOT REGARDING THE
TRAFFIC STATUS
UPDATE, TRAFFIC SAFETY STATUS
UPDATE, OVERALL STATE,
PROCESS AGAINST VISION ZERO
GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION
TO BARRIERS AND SUCCESS.
WE'LL HAVE A POSSIBLE VOTE
ON TWO SDOT PROJECTS.
THANK YOU AGAIN, AND WELCOME
TO S.T.E.P.S.
WE WILL NOW MOVE -- WE WILL NOW
OPEN THE HYBRID PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD. PUBLIC COMMENTS SHOULD
RELATE
TO ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA AND
WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF
THIS COMMITTEE.
CLERK, HOW MANY SPEAKERS
ARE SIGNED UP TODAY?
>> CHAIR, WE CURRENTLY HAVE
TWO SPEAKERS, ONE IN PERSON AND
ONE
REMOTE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE
TWO MINUTES.
WE'LL START WITH -- SPEAKERS
FIRST. CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE
READ
THE PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS?
>> PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL
BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING
MANNER. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED
IN
THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY
REGISTERED.
SPEAKERS WILL ALTERNATE BETWEEN
SETS OF IN- PERSON AND
REMOTE SPEAKERS UNTIL THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD HAS ENDED.
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR A CHIME WHEN
TEN SECONDS ARE LEFT OF
THEIR TIME.
SPEAKERS' MICS WILL
BE MUTED IF THEY DO NOT END
THEIR
COMMENTS IN THE ALLOTTED TIME.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW
OPEN, AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH
THE FIRST SPEAKER ON THE LIST.
>> ALL RIGHT.
FIRST SPEAKER IS CLAIR CANCER.
WELCOME, CLAIR.
>> HI.
GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS CLAIR CANTER,
AND I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
WITH SEATTLE
NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAYS. I'M
REALLY GRATEFUL THIS
COMMITTEE IS STARTING OFF WITH
A PRESENTATION ON VISION ZERO,
THE GOAL TO END TRAFFIC DEATHS
AND SERIOUS INJURIES IN THE NEXT
FOUR YEARS.
WE DON'T HAVE OFFICIAL
NUMBERS FROM 2025, BUT I'D LIKE
TO
SHARE MY ACCOUNT OF JUST THOSE
CRASHES THAT HAVE MADE IT TO THE
MEDIA.
SINCE THIS BODY LAST HEARD
A REPORT ON VISION ZERO, A
MINIMUM
OF 24 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
KILLED IN CAR CRASHES ON OUR
STREETS, INCLUDING 15 WHO WERE
NOT
IN CARS.
AND SINCE COMMITTING TO
VISION ZERO IN 2015,
AT LEAST 281 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
KILLED
AND 2,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LEFT
WITH LIFE- ALTERING INJURIES.
AND TRAFFIC VIOLENCE,
LIKE SO MUCH ELSE IN OUR CITY,
IS
DISPROPORTIONATELY KILLING
LOW- INCOME AND UNHOUSED PEOPLE,
DISABLED PEOPLE, ELDERS, PEOPLE
OF COLOR. AND EACH OF THOSE
NUMBERS
IS A PERSON, AND EACH DEATH HAS
RIPPLING EFFECTS ON
THEIR FAMILY, THEIR FRIENDS, AND
THEIR
COMMUNITY. I GET AROUND THE CITY
BY BIKE
AND BY BUS WITH MY TWO YOUNG
KIDS, AND WE LIVE JUST OFF OF
VENEAR AVENUE IN DISTRICT TWO.
I AM KEENLY AWARE OF HOW
UNPROTECTED I AM ON OUR
STREETS EVERY DAY AND THAT THE
NEXT
NUMBER COULD BE ME.
OUR GOAL ISN'T TO STOP ALL MAKE
MISTAKES.
IT'S JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT
WHEN CRASHES DO HAPPEN, THEY
AREN'T SEVERE ENOUGH TO
KILL PEOPLE. AND THE SMART
PEOPLE AT
SDOT THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY
KNOW WE JUST NEED THE POLITICAL
WILL TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO, AS YOU'RE LISTENING TO THIS
MORNING'S
PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO
ISSUE EACH OF YOU A
CHALLENGE TO JUST THINK OF JUST
ONE BIG SAFETY DESIGN
PROJECT THAT YOU
KNOW WOULD SAVE LIVES, SOMETHING
IN YOUR DISTRICT
OR SOMETHING THAT COME UP IN
THIS PRESENTATION LIKE THIS ONE
YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR
AFTER YEAR.
AND JUST TO DO EVERYTHING
IN YOUR POWER TO CHAMPION
THAT PROJECT AND MAKE SURE
THAT IT HAPPENS AND IT HAPPENS
IN A
WAY THAT'S GOING TO SAVE LIVES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, CLAIR.
>> OUR REMOTE SPEAKER'S NAME
IS DAVID HAYNES.
>> HI.
THANK YOU.
DAVID HAYNES.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF
COUNCIL MADE A RULE THAT IF
BUSINESS WANTS TO DO BUSINESS IN
SEATTLE
WITH A PUBLIC
PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ON FIXING
THE
ROADS OR THE SHIP CANAL BRIDGE
THAT
THEY BRING TWO WHOLE SHIFTS
SO THEY CAN FOCUS ON
GETTING THE PROJECT DONE.
BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE
A CONTINUED ABUSE OF THE
WORKING CLASS WHERE THEY'RE NOT
BEING PAID ENOUGH, AND THEN THEY
HAVE TO WORK THE PAY PLAN,
BEING OVERWORKED.
SO, THEY SLOW DOWN.
AND NOW WE ARE
TOTALLY INCONVENIENCED WITH ALL
THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE PAYING
AN EXORBITANT SUM OF MONEY
TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WORKING
ON THE PROJECT BUT ARE
OPPRESSING AND EXPLOITING THE
WORKERS.
LET'S FACE IT.
AMERICA HAS A REAL
PROBLEM WITH -- INFRASTRUCTURE,
AND IT'S
COMPLETELY EVIDENT ALL
THROUGHOUT SEATTLE, WHERE YOU
HAVE THESE
INCONSIDERATE ROADWAYS DRIVERS
WHO THINK
THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH TREATING
A
PEDESTRIAN OR A CYCLIST LIKE
HELL.
AND THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.
AND IT'S OUTRAGEOUS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU KEEP
TRYING TO CREATE
NEW NEIGHBORHOODS AND
YOU'RE CONSTANTLY
ACCOMMODATING THE ROAD AND
LETTING THE TRASH TRUCK
COME RIGHT UP TO THE
RESIDENTIAL UNIT, YOU HAVE TO
REIMAGINE
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE
COMMUNITY WITHOUT THE
ACCOMMODATION OF THE
LAZINESS OF THE MODERN WHEEL.
YOU EVER NOTICE THAT
ALL THESE -- SOME STRIP MALLS,
WHERE PEOPLE THINK THEY HAVE TO
DRIVE
AS CLOSE AS THEY CAN GET TO
THE FRONT DOOR.
AND THEIR BUMPER IS HANGING
OVER THE SIDEWALK, INTRUDING ON
PEOPLE WHO ARE PEDESTRIANS.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED A
PEDESTRIAN- CENTRIC,
RESIDENT- FRIENDLY
INFRASTRUCTURE IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES
NOT ADDRESS IT THE WAY
IT'S SUPPOSED
TO. YOU WANT TO PUT EVERYBODY ON
THE TRANSIENT SIDE OF THE
HIGHWAY BECAUSE A BUNCH OF
LAN LORDS WANT TO BE ABUSIVE TO
THE
RENTERS AND SELL OUT THE
WORKING CLASS.
WE NEED DOUBLE SHIFTS ON
THE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS
TO EXPEDITE GETTING --
>> THANK YOU, DAVID.
ALL RIGHT. JUST CONFIRMING THERE
ARE NO
ADDITIONAL
REGISTERED SPEAKERS.
CORRECT.
GREAT. THANK YOU.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO
OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS.
WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM ONE INTO
THE
RECORD?
>> AGENDA ITEM ONE,
TRAFFIC STATUS UPDATE, OVERALL
STATE, VISION ZERO
GOALS, AND IMPEDIMENTS TO
SUCCESS.
>> THANK YOU.
AND LOOKS LIKE OUR PRESENTERS
ARE JOINING US AT THE TABLE.
THANK YOU. WELCOME.
PLEASE START SHARING YOUR
PRESENTATIONS. ONCE READY, FIRST
INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND BEGIN
YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
BEFORE WE DO THAT, WHILE
YOU GUYS ARE SETTLING IN,
PULLING TUP RESOURCES TO SHARE
OUT,
JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
AND SAY,
THANK YOU. THE WIDOW OF STEVE
HOLZMAN, WHO
I MENTIONED EARLIER, ONE OF MY
CONSTITUENTS AND SOMEONE WHO
HAS BECOME A CHAMPION OF
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND VISION
ZERO INVESTMENTS AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL, SOMEONE WHO HAS PUSHED ME
IN A
KIND AND RESPECTFUL WAY TO DO
BETTER, PUSHED OUR CITY -- IT'S
NEVER JUST ONE PERSON --
PUSHED OUR CITY TO DO BETTER.
SO, I WANT TO THANK MRS.
HOLZMAN, RITA.
IN ADDITION TO ALL THOSE
THINGS, SHE'S ALSO A FRIEND.
AND I APPRECIATE HER.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
ALL RIGHT.
SDOT, WELCOME.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
HELLO. I AM
ANGELA BRADY. I HAVE BEEN AT
THIS
TABLE MANY, MANY TIMES OVER MY
21
YEARS HERE AT THE CITY.
BUT THIS IS MY FIRST
TIME SITTING HERE AS THE INTERIM
SDOT DIRECTOR.
SO, VERY HONORED TO HAVE BEEN
SELECTED TO PLAY THIS ROLE
AND REALLY HAPPY TO BE SITTING
IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY TO TALK
ABOUT SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC AS
SAFETY.
I THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
SAKA, FOR INVITING US TO
PRESENT ON THIS TOPIC TODAY.
YOU'LL NOTICE IN
OUR VISION VALUE AND GOALS SLIDE
SHOWN
ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE THAT
SAFETY IS EMBEDDED IN EVERYTHING
WE DO.
ACROSS DIVISIONS AND WITH
ALL STAFF AT SDOT, FROM
PROVIDING
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE CURB
RAMPS TO REORGANIZING THE WAY A
STREET
OPERATES, TO MANAGING
TRAFFIC OPERATIONS ON CITY
STREETS
DURING MAJOR EVENTS LIKE
REVIVE BY FIVE.
SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME
AND THE ENTIRE
DEPARTMENT. TODAY, THE COMMITTEE
WILL
RECEIVE A REFRESHER ON THE
VISION ZERO PROGRAM.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHERE WE
ARE WITH SERIOUS AND FATAL
TRAFFIC
COLLISIONS.
WE'LL GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF
2025 DATA AND WHERE WE ARE GOING
TO
2026.
WHILE THIS PRESENTATION IS NOT
A HOLISTIC LOOK AT EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF OUR SAFETY
INVESTMENTS, IT DOES PROVIDE A
REALLY
GREAT SNAPSHOT OF OUR EFFORTS
AND THE
RESULTS.
THIS WILL NO DOUBT LEAD TO
GOOD QUESTIONS AND
DISCUSSIONS, AND I LOOK FORWARD
TO MORE
BRIEFINGS ON SAFETY AS THIS YEAR
PROCEEDS.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO
TURN THINGS OVER TO THE
CITY'S
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER AND
CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER -- THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN, WE
HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTER AT THE
TABLE.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND
INTRODUCING
YOURSELVES. AND THEN COLLEAGUES,
I'LL
JUST ASK THAT WE HOLD OUR
QUESTIONS TO THE VERY END.
THANK YOU.
>> AND BILL -- I'M
SDOT'S COUNCIL LIAISON AND
GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS MANAGER.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS -- I'M THE
CHIEF TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
OFFICER AND CITY TRSK ENGINEER
WITH
SDOT.
THANK YOU, CHAIR SAKA, VICE
CHAIR, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER
AND COUNCIL MEMBER LIN TO
THE COMMITTEE AND LOOK FORWARD
TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU GUYS.
BEFORE I GET STARTED, LET
ME GROUND ALL OF US IN THE
SDOT'S
VISION, VALUES, AND GOALS.
OUR VISION IS THAT SEATTLE IS AN
EQUITABLE, VIBRANT,
AND DIVERSE CITY, WHERE MOVING
AROUND SAFE,
FAIR, AND SUSTAINABLE.
ALL PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES
CAN ACCESS THEIR DAILY NEEDS
AND FEEL CONNECTED TO
THEIR
COMMUNITY. OUR VALUES ARE
SAFETY, EQUITY,
SUSTAINABILITY, MOBILITY
AND ECONOMIC VITALITY,
LIVABILITY, MAINTENANCE AND
MODERNIZATION, AND EXCELLENCE.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, LET'S TAKE A
QUICK MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
LIVES THAT ARE LOST AND
LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED
BY
TRAFFIC VIOLENCE ON OUR CITY
STREETS.
TOGETHER WE HOLD THE SPACE
FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN
IMPACTED.
THESE PEOPLE ARE OUR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS, OUR FAMILY MEMBERS,
OUR
FRIENDS. AND WE COLLECTIVELY
ACKNOWLEDGE
THEIR LOSS
AND RE-COMMIT TO CONTINUED
ACTION ON SAFETY.
IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION, OUR
GOAL, THE VISION ZERO ARE
SAFE -- WHAT
VISION OF THE PROGRAM HAS
ACCOMPLISHED IN
2025 AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO GO
ABOUT WITHIN THE VISION ZERO
PROGRAM
IN 2026.
LIKE MRS. BRADY SAID, THIS
IS PURELY ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES
OF
THE PROGRAM BUT NOT A
HOLISTIC VIEW OF ALL THE SAFETY
EFFORTS THAT ARE HAPPENING
WITHIN
THE DEPARTMENT.
SAFETY CONTINUES TO BE A
COMMON THREAD THAT MOTIVATES
AND INSPIRES US ALL ACROSS
THE DEPARTMENT TO PURSUE AND
IMPROVE SAFETY FOR ALL ROAD
USERS.
VISION ZERO IS A GOAL THAT THE
CITY HAS COMMITTED TO IN 2015 TO
END FATALITIES AND
SERIOUS INJURIES ON OUR CITY
STREETS BY
2030. HISTORICALLY, SAFETY HAS
BEEN APPROACHED FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE THREE Es,
ENGINEERING,
EDUCATION, AND ENFORCEMENT.
AND LATER ON, SEVERAL OTHER E
s, SUCH AS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,
ENGAGEMENT, AND EVALUATION WERE
ADDED TO THE SAFETY APPROACH.
BUT MORE RECENTLY, WE HAVE
ADOPTED A DIFFERENT
APPROACH CALLED
THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH TO
BROADEN OUR FOCUS IN SAFETY
FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES.
IN 2022, THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
ADOPTED THETHE
SYSTEM APPROACH BASED ON
THE VISIONS AND PRINCIPLES AS A
NEW PARADIGM TO APPROACH SAFETY
FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES.
THE GOAL OF THIS NEW APPROACH
IS TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF
CRASHES.
AND IF THEY DO OCCUR, REDUCE THE
LIKELIHOOD OF HARM WHEN
SUCH CRASHES HAPPEN.
THE SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH
IS BASED ON THE
VISION ZERO PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE
BEEN
ADOPTED ACROSS EUROPE AND
LATER WIDELY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND WE ARE SEEING, KIND OF,
LIKE, A LOT OF SUCCESS ADOPTING
THIS APPROACH.
NOW, THE SAFE SYSTEMS
APPROACH HAS SIX GUIDING
PRINCIPLES.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE OUTSIDE
OF THIS SCHEMATIC.
THE SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES
ARE THAT DEATH AND SERIOUS
INJURIES
ARE INACCEPTABLE, HUMANS ARE
VULNERABLE, AND HUMANS DO MAKE
MISTAKES.
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY IS
SHARED FROM THE PEOPLE WHO
MAINTAIN,
PLAN, OPERATE, AND DESIGN
THE SYSTEM FOR THE
END USERS. THE SAFETY IS
PROACTIVE
AND THAT -- IS CRUCIAL.
THE SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH HAS
FIVE SPECIFIC ELEMENTS AS
PART OF ITS APPROACH.
SAFER ROADS AND SAFER
STREETS ALL ARE ABOUT
ENGINEERING
DESIGN AND TRYING TO MANAGE
THE OPERATION AND SAFETY
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STREET
SYSTEM.
AND SAFER PEOPLE AND SAFER
VEHICLES ARE OTHER ELEMENTS
THAT TALK ABOUT THE
HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND OTHER ASPECTS
OF THE IMAGE
DESIGN, ASPECTS OF THE
SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH.
NOW, WASH DOT HAS
RECENTLY INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL
SAFE SYSTEM CALLED LAND
USE BECAUSE LAND USE AND TRAFFIC
HAVE
VERY DEEP CONNECTION AND IMPACT
ONE
ANOTHER.
NOW, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF
THE VISION ZERO EFFORT, WE
HAVE PUBLISHED SEVERAL ACTION
PLANS.
AND OUR MOST RECENT ACTION PLAN
WAS BASED ON A REVIEW OF
OUR VISION
ZERO APPROACH. WE PUBLISHED THIS
ACTION PLAN
IN SPRING OF 2024, SETTING OUT A
THREE-YEAR ACTION PLAN
THAT IDENTIFIES 20
BROAD STRATEGIES AND SPECIFIC
ACTIONS, NOT
JUST FOR THE VISION AND THE
PROGRAM
BUT FOR OUR VARIOUS
PROGRAMS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT
AND VARIOUS THINGS THAT WORK
ON SAFETY AND SAFETY- RELATED
PROJECTS.
SWITCHING TO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN ON OUR STREETS
AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THIS
IS A GRAPH THAT YOU MIGHT
BE FAMILIAR FROM LAST YEAR'S
PRESENTATION. WE UPDATED THIS
GRAPH WITH TWO
ADDITIONAL YEARS OF DATA THAT
WE HAVE BOTH AVAILABLE TO THE
CITY AND FOR THE VARIOUS --
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
NOW, SEATTLE SEEMS TO BE DOING
RELATIVELY BETTER WHEN IT
COMES TO THE LIVES LOST PER
CAPITA
WHEN COMPARED TO SOME OF THE
BIGGER CITIES.
BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR WORK
WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THAT GREEN
BAR GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO
ZERO.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO DO TO
GET TO OUR VISION ZERO GOALS.
SO, HERE IS HOW MANY --
WHAT FATALITIES WE ARE SEEING ON
OUR CITY STREETS SINCE EMBARKING
ON
THIS VISION ZERO EFFORT.
NOW, WE HAVE
INCLUDED PRELIMINARY DATA FROM
2025,
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN TERMS OF
THE NUMBER OF LIVES LOST ON
OUR
STREETS. BUT KNOW THAT THIS IS
STILL
PRELIMINARY DATA.
WE GENERALLY GET TO FINALIZE
ALL OF OUR CRASH DATA AROUND THE
END OF Q1 IN A GIVEN YEAR.
SO, THIS IS AN EARLY VIEW
INTO WHAT HAPPENED IN 2025.
WE SAW ABOUT 25 PEOPLE WHO
LOST THEIR LIVES ON OUR CITY
STREETS LAST YEAR.
AND FOR PEOPLE DRIVING
AND PEOPLE ON MOTORCYCLES, WE
HAVE SEEN FEWER FATALITIES
COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS,
ESPECIALLY
FOR PEOPLE DRIVING.
WE ARE SEEING FAR FEWER THAN
WE HAVE SEEN AT ANY TIME BEFORE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID HAVE ONE
BICYCLE FATALITY LATE LAST
DECEMBER. ALI -- WAS KILLED AT
BEACON
AND STEVENS IN DISTRICT ONE.
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST
BIKE FATALITY SINCE -- FOR
ALMOST TWO
YEARS -- THAT WE HAD.
NOW, ONE THING THAT
IS CONCERNING FOR US IS THAT
I'M SEEING SEVERAL YEARS OF
FEWER PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES.
LAST YEAR A NUMBER OF
PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES HAVE GONE
UP.
JUST TO VISUALIZE THE SAME
DATA IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT
WAY, YOU
CAN SEE THE HEIGHT OF EACH
COLOR OF THOSE BARS REPRESENTS
THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FATALITIES
THAT WE ARE SEEING ON OUR
STREETS.
AND WE DEFINITELY ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF
THE BAR OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR
LIVES BY WALKING.
AFTER SEEING SEVERAL YEARS OF
FEWER PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES,
THIS DOES
CONCERN US. AND WE ARE GOING TO
TAKE
A DEEPER LOOK INTO UNDERSTANDING
PEDESTRIAN FATALITY
AND PEDESTRIAN COLLISIONS
AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ACROSS THE
CITY AND FIND OUT WHAT OUR NEXT
STEPS SHOULD BE.
NOW, HERE IS A CHART THAT
SHOWS THE SERIOUS INJURYS THAT
WE HAVE
BEEN SEEING.
WE DID NOT INCLUDE THE
SERIOUS INJURY DATA FOR 2025
BECAUSE
THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF DATA IS
STILL OUTSTANDING THAT WE ARE
NOT
ABLE TO FINALIZE FOR THIS
PRESENTATION.
BUT BY THE END OF OCTOBER
OF LAST YEAR, WE HAD SEEN
190 TOTAL SERIOUS INJURIES FOR
2025.
IT SEEMS TO BE TRENDING VERY
SIMILAR TO WHAT THE
EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN
2024, AS
YOU CAN SEE IN THIS CHART.
NOW, WHERE ARE THESE CRASHES
HAPPENING? YOU CAN SEE THAT MOST
OF
THESE CRASHES ARE, INDEED,
HAPPENING
IN SOUTH SEATTLE IN DISTRICT
1 AND DISTRICT 2 COMPARED TO
OTHER
DISTRICTS ACROSS THE
CITY. NOW, WE -- VISION ZERO
DEVELOPED SOMETHING CALLED A --
NETWORK BASICALLY TO IDENTIFY
WHICH
SEGMENTS ARE EXPERIENCING THE
MOST NUMBER OF CRASHES AND
COLLISIONS AND TRAFFIC HARM
ON OUR CITY
STREETS. THIS INDEX TAKES INTO
ACCOUNT FATAL AND SERIOUS
COLLISIONS, AND ALL OTHER
COLLISIONS EXCEPT
FOR SIDESWIPES, PARKED
CARS, AND --
COLLISIONS. AND WE USE THAT
SCORE
TO APPLY FOR WHAT WE ARE SEEING
IN TERMS
OF COLLISIONS ON VARIOUS CITY
STREETS AND DEVELOP THAT SCORE
TO -- THAT SCORE
AND IDENTIFY OUR PRIORITIES.
PREVIOUSLY WE USED TO
IDENTIFY TOP FIVE TIERS IN THE
HIGH INJURY NETWORK.
BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THE
4 AND 5 ARE NOT AS
SIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO THE
OTHER TIERS.
SO, WE HAVE MODIFIED THIS TO
JUST THE TOP THREE TIERS, WHICH
WE ARE CALLING THE HIGH
PRIORITY, MEDIUM PRIORITY, AND
LOW PRIORITY SEGMENTS ACROSS THE
CITY.
THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, YOU CAN
SEE, KIND OF, LIKE, WHAT THOSE
SEGMENTS ARE, NOT SEATTLE.
-- AVENUE SEEMS TO BE CONSTANT
CONCERN FROM A
SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
SO, IS THE NOT GATEWAY AS
IT CROSSES - -
AVENUE. WE DO SEE LAKE CITY WAY,
A
SMALL PORTION OF 50th STREET,
AS SEGMENTS OF HIGHEST
CONCERN IN THE NOT SEATTLE.
COMING INTO THE CENTRAL PART OF
OUR CITY, WE DO HAVE
SEVERAL CONCERNS -- SEGMENTS
THAT WE
ARE CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY IN THE
DOWNTOWN AREA, THE PIPELINE
CORRIDORS, JAMES STREET, SPRING
STREET, AND THE LIKE,
WHERE WE ARE SEEING A LOT MORE
COLLISIONS. NOW I KNOW WE JUST
FINISHED A
HUGE PROJECT ON PIPELINE
CORRIDOR, SO WE NEED TO SEE
WHAT THE IMPACT OF THOSE CHANGES
AND
IMPROVEMENTS ARE OVER TIME, BUT
WE -- IT USES A SNAPSHOT OF
WHAT AREAS DO WE WANT TO
FOCUS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL
PART
OF
THE CITY. SOUTH JACKSON IS
ANOTHER
CORRIDOR THAT HAS A REALLY
HIGH PRIORITY THAT WE NEED TO
TAKE
A CLOSER LOOK AT.
COMING INTO THE SOUTH
SEATTLE, AS IN YEARS BEFORE
THIS,
SODO AND -- ARE THE TWO AREAS WE
ARE
SEEING A LOT MORE COLLISIONS.
-- ARE REALLY CHARACTERISTIC OF
HIGH VOLUME, HIGH SPEED
ROADWAYS, AND CONTINUE TO
POSE CHALLENGE TO OUR DEPARTMENT
AND TO OUR PROGRAM IN TERMS OF
THE CRASHES THAT WE ARE SEEING
ON THESE CORRIDORS.
NOW, ALL OUR EFFORTS IN THE
VISION ZERO PROGRAM, WE
ORGANIZE UNDER THREE PRONGS OF
PROM
PROGRAMATIC INVESTMENTS.
IN THE FIRST PRONG, WE LOOK AT
WHAT WE CALL A RESPONSIVE
RESPONSE TO SAFETY.
THIS IS BASED ON FULLY SUPPORTED
COLLISION DATA THAT WE
ANALYZE AND IDENTIFY NOT ONLY AT
HIGH-INJURY NETWORK SEGMENTS
BUT ALSO AT HIGH COLLISION
SEGMENTS.
AND IT'S VERY REACTIVE, LOOKING
AT THE CRASH EXPERIENCE
AND COMING UP WITH SAFETY
COUNTERMEASURES TO DEAL
WITH SOME OF THOSE COLLISION
TRENDS.
NOW, THAT IS A VERY TRADITIONAL
APPROACH TO SAFETY.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE
ARE ALSO INVESTING ON WHAT WE
CALL A
PROACTIVE APPROACH TO SAFETY.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL
SAFETY COUNTERMEASURES
LIKE SPEED MANAGEMENT OR
ENHANCED
CROSSINGS THAT ARE PROVEN
SAFETY RECORDS.
SO, OUR PROGRAM -- SYSTEMICALLY
TO SPREAD THESE ACROSS THE
CITY ACHS POSSIBLE.
THE THIRD PRONG WERKS HAVE
THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT
PARTNERSHIPS.
THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE
PLANNED TO BE UNDERWAY
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THAT USES
AN
AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO GET
IN RIGHT AT THE PLANNING STAGE
AND
INCORPORATE THAT SAFETY THINKING
AND SAFETY CONTRIBUTIONS
AND SAFETY DESIGN RIGHT AT THE
OUTSET BEFORE THE PROJECT GETS
INTO THE DESIGN PHASE
AND ULTIMATELY THE CONSTRUCTION
PHASE. NOW, JUST A LITTLE
OVERVIEW ON
WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS ARE
WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND ACROSS
THE
CITY. THESE INCLUDE LEADING
PRODUCTION -- WHAT WE CALL
THE PEDESTRIAN HEAD START
SIGNALS,
DEDICATED LEFT TURN FACING THAT
ELIMINATES THE
CONTACT BETWEEN TURNING VEHICLES
AND
PEDESTRIANS WHO ARE CROSSING AT
INTERSECTIONS, PUTTING OUT
MORE ENHANCED CROSSINGS,
BASICALLY CROSSWALKS WITH THE
PROPER CROSSING TREATMENTS, AND
MAKING
THEM MORE FREQUENT AND MORE
ACCESSIBLE, IMPROVING CORRIDOR
LIGHTING SO THAT WE CAN
DEAL WITH A TREND OF
NIGHTTIME COLLISIONS WE ARE
SEEING ACROSS
THE CITY.
NO TURN ON RED TO BETTER PROTECT
PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE CROSSING AT
INTERSECTIONS. INTERSECTION
DAYLIGHTING THAT
IMPROVES THE VISIBILITY
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CROSSING BY
STOPPING CARS FARTHER
AWAY FROM THE INTERSECTION.
ROAD RECONFIGURATIONS, THINKING
ABOUT OUR ROADWAY DESIGN AND
LOOKING AT
OUR ARTERIALS AND LOOKING AT HOW
WE CAN REDESIGN
THOSE ROADWAYS WHILE
PROVIDING MOBILITY BUT ALSO
IMPROVING SAFETY AND ACCESS FOR
VULNERABLE
ROAD USERS. AND THE LAST ONE IS
-- THE
LAST TWO ARE THE ARTERIAL
TRAFFIC
CALMING, WHERE WE KNOW
THAT THERE'S A VERY DEEP
CONNECTION BETWEEN SPEED AND
SAFETY OUTCOMES.
SO, WE ARE EMBARKING ON
A SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO USE
TOOLS SUCH AS SPEED CUSHIONS,
NARROW
LANES.
THERE ARE SPEED -- BACK SIGNS.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE
SAFETY CAMERAS THAT YOU GUYS
HAVE
PASSED LOCAL LEGISLATION ON
LAST YEAR.
TO USE ALL THOSE TOOLBOXES
TO DEAL WITH ARTERIAL
TRAFFIC CALMING AND PROMOTE
SAFER
SPEEDS, SAFER OPERATING SPEEDS
ON OUR STREETS.
NOW, THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL THE
SEATTLEITES AND YOUR
SUPPORT FOR THE LEVY LAST YEAR.
OUR PROGRAM, VISION ZERO
PROGRAM, IS ON DECK TO
RECEIVE $70 MILLION OVER THE
NEXT
EIGHT YEARS TO INVEST IN
SAFETY PROJECTS AND IMPROVE
SAFETY OUTCOMES ACROSS THE CITY.
NOW, IN THE LEVY, WE HAVE FOUR
VERY SPECIFIC
DELIVERABLES. IMPLEMENT SAFETY
REDESIGNS ON
UP TO 12 CORRIDORS, IMPLEMENT
TRAFFIC CALMING ON MORE THAN 50
CORRIDORS ACROSS THE CITY,
INVEST IN HIGH-
COLLISION LOCATIONS AT MORE
THAN 40 LOCATIONS ACROSS THE
CITY, AND
IMPLEMENT LEADING
PEDESTRIAN INTERVALS AT UP TO
280
INTERSECTIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE CODE
THINGS THAT OUR TEAM IS
PURSUING AS PART OF OUR -- IN
THE
DEPARTMENT. NOW, LOOKING AT 2024
AND HOW WE
DID RELATED TO
THOSE DELIVERABLES AND SOME OF
THE
VISION ZERO PRIORITIES THAT WE
HAVE, IN 2024/'25, WE DID START
TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
WE HAVE COMPLETED SAFETY
REDESIGN PROJECT ON 130th
STREET BETWEEN STONE AND -- AND
130th MEDIUM PRIORITY CORRIDOR
THAT
IS IN THE NOT SEATTLE.
AND IT CONNECTS NOT ONLY
THE HIGH SCHOOL BUT ALSO
THE FUTURE -- STATION THAT'S
GOING
TO BE COMING HERE.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT
CORRIDOR BOTH FROM A CRASH
PERSPECTIVE AND FROM THE FUTURE
CONNECTIVITY PERSPECTIVE.
SO, THIS IS ONLY, KIND OF,
LIKE, PHASE ONE ON OUR
INVESTMENTS ON THIS CORRIDOR.
WE HAVE OTHER PARTS OF THE
NORTH 130th STREET THAT WE ARE
WORKING ON DESIGN TO IMPLEMENT
TO
IMPROVE SAFETY OUTCOMES.
IN THE SOUTH SEATTLE, WE
HAVE BEGUN -- WE HAVE
COMPLETED DESIGN AND BEGIN TO
CONSTRUCT
SAFETY SAFETY IMPLEMENT -- ON
SOUTH HENDERSON STREET THAT IS
GOING TO BENEFIT THE STATION AND
THE -- HIGH SCHOOL THAT ARE
THERE ON THIS CORRIDOR.
SO, WHEN IT COMES TO ARTERIAL
LAST YEAR. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF
INTERSECTIONS THAT HAVE
THIS COUNT MEASURE TO 815
OVERALL.
THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT 87% OF
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE CAN QUITE
EASILY
IMPLEMENT THIS INTERSECTION.
NOW, THERE ARE A FEW OTHER
INTERSECTIONS WHICH WILL NEED TO
BE REBUILT AND MUCH MORE
SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS
NEED TO BE MADE BEFORE WE CAN
IMPLEMENT
THIS.
BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT
WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS
THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FINISH
IMPLEMENTING LEADING PEDESTRIAN
CONTROLS IN THE REMAINING
INTERSECTIONS WE HAVE
IDENTIFIED IN THE OUTSET OF OUR
LEVY DELIVERABLES.
WE CONTINUE TO
INVEST IN THE HIGH- COLLISION
LOCATIONS.
EVERY YEAR, OUR TEAM IDENTIFIES
THESE HIGH- COLLISION
LOCATIONS AND STARTS TO LOOK AT
WHAT INTERVENTIONS THAT WE
COULD IMPLEMENT.
WE HAVE COMPLETED INVESTMENTS ON
SEVEN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS,
HIGH- COLLISION LOCATIONS, LAST
YEAR, WITH FIVE
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE
GOING TO BE COMING OUT VERY
SOON. NOW, NOT ONLY THIS, THAT
WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN
OTHER INTERVENTIONS TOO.
LIKE I SAID - - IS SOMETHING
THAT WE HAVE BEEN
PROACTIVELY INSTALLING AT
SEVERAL
INTERSECTIONS.
WE COMPLETED INSTALLING THEM AT
100 DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS
ACROSS THE CITY LAST YEAR.
GOING CLOCKWISE, WE
HAVE IMPLEMENTED ENHANCED
CROSSINGS AT FOUR ADDITIONAL
INTERSECTIONS LAST YEAR.
THE ONE THAT YOU SEE HERE IS
ON NORTHEAST 45th STREET.
NOW, THESE FOUR LOCATIONS
WHERE WE HAVE MARKED AND SIGNED
CROSSWALKS ARE JUST
LOCATIONS PURSUED BY THE VISION
ZERO PROGRAM.
WE HAVE AN ENTIRE
PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN TEAM WHO
HAVE
DEDICATED OBJECTIVE OF
INVESTING IN CROSSWALKS AND
CROSSING
LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
THIS INTERVENTION, OR
THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT, IS ON
TOP OF EVERYTHING THAT PROGRAM
IS
DOING.
WE ALSO HAVE IMPLEMENTED SAFETY
INVESTMENTS IN 22
ADDITIONAL
PROJECTS. THESE REPRESENT
ANYWHERE
FROM ENHANCED CROSSINGS TO
SPOT SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE
HAVE IDENTIFIED ON MAJOR
CORRIDORS THAT NEEDED SAFETY
INTERVENTIONS. AND CIRCLING BACK
TO THE BOTTOM
LEFT, AS PART OF
INTERSECTION DAYLIGHTING
STRATEGY,
WE HAVE INVESTED IN IMPROVING
SIGHT LINES AND IMPROVING
VISIBILITY
OF PEOPLE CROSSING
AT NINE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS LAST
YEAR.
NOW, IN ADDITION TO THIS, AS
YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE RECEIVED A
$25.5 MILLION SAFETY GRANT IN
TERMS OF THE SAFE
STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL FROM
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.
NOW, WE HAD A FEW
CHALLENGES TRYING TO GET
OBLIGATED ON
THOSE POINTS AND GET STARTED.
BUT I'M GLAD TO REPORT THAT WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OBLIGATE
THE DESIGN FUNDING PHASE OF
THAT PROJECT AND HAVE
INITIATED DESIGN ON IMPROVEMENTS
AT
A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS
ACROSS THE CITY.
AS DIRECTOR BRADY
MENTIONED, SAFETY CONTINUES TO
BE A COMMON
THREAD IN PRETTY MUCH ALL THE
ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO ACROSS THE
DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT
COMMON UNDERSTANDING AND COMMON
GOAL NEEDS CONSTANT
CARE AND UNDERSTANDING AND
NURTURING OF THAT MINDSET AND
THAT INSPIRATION.
LAST YEAR WE HAD STARTED WHAT
WE CALL VISION ZERO COMMUNITY
OF PRACTICE WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT
TO NOT ONLY INSPIRE
EVERYBODY BUT TO ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO
THINK SAFETY IN EVERYTHING THAT
THEY DO FROM THE PROJECTS
THAT THEY WORK ON TO THE
POLICIES
THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
WE HAVE ALSO INITIATED
A PARTNERSHIP WITH SEATTLE
CITY LIGHT AS THEY ARE LOOKING
TO
LOOK AT THE TYPES OF LUMINEERES.
WE KNOW THERE ARE A LOT MORE
CRASHS THAT WE SEE DURING
THE HOURS OF 8:00 P.M. , THE
NIGHT, TO 6:00 A.M. IN THE
MORNING,
AS COMPARED TO DURING THE DAY.
AND ONE OF THE KEY PRO
AND SAFETY COUNTERMEASURE FOR
THAT IS TO
IMPROVE LIGHTING. SO, WE ARE
WORKING WITH SEATTLE
CITY LIGHT TO LOOK AT
OUR
LIGHTING STANDARDS AND ISSUE NEW
GUIDANCE ON HOW BETTER WE CAN
LIGHT OUR ARTERIALS SO THAT WE
CAN GET AHEAD OF THE TRENDS
THAT WE ARE SEEING FOR NIGHTTIME
COLLISIONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
ALSO DID FROM A POLICY
PERSPECTIVE LAST YEAR WAS TO
UPDATE
OUR ENHANCED CROSSING POLICY.
THIS BASICALLY DIRECTS HOW
AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE MARKING
CROSSWALKS AT VARIOUS
INTERSECTIONS
ACROSS THE CITY. THE UPDATE THAT
WE DID LAST
YEAR WAS RELATED TO THE
CROSSWALK
SPACING.
OFTEN FOR ENGINEERS, IT
BECOMES THE IDEA OF, LIKE, I
CAN'T
MARK A CROSSWALK THERE
BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY
PEOPLE CROSSING.
OH, PEOPLE ARE NOT
CROSSING THERE BECAUSE THERE'S
NOT
AN APPROPRIATE CROSSING
TREATMENT ALONG WITH THE
CROSSWALK IN
THAT
LOCATION. IT BECOMES THAT
CHICKEN AND EGG
SITUATION, RIGHT?
TO COUNTER THAT AND MAKE IT
EASIER FOR THE STAFF AND THE
DEPARTMENT TO MARK AND
IMPROVE MORE CROSSING LOCATIONS,
WE
HAVE DEVELOPED -- WE HAVE
UPDATED
THIS POLICY TO INCLUDE PURELY A
SPACING-BASED GUIDELINE
WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT THE
LOCATION
OF THE POTENTIAL CROSSING TO THE
NEAREST CROSSING, AND BASED
ON THE
TYPE OF STREET AND THE SPACING
THAT WE THINK IS MORE
APPROPRIATE, USE THAT AS
A JUSTIFICATION TO MARK
ADDITIONAL CROSSWALKS.
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL
MAKE IT A LOT MORE EASIER FOR US
AS AA
TO INSTALL MORE
CROSSWALKS AND THE
APPROPRIATE CROSSING TREATMENTS
GOING
FORWARD. NOW, LOOKING AHEAD INTO
2026,
WE DO HAVE A LOT MORE
PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO START
CONSTRUCTION
AND ADVANCE ON DESIGN.
FOR THE TWO SAFETY RE-DESIGN
CORRIDORS, THE NEXT
CONSTRUCTION ACT, WHICH WILL BE
ON
RENTON AVENUE SOUTH AND SPRING
STREET SAFETY CORRIDORS IN
DOWNTOWN.
WE ALSO HAVE
ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS ON HIGH-
COLLISION
LOCATIONS AND WE'LL CONTINUE
TO START
CONSTRUCTION ON TEN DIFFERENT
CORRIDORS THIS YEAR.
AND AS IT COMES TO DESIGN, WE
ARE GOING TO BE ADVANCING TWO
PROJECTS, ONE ON HIGHLAND
PARK WAY SOUTHWEST, AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY ON RAINIER AVE.
HERE IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE
OF COLLABORATING WITH THE
COMMUNITY AND IDENTIFYING
IMPROVEMENTS.
WE ARE EXCITED TO PURSUEPURSUE
IMPROVEMENTS ON
RAINIER, ESPECIALLY IN THE
SOUTHERN
PART OF THE CORRIDOR TOWARD THE
CITY
LIMITS. WE ARE, AGAIN, LOOKING
TO
INVEST IN AT LEAST 51 NEW
LEADING PEDESTRIAN INTERVALS AND
ALSO
INVEST IN HIGH- COLLISION
INTERSECTIONS ON CORRIDORS
SUCH AS AURORA AVENUE, LEERY
WAY,
AND DEXTER AVENUE THIS YEAR.
NOW, AS PART OF THE THIRD PRONG
OF OUR STRATEGY, WHICH IS
A CAPITAL PROJECT PARTNERSHIP,
WE HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED
PARTNERING WITH TWO AAC
PROJECTS ON OUR STREETS.
THE FIRST ONE BEING 15th
AVE WEST -- AND BALLARD, WHERE
WE
HAVE CHANGED THE WAY THE
MOTORISTS VIEW AND EXPERIENCE
THE CORRIDOR BY INCORPORATING
A NEW MEDIAN ALONG 15th AVE.
AND INSTALL A NEW TRAFFIC
SIGNAL AT 15th AVE AND 51st TO
FACILITATE BETTER
CROSSING
OPPORTUNITIES. WE ALSO PURSUED
ADDITIONAL
IMPROVEMENTS ON THE DENNY WAY
PROJECT THAT HAS RECENTLY
COMPLETED, INCORPORATING NEW
CURB BUMPS, ADDITIONAL --
RESTRICTIONS AND SOME
SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE
CORRIDOR.
THE UPCOMING
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THAT
WE SEE ARE ON
ROOSEVELT AND PINEHURST
WAY SAFETY AND PAVING PROJECT
AND ON
EAST MARGINAL WAY IN DISTRICT 1.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH BOTH OF
THOSE PROJECT TEAMS
TO INCORPORATE SAFETY
IMPROVEMENTS INTO THOSE PROJECT
DESIGNS.
A QUICK NOTE ON AUTOMATED
SAFETY CAMERAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
PASSING THAT LOCAL LEGISLATION
LAST
YEAR. WE ARE DILIGENTLY WORKING
ON OUR
EXPANDING THE SCHOOL ZONE
SAFETY CAMERA PROGRAM.
NOW, I DO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT THIS IS RUNNING A LITTLE
BIT BEHIND
SCHEDULE. WE HAVE COMPLETED
INSTALLING --
CONSTRUCTING CAMERAS AT 13
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WITH TEN
MORE IN CONSTRUCTION VERY
SOON AND 14 MORE RIGHT BEHIND
AFTER
THAT.
WE WILL BE FINISHING
CONSTRUCTING ALL THESE SAFETY
CAMERAS BY END Q2 OF THIS YEAR.
THIS WAS A LITTLE LONGER THAN
THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE THAT WE
HAD ENVISIONED, AND WE WERE
FACED WITH SEVERAL
ENGINEERING CHALLENGES TRYING TO
FINISH CONSTRUCTION AND ACTIVATE
THESE
CAMERAS.
AND WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY
TO CATCH UP AND FINISH THIS
VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR US.
WE ALSO HAVE TWO
ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WE ARE
GOING TO
BE COMPLETING VERY SOON.
ONE IS TO PUBLISH THE --
IMPLEMENTATION
GUIDANCE. IN ADDITION TO THE
REGULATORY
ACTIVITY THAT WE HAVE SEEN
BOTH AT THE STATE LEVEL AND IN
THE LOCAL ORDINANCE, THIS
PARTICULAR
GUIDE IS GOING TO GIVE THE
INTER- DEPARTMENT
EFFORT VERY SYSTEMIC WAY TO
MANAGE SAFETY
CAMERAS. THIS WILL INCLUDE HOW
WE IDENTIFY FUTURE LOCATIONS
WHERE WE INSTALL SAFETY CAMERAS,
WHAT DATA APPROACH CAN WE TAKE
TO IDENTIFY THESE LOCATIONS,
AND WHAT DATA DO WE NEED TO
CONSIDER
WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT
PROPOSING NEW LOCATIONS OR
TRYINGTRYING
RETHINK EXISTING LOCATIONS
AND SEE IF THOSE EXISTING
LOCATIONS CAN BE RELOCATED OR
REMOVED
ENTIRELY.
WE ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF
REVIEWING THAT GUIDANCE, AND WE
WILL BE ABLE TO -- ONCE WE
GET THROUGH ALL THE ENTIRE
REVIEW
PROCESS, BOTH WITHIN
THE DEPARTMENT AND THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO
PUBLISH THAT VERY SOON.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT PROPOSING
FULL-TIME SPEED CAMERAS AT
VARIOUS -- AT AT
LEAST TEN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
ACROSS THE
CITY IN OUR PRESENTATION
LAST YEAR.
NOW, FULL- TIME SPEED CAMERAS
ARE
AN ENTIRETY LY NEW TOOL THAT WE
ARE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT VERY
SOON. AND FOR THAT, THE NEW
STATE
LAW REQUIRES US TO COMPLETE WHAT
WE CALL SAFETY AND EQUITY
ANALYSIS THAT IDENTIFIES THE
POTENTIAL
LOCATION, THE UNDERLYING
NEED, AND ASKS US TO DOCUMENT.
SO, WE ARE PRETTY MUCH
FINISHING THAT SAFETY AND EQUITY
ANALYSIS.
AND MOST LIKELY PUBLISH
BOTH THAT IMPLEMENTATION
GUIDANCE
AND THAT SAFETY EQUITY
ANALYSIS, IDENTIFYING WHERE
OUR FIRST FULL-TIME SPEED
CAMERAS
ARE GOING TO BE GOING VERY
SOON. NOW, THANKS TO THE ACTIONS
BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE ON
SHADE
STREET, NOW SHADE STREET IS --
IMPLEMENTING SHADE
STREET, WE ARE NOT ONLY -- THE
TRAFFIC
AND PEOPLE CAN COMINGLE WITHIN
THE SAME RIGHT-OF- WAY AS
AA THING HERE IN OUR STATE.
AND IT'S POSSIBLY THE FIRST
STATE THAT HAS IMPLEMENTED
A STATE LAW TO GIVE LOCAL
AUTHORITIES AND VARIOUS
AUTHORITIES THE ABILITY TO
IMPLEMENT THEM ON OUR CITY
STREETS.
THESE SHARED STREETS OR SHARED
ENVIRONMENTS, THE NEW LAW
ALLOWSALLOWS AN ABILITY TO
IMPLEMENT A 10 MILE SPEED LIMIT
ON THEM. AND WE ARE LOOKING --
WE ARE
WORKING TO DEVELOP CORRESPONDING
LOCAL LEGISLATION TO BE ABLE
TO USE THIS NEW AND EXCITING
TOOL WITHIN OUR HIGHLY URBAN AND
CITY
CONTEXT AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
NOW, WE WILL PUT FORWARD A
LEGISLATION TO ADVANCE THE
SHARED STREETS DEFINITELY BY
Q2 OF 2026.
AND SIMULTANEOUSLY,
OUR ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS
ARE WORKING ON DEVELOPING THE
DESIGN
GUIDANCE ON IDENTIFYING AND
IMPLEMENTING THESE SHARED
STREETS ACROSS THE CITY.
NOW, JUST A QUICK PIVOT ON,
THOSE ELEMENTS OF SAFE
SYSTEMS APPROACH THAT WE HERE IN
SDOT DON'T HAVE DIRECT
INFLUENCE
ON OR HAVE LIMITED INFLUENCE ON.
SO, I WANTED TO POINT OUT
SOME CHALLENGES ON THESE OTHER
ASPECTS OF THE SAFE SYSTEMS
ELEMENTS. PARTICULARLY WHEN IT
COMES
TO SAFER VEHICLES.
AS YOU HAVE READ ABOUT,
THE DESIGN OF OUR VEHICLES
HAS CHANGED A LOT SIGNIFICANTLY
OVER THE LAST DECADE.
PRIVATE VEHICLES ARE GETTING
TO BECOME BIGGER, AND THERE
IS RESEARCH OUT THERE THAT --
THE SAFETY
OUTCOMES TO THE DESIGN AND SIZE
OF THESE NEW VEHICLES.
HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY WE'RE
CONSIDERING, AS WE GET INTO THIS
YEAR.
CITY OF SPOKANE ARE WORKING
WITH STATE LEGISLATURE TO
DEVELOP
AND BUILD TO STOP EXEMPTING
VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY PRIVATE
VEHICLES, THAT HAVE A GROSS
VEHICLE WEIGHT BETWEEN 6,000
AND 10,000 POUNDS FROM PAYING
THE
VEHICLE LICENSE FEE.
THEY ARE -- PAY THE LICENSE FEE
THAT ADDITIONAL FEE
TOWARD SAFETY PROJECTS.
AND THAT IS
SOMETHING, AN OPPORTUNITY, THAT
I WOULD ASK
ALL OF YOU TO CONSIDER AND
CONSIDER SUPPORTING AS WE
MOVE FORWARD.
NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO SAFER
PEOPLE, SAFER -- WE HAVE SEEN,
KIND OF -- WE'VE CONTINUED TO
SEE IN OUR DATA THAT DISTRACTED
DRIVING AND DRIVING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE ARE HUGE,
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTORS TO
SAFETY
OUTCOMES ON OUR STREETS.
NOW, THIS IS PROBLEMATIC,
AND IT DOES NEED THAT APPROACH
OF
RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY IS
EVERYONE'S, NOT ONLY THE
PEOPLE WHO DESIGN AND OPERATE
THE STREET BUT THE PEOPLE WHO
USE
THE STREET, RIGHT?
SO, THAT IS, KIND OF,
LIKE, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
THAT'S COMING OUR WAY IN THE
STATE
LEGISLATURE, WHERE THERE
ARE EFFORTS TO LOWER THE
BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT, THE LEGAL
LIMITS FOR THE BLOOD-
ALCOHOL CONTENT WHILE DRIVING.
SO, AGAIN, KIND OF LIKE
I URGE ALL OF YOU DO REFLECT ON
THOSE
EFFORTS IN OLYMPIA AND CONSIDER
SUPPORTING LOWERING THOSE
LIMITS. SAFER PEOPLE IS NOT ONLY
ABOUT BEHAVIORAL CHANGE AND
ASKING PEOPLE OR WORKING ON THE
BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF
DRIVING. BUT IT IS ALSO A REMIND
ER THAT
WE WHO DESIGN, PLAN,
MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE THE
PEOPLE-
CENTRIC DESIGN WHEN WE APPROACH
OUR
PROJECTS, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT
PRESENTS THERE IS TO INVEST AND
CONTINUE TO INVEST IN
COUNTERMEASURES
AND SCALE PROVEN COUNT MEASURES
AND BRING MORE
TOOLS FOR US TO USE FROM AN
ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE
WHILE CONSIDERING THE NEEDS
OF ALL ROAD USERS.
NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO POST-
CRASH CARE, A CHALLENGE THAT
WE OFTEN HAVE IS BALANCING THE
NEED
FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE, A
TIMELY EMERGENCY RESPONSE, TO
THE VICTIMS OF TRAFFIC COLLISION
WITH THE OVERALL DESIGN OF OUR
ROADWAYS.
WE HAVE SEEN THAT MULTI- LANE
HIGH- VOLUME, HIGH- SPEED
ROADWAYS ARE ALL REPRESENTED IN
OUR --
HARDWARE, RIGHT?
NETWORK, RIGHT?
THAT DOES NOT MEAN OUR
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS OR SBD,
CAN'T
WORK MORE COLLABORATIVELY
AND CORRECTLY WITH EACH
OTHER, RIGHT?
ONE OF THE WAYS TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN IS TO UTILIZE
TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY
VEHICLE RESPONSE TIMES THAT WE
COULD TRACK THESE EMERGENCY
VEHICLES
ON A CLOUD- BASED SYSTEM,
AND TIME OUR -- CONNECT THAT
CLOUD- BASED SYSTEM TO
OUR EXISTING SIGNAL NETWORK SO
THAT
OUR SIGNALS CAN RECOGNIZE THESE
EMERGENCY VEHICLES,
AND PRIORITIZE AS THE
MOVE THROUGHOUT NETWORK.
SO, THIS WAY WE CAN CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT THE EMERGENCY
RESPONSE TIMES AND THE
THRESHOLDS THAT ARE THERE FOR
OUR
PARTNER DEPARTMENTS BUT ALSO
PURSUE
THE ROADWAY DESIGNS THAT WE
THINK ARE GOING TO AFFECT
BETTER SAFETY OUTCOMES.
AND THOSE NEED NOT TO BE --
THOSE TWO NEED NOT BE
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE GOALS.
WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO
PROMOTE THAT.
SO, THESE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES
AND CHALLENGES THAT I WANT
TO SHED LIGHT ON THAT TYPICALLY
DOES NOT
FALL INTO THE OTHER CATEGORIES
OF SAFER
STREETS AND SAFER SPEEDS.
OUR ENGINEERING HAS A LOT
MORE INFLUENCE ON THE
SAFETY
OUTCOMES. SO, WITH THAT, THANK
YOU SO MUCH
FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO COME IN FRONT OF YOU, AND I
WOULD BE
HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU
MIGHT HAVE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE THE
PRESENTATION HERE.
AND ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF
AFFAIRS, THE PROGRESS
AGAINST OUR GOALS, HOW WE
COMPARE
A LITTLE BIT TO OTHER
JURISDICTIONS, AND SOME LICENSES
-- THAT IS A SAMPLING
ONLY, A NON- EXCLUSIVE,
NON- EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF
CHALLENGES TO OUR CITY ACHIEVING
SUCCESS.
AND I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY
TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN A
MOMENT.
BUT COLLEAGUES, I WELCOME YOUR
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS, IF ANY.
STARTING FIRST WITH --
I'LL START WITH VICE CHAIR.
GO
AHEAD.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR SAKA,
AND THANK YOU INTERIM DIRECTOR
BRADY AND -- FOR BEFORE
COMMITTEE
TODAY. AND THANK YOU, CHAIR,
FOR PUTTING THIS
PRESENTATION, BRINGING THIS
FORWARD TO US
TO REALLY KICK OFF THE YEAR.
I THINK IT'S RELEVANT TO
SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT LAST
NIGHT I
WAS AT A COMMUNITY
SAFETY MEETING IN DISTRICT 2 IN
RAINIER
BEACH. AND SPD SHARED THEIR
SURVEY FINDINGS FROM A COMMUNITY
SAFETY SURVEY, WHERE IT WAS
IDENTIFIED THAT THE NUMBER ONE
COMMUNITY
ISSUE RELATED TO SAFETY
IS TRAFFIC SAFETY.
SO, TRAFFIC SAFETY IS
RANKING ABOVE POLICE CAPACITY,
PROPERTY, CRIME, AND
HOMELESSNESS
AS IDENTIFIED ISSUES.
SO, THAT'S -- THAT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO CENTER.
THERE WAS A LOT OF HUNGER
REFLECTED AT THE TABLE
GROUP THAT I WAS AT ON THIS
ISSUE AS
WELL, WITH FOLKS
REFLECTING THEIR NEAR MISSES
THAT THEY
HAVE HAD, FOLKS WHO HAVE HAD
CARSCARS
CRASH INTO THEIR HOMES.
SO, JUST TO REFLECT THAT HOME --
AND I KNOW I MYSELF HAVE
ALMOST BEEN HIT ON RAINIER
AVENUE THREE SEPARATE TIMES.
SO, THE ISSUE IS URGENT.
IT IS REALLY FELT IN COMMUNITY.
AND OF COURSE I CAN'T
UNDERSTATE THE IMPACT THAT
FATALITIES
AND INJURIES HAVE HAD ON
OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, REALLY TIMELY FOR THIS
DISCUSSION, AND THANK YOU,
AGAIN, CHAIR SAKA, FOR
KICKING OFF THE YEAR WITH THIS
AS
A
TOPIC. JUST GOING INTO A COUPLE
OF QUESTIONS FOR TODAY.
ON SLIDE 14, ON
WHERE CRASHES ARE OCCURRING, I
THINK
IT'S CLEAR TO US THAT DISTRICT
2
IS LEADING WITH THE NUMBER
OF
CRASHES. BUT I WANT TO UPLIFT
DISTRICT 4, WHICH HAS THE LEAST
PERCENTAGE OF CRASHES.
WHAT DOES SDOT UNDERSTAND
AT THIS TIME ABOUT WHY THIS IS?
IS THIS SIMPLY BECAUSE
DISTRICT 4 FROM HOW WE'VE BUILT
OUR
CITY FROM AN
INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT HAS A
LACK OF
MAJOR ROADWAYS.
OR IS THERE SOMETHING RELATED
TO VISION ZERO PROJECTS THAT
WE'VE
IMPLEMENTED IN DISTRICT 4 THAT
HAVE IMPROVED THE SITUATION
THERE?
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT
QUESTION, VICE CHAIR RINCK.
IT'S PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF
ALL OF THOSE FACTORS, RIGHT?
WE KNOW THAT OUR
HIGHEST PRIORITY SEGMENTS ARE
ALWAYS ON
MULTI- LANE, MULTI- HIGHWAY --
MULTI- LANE, HIGH- SPEED,
HIGH- VOLUME
ROADWAYS. AND WE HAVE A
CONCENTRATION
OF THOSE KINDS OF STREETS, MORE
IN DE SOTO AND SOUTH SEATTLE
AREAS.
THAT'S, KIND OF, LIKE, WHY
THEY REPRESENT MORE IN TERMS OF
THE
FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURIES THAT
WE HAVE SEEN AND A LITTLE
LESS SO IN THE DISTRICT 4 AREA.
BUT YOU'RE
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT'S LIKELY A
COMBINATION OF ALL
OF THOSE FACTORS THAT LEAD TO
SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER SERIOUS
AND FATAL INJURIES COMPARED TO
WHAT
WE'RE SEEING IN SOUTH SEATTLE.
>> THAT'S HELPFUL.
THANK YOU. I THINK JUST TRYING
TO DIAGNOSE
WHERE WE SEE -- I MEAN, OF
COURSE, THE FACT THAT
WE'RE STILL HAVING THESE KIND
OF INCIDENTS HAPPENING IN THE
OUR DISTRICT IS
AN ISSUE, BUT TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S
ANY GOOD LESSONS TO LEARN FROM
OTHER
DISTRICT AREAS.
TAKING US TO SLIDE 24, I JUST
WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE
ARE HIGHLIGHTING THE NEW
CROSSWALK AT EAST OLIVE WAY AND
HARVARD
AVE AS A SUCCESS.
AND I CAN APPRECIATE THE
WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE HERE.
BUT WHAT'S MISSING
FROM. SO STORY HERE IS, AGAIN,
THIS
WAS A CROSSWALK THAT
WAS HIGHLIGHTED FROM COMMUNITY
FOR A
NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND IN FACT, COMMUNITY
MEMBERS TAKING MATTERS INTO
THEIR OWN
HANDS TO PUT IN THEIR OWN
UNMARKED CROSSWALK, WHICH
WAS THEN REMOVED BY THE
DEPARTMENT.
SO, I'M JUST TRYING TO SQUARE
THOSE THINGS IN THIS MOMENT.
AND I WANT TO GIVE
THE DEPARTMENT AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE I
THINK THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT
OF FRUSTRATION.
AND I THINK WE CAN BE GLAD
THAT SOMETHING HAS BEEN DONE, A
MEANINGFUL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT THERE IS THAT
HISTORY BEHIND THIS CROSSWALK.
>> I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE
COMMUNITY ACTIONS.
AND SOMETIMES, LIKE, AS YOU CAN
SEE, A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS
ARE GUIDED BY THOSE COMMUNITY
CONVERSATIONS, RIGHT?
YES, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT THAT WE DID REMOVE A
COMMUNITY- INSTALLED CROSSWALK
FOR VARIOUS ENGINEERING AND
LIABILITY REASONS THAT WOULD
BE ASSOCIATED IF WE LEFT THAT IN
PLACE.
BUT THIS WAS A LOCATION THAT
WAS IDENTIFIED TO BE PART OF
THE SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR
ALL
GRAPH, WHICH WE ARE STILL
TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE
DESIGN.
BUT THIS IS ONE LOCATION THAT
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET IT OUT
OF
THAT AND TAKE EARLY ACTION IN
IMPLEMENTING A CROSSWALK --
NOT ONLY JUST A CROSSWALK, BUT
THE
FLASHING BEACON TO GO ALONG
WITH THE CROSSWALK --
THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS
REQUESTING THERE.
AND ALSO, KIND OF, LIKE,
WE INTRODUCED ADDITIONAL CURB
BULBS TO SHORTEN THE OVERALL
CROSSING
DISTANCE.
THIS WAS REALLY A, KIND OF,
LIKE, A RESPONSE THAT LOOKS AT
HOW -- HAS LISTENED TO
THE COMMUNITY.
YES, WE COULD HAVE ACTED
SOONER, BUT IT ALSO, KIND OF,
LIKE,
IS ABOUT HOW TO DEVELOP AND
DESIGN AN ENGINEERING PROJECT
THAT
MEETS, KIND OF, LIKE,
VARIOUS ENGINEERING STANDARDS
WHILE
ALSO CONSIDERING THE
COMMUNITY NEEDS OUT THERE.
SO, I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE ABLE
TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY
NEEDS
AND BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT
A PROJECT HERE.
AND I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE
COMMUNITY'S
FRUSTRATION, TRYING TO TAKE
THINGS IN THEIR OWN
HANDS.
BUT THOSE KINDS OF ACTIONS
HAVE OTHER
KINDS OF IMPLICATIONS THAT WE
NEED TO BE CAREFUL AS A
DEPARTMENT. AND I'M GLAD TO SEE
THIS
PROJECT COMPLETED MUCH SOONER
THAN SOME
OF THE OTHER PROJECTS WE
HAVE IN THE SAFE STREETS AND
ROADS
FOR ALL GRANT.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE.
AND I THINK JUST
TRYING TO SQUARE THOSE THINGS,
THERE'S CERTAINLY URGENCY FELT
IN
COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTANDING THAT
THE DEPARTMENT HAS
AN APPROACH. AND SO JUST WANTED
TO
UPLIFT THAT POINT.
I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO
BE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT PEOPLE
ARE SEEING AS URGENT SAFETY
NEEDS.
I APPRECIATE, AGAIN, THAT WE
CAN CELEBRATE THIS AS A
SUCCESS THAT'S HOPEFULLY MAKING
FOR
A SAFER STREET.
ARE THERE ANY CURRENT
EFFORTS FOR INCORPORATING TREES
AS
A MEANS OF TRAFFIC CALMING?
SO, FOR INSTANCE, USING THEM
AS TRAFFIC -- NARROWING LANES,
INCORPORATION OF MORE STREET
TREES, NOT JUST FOR
SUPPORTING OUR CLIMATE BUT ALSO
MAKES OUR
CITY QUITE BEAUTIFUL?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
MEDIANS ARE A PROVEN SAFETY
COUNTERMEASURE, RIGHT?
MEDIANS, THAT HELPS US PUT MORE
PEDESTRIAN
REFUGE ISLANDS, WHERE PEOPLE CAN
TAKE REFUGE AS
THEY'RE CROSSING THE STREETS.
YOU CAN SEE ON SLIDE 27,
RIGHT, HERE IS A PICTURE OF 15
AVE
WEST.
AND THIS IS ONE LOCATION
WHERE PREVIOUSLY WE HAD THESE
SIX-LANE
HIGHWAY THAT'S GOING THROUGH
BALLARD, RIGHT?
AND WHEN WE GOT THE
OPPORTUNITY, WE DID INCORPORATE
A MEDIAN HERE
AND SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR TREES
IN THE MEDIAN BECAUSE THAT
MEDIAN AND THOSE TREES CHANGE
THE VISUAL PERSPECTIVE OF HOW
MOTORISTS ARE
APPROACHING A PARTICULAR
STREET. IF YOU
HAVE A SIX-LANE-WIDE HIGHWAY IN
FRONT OF YOU,
RIGHT, THERE IS NO INCENTIVE FOR
PEOPLE TO GO SLOWER OR ACT MORE
APPROPRIATELY FOR THE PREVAILING
TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, TAKING
INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE VULNERABLE
ROAD USERS THAT ARE THERE ON THE
STREET. HERE IS, KIND OF, LIKE,
AN EXAMPLE THAT WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO INCORPORATE INTO ONE OF
OUR
PROJECTS. AND NOT ONLY
INCORPORATE
MEDIANS, WHICH IS PROVEN SAFETY
COUNTERMEASURE, BUT ALSO HAVE
MORE TREES THAT GOES TOWARDS
OUR CLIMATE GOALS THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK
FOR
THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN OTHER
PROJECTS AND DO SOMETHING
SIMILAR AT OTHER
LOCATIONS.
>> FABULOUS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
MY LAST QUESTION FOR TODAY
IS RELATED TO JUST SHARED
STREETS.
DOES SDOT HAVE AN EXPECTATION
OF HOW EXPANSIVE SHARED STREETS
WILL BE GEOGRAPHICALLY
WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO INITIATE
THEM?
MY OFFICE SHARES IN
THE EXCITEMENT THAT
WE'RE CERTAINLY HEARING FROM
COMMUNITY AND
THE PUBLIC ABOUT DESIGNATING
THESE AREAS ACROSS THE CITY,
ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF
HIGH- NEED, OF OUTDOOR SPACE,
IN AREAS THAT LACK SIDEWALKS
AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> WE SHARE THE SAME ENTHUSIASM.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW EXCITED
OUR
FOLKS ARE IN WORKING ON
IDENTIFYING THESE GUIDELINES AND
DESIGNATION PROCESS INTERNALLY.
THIS IS A BRAND- NEW TOOL FOR
US TO IMPLEMENT A MORE
PEOPLE- CENTRIC DESIGN ON OUR
STREETS. AT THIS POINT IN TIME,
I
CAN'T POINT TO SPECIFIC
STREET SEGMENTS THAT WE ARE
LOOKING
TO DESIGNATE THEM AS SHARED
STREETS, BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT
I'D BE ABLE TO COME TO ALL OF
YOU VERY SOON AND SHARE SOME OF
THOSE SEGMENTS THAT WE WANT TO
CONVERT -- DESIGNATE THEM
AS SHARED STREETS AND IMPLEMENT
APPROPRIATE DESIGNS ON THOSE
STREET
SEGMENTS.
>> FABULOUS.
I HOPE YOU CAN COME TO US
WITH THAT SOON AS WELL.
IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO
CLOSE WITH
ACTUALLY A REQUEST RELATED TO
THIS TOPIC, A REQUEST TO
BOTH THE CHAIR BUT ALSO THE
DEPARTMENT.
IF WE CAN IDENTIFY
OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE COUNCIL
DISTRICT FUND
OR ALSO LOOKING AT THIS
YEAR'S TRANSPORTATION
LEVY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, IF WE
CAN
LOOK AT IDENTIFYING ALL OF
OUR POTENTIAL VISION ZERO
PROJECTS
SLATED TO START
CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR WITH A
SPECIFIC
BREAKDOWN BY DISTRICT, I THINK
THAT WOULD BE A REALLY HELPFUL
COMMUNICATION TOOL, ALSO TO
THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK.
AND AGAIN, ALSO IDENTIFYING IF
THESE PROJECTS ARE ON A
PART OF THE HIGH- INJURY
NETWORK.
A LOT OF, AGAIN, JUST TO
REFLECT, THERE'S A LOT
OF URGENCY AROUND THIS.
AND SO I THINK BY BEING ABLE TO
DEMONSTRATE BOTH WITH OUR
LEVY DOLLARS AND THIS
YEAR'S IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, HOW
AND WHERE THOSE UPCOMING
PROJECTS
WILL
BE. AND AGAIN, IF WE CAN SEE
WHAT
KIND OF AREAS THE DEPARTMENT
MAY BE TRACKING THAT
ARE OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE
COUNCIL'S STRICT FUND DOLLARS
TO BE
ABLE TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE
IMPROVEMENTS, THAT WOULD ALSO BE
GREAT. AND WITH THAT, I WILL
PASS IT
BACK TO THE CHAIR.
THANK YOU, AGAIN, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE?
>> THANK
YOU, CHAIR. ALSO THANK YOU FOR
THE TOUNT
OPPORTUNITY TO GET MY STEPS IN
THIS MORNING.
>> BOOM.
>> WITH OUR NEW COMMITTEE.
AND ON THAT POINT, WELCOME
TO OUR NEW COLLEAGUES,
COUNCILMEMBER LIN, WHO IS
REMOTE, AND ALSO COUNCILMEMBER
FOSTER.
THANK YOU AND WELCOME, MRS.
BRADY, IN OUR NEW ROLE.
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF
INTERACTIONS IN OUR OLD ROLE,
WHICH IRONICALLY ENOUGH IS NOW,
FROM
A COMMITTEE PERSPECTIVE,
COMING TOGETHER.
SO, YOU CAN'T REALLY ESCAPE
THE WATERFRONT AND OTHER AREAS
OF SEATTLE CENTER.
SO, WELCOME TO YOU
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING
INTERIM
DIRECTOR. MR. -- THANK YOU
AGAIN.
OBVIOUSLY I THINK THIS IS
MY THIRD BRIEFING, AND I REALLY
APPRECIATE THE UPDATES.
AND OF COURSE MR. -- FOR COMING
IN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING
GOING
THROUGH THIS
BRIEFING. YOU KNOW, IN A BIGGER
PICTURE WAY, I KNOW WE
HAVE TRADITIONALLY FOCUSED ON
OUR STREETS.
BUT ONE THING I'VE LEARNED
OVER THIS TIME PERIOD IS
IT'S NOT JUST OUR STREETS.
IT'S ALSO OUR
SIDEWALKS. YOU KNOW?
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK
BY OTHERS -- MRS. CANTER WAS
HERE, SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD
GREENWAYS. PLUS A WHOLE LOT OF
STAKEHOLDERS, DOWNTOWN
COMMUNITY COUNCIL, BELL TOWN
COMMUNITY COUNCIL, AND THE LIKE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON OUR
SIDEWALKS.
THIS IS REALLY CUTE IN
THE SUMMERTIME WHEN YOU
HAVE FAMILIES WHO ARE RENTING
OUT SCOOTERS AND YOU SEE LITTLE
KIDS
WHO ARE NOT EVEN TALLER THAN
THE HANDLE BARS SCOOTING AROUND
ON SIDEWALKS AND THE LIKE.
AND I REALLY AM HAPPY.
I'VE MET WITH LIME AS WELL
TO HAVE THAT PIECE BROUGHT INTO
THE EQUATION TOO BECAUSE IT IS
A IMPACT WITH VISION ZERO AS
WELL.
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE MS.
CANTER'S POINT ABOUT THOSE
INJURED, 2,064, 281 THAT DIED.
I ALSO KNEW MRS. CHER KHAN.
SHE WORKED WITH MY WIFE
JUST BEFORE SHE
PASSED. I WOULD FEAR WHAT THE
NUMBERS WOULD HAVE BEEN IF WE
DIDN'T
HAVE VISION ZERO.
AS AWFUL AS THESE NUMBERS
ARE, BECAUSE WE HAVE PUT A LOT
OF WORK IN IN TERMS OF THE, YOU
KNOW, VISION ZERO WITH THE BIKE
LANES, WHICH HAVE BEEN
FANTASTIC, TO INCLUDE THE
NEW ONES I SAW ON EAST MARGINAL
WAY.
BUT THOSE IN MY DISTRICT
DOWNTOWN, SECOND AND FOURTH.
AND THE CONNECTING ASPECTS OF
THE NETWORK ARE
SO IMPORTANT. THE SIGNALING,
WHICH I'VE SEEN.
BY THE WAY, I WROTE ALL
THIS DOWN BEFORE SEEING THAT
NEXT SLIDE THAT YOU HAD AND THE
SIGNAGE, THE NO RIGHT TURNS AND
THE ROAD DIETS,
THE CURB BULBS AND THE LIKE.
SO, THEY DO -- SO, WHAT
WE'RE SEEING IS MATCHING UP
WITH YOUR THE
ENFORCEMENT, THE EDUCATION, THE
ENCOURAGEMENT, AND THE
EVALUATION. AND I REALLY DO
BELIEVE
IN REDUNDANCY BECAUSE WE DO
NEED TO HAVE THAT PIECE.
AS YOU NOTED IN YOUR SLIDE, YOU
KNOW, WE ARE HUMAN.
HUMANS MAKE
MISTAKES. OR WE'RE DISTRACTED,
YOU
KNOW, WITH OUR PHONES AND THE
LIKE OR
JUST LIFE.
AND THAT, KIND OF, GOES TO MY
NEXT POINT ABOUT
PEOPLE WALKING IN 25.
WE DO HAVE
THAT ISSUE TOO. MY OBSERVATION
AS WELL -- AND
THIS IS WHERE, LIKE, FROM
A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE,
THE SCENE BETWEEN -- I USUALLY
TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND
HUMAN
SERVICES, HOUSING, AND TRAFFIC
SAFETY, PEDESTRIAN
SAFETY, TRANSIT SAFETY,
THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AREAS
TOO.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO WORK THESE
AREAS.
IN FACT, MORE WHAT I'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT -- BECAUSE
THERE'S
A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS
WHO BECAUSE OF THEIR ADDICTION
OR MENTAL OR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SITUATION
ARE JUST RANDOMLY GOING INTO
THE STREETS, RANDOMLY IGNORING
SIGNALS. AND THAT'S CONSTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN
AREA WHERE WE HAVE TO WORK NOT
JUST FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS,
BUT
IT SHOWS UP IN THINGS LIKE
VISION ZERO.
AND WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL
OF THAT.
AND TO THE POINT I, KIND OF,
ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WE ARE
HUMAN, AND WE ALSO
GET
FRUSTRATED. IN THAT FRUSTRATION,
DECISIONS
COULD BE MADE TO IMPACT
VISION ZERO.
SO, I NOTE THOSE THINGS
LIKE PARTICULARLY WITH TRANSIT,
YOU
KNOW, THE INTERFACE.
AND SO
I DO KNOW THE MAYOR JUST
RELEASED HER EXECUTIVE
ORDERS. I SAW THE COMMENT.
I NOTED
MY COLLEAGUES ARE ON THE
COMMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL
BE ABLE TO BE ON COMMENTS
RELATED TO OUR
NEW MAYOR.
BUT I DO WANT TO SAY EVEN
THOUGH I'M NOT ON THAT NOTICE,
THAT
WE DO NEED TO IMPROVE, LIKE, THE
ROUTE 8, THE LATE.
AND I WAS AWARE OF AND
DO SUPPORT THE WORK TO -- YOU
KNOW,
THE SWAP OF THE 3 AND THE 2
LANES BETWEEN QUEEN AVENUE
NORTH AND SECOND NORTH TO
REALLY FACILITATE THAT COMING
OFF THE
HILL AND COMING UP ELLIOTT TO
REALLY MOVE FORWARD TO THAT PART
OF DENNY.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT
FIRST STEP IN ENGAGING
WITH COMMUNITY FOR THE OTHER
PIECES.
BUT AS A FIRST STEP, I THINK
THAT'S IMPORTANT, THAT
SWAP OF THE THREE AND THE TWO
LANES
TO ALLOW FOR THAT BUS LANE TO
SWOOP OUT OF FROM THE HILL
AND FROM THE DIRECTION OF
ELLIOTT.
ON THOSE PIECES, TOO, I'LL TAKE
THE OPPORTUNITY SINCE
I'M TALKING ABOUT BUSES, THAT
WE NEED A FIRST AVENUE BUS
TRANSIT
SERVICE. I BROUGHT THIS UP A
NUMBER OF
TIMES, AND I'D LIKE TO
REALLY, IN YOUR NEW ROLE, TO
FORMALLY
FROM THIS POSITION HERE AND
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, YOU
KNOW, ADVOCATING WITH OUR COUNTY
COLLEAGUES TO WE REALLY DO
NEED TO HAVE SOME BUS SERVICE
ON FIRST AVENUE.
THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS -- AND
THROUGHOUT THE BRIEFING --
I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS
RELATED TO SDOT AND CITY LIGHT.
PREVIOUSLY WE HAD AN ISSUE
WHERE SDOT AND CITY LIGHT --
THERE WAS
A HICCUP, LET'S
JUST SAY. THAT RELATED TO
MAGNOLIA
BRIDGE, BY THE WAY.
I THINK EVERYTHING IS GOOD ON
THAT FRONT, BUT THAT IS SUCH
AN IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP IN
TERMS OF THE LIGHTING AND HERE
WITH
VISION ZERO.
SO, SDOT/CITY LIGHT
RELATIONSHIP IS REALLY STRONG.
EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE HICCUP
WE HAD BACK IN 2024, I THINK
WE'RE
GOOD.
I THINK YOU HAVE THE BACKGROUND
ON THAT.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO
NOTE, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE
ON THE AUTOMATED TRAFFIC SAFETY
CAMERA. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN THE LAST THING --
WELL, TWO LAST THINGS, TWO
REMAINING ITEMS.
SHARED STREETS.
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING PARTICULARLY IN MY
DISTRICT, BELL STREET.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GRAND
REOPENING OF BELL STREET
BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT
OF GREAT WORK. IN TERMS OF
PARTNERSHIP WITH
PARKS, THE PORTAL PARK,
WHICH RUNS ALONGSIDE THE BELL
STREET PROJECT.
SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO
THAT ONE BEING A GRAND
REOPENING, IF YOU
WILL.
SO, PLEASE GET ON
MY CALENDAR OR GET ME ON MY
CALENDAR BECAUSE I
REALLY DO WANT TO
BE THERE. AND TIED TO THAT IS
FIRST AVENUE WEST, ESSENTIALLY A
SCHOOL
SHARED STREET BY McLAURIN
AND QUEEN ANNE COMMUNITY CENTER,
THE
POOL AND -- AND LAST --
WELL, TWO THINGS.
QUEEN AVENUE BOULEVARD PARK,
I'D LIKE TO ASK NOW THAT WE'VE
DONE
OUR WORK WITH THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RELATED TO
THE QUEEN
ANNE BOULEVARD PARK TO
TAKE THE NEXT STEP.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH
PARKS AND SDOT TO SEE WHAT
IS POSSIBLE TO REALLY IMPROVE
THE QUEEN ANNE BOULEVARD PARK
BUT ALSO COMPLETE THE
OPPORTUNITY
FOR SHARED STREETS.
I KNOW THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES
FOR
SHARED STREETS AS RELATED
TO QUEEN ANNE.
I WOULD LIKE TO WORK
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MY
CITYWIDE COLLEAGUES ON THAT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE IT TO
THE
NEXT STEP.
WE JUST DID SOME WORK
ON THE
PLAN RELATED TO IT. BUT WE
SHOULDN'T STOP THERE.
WE SHOULD TAKE IT TO THE
NEXT STEP.
LOOK FOR THE
OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH I KNOW
THERE ARE SOME
RELATED TO
SHARED STREETS. AND I THINK THAT
WOULD
BE FANTASTIC.
SO, I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH
THE DEPARTMENT ON THAT ALONG
WITH
PARKS.
AND THEN MY LAST THING IS JUST
TO SAY, AS IT RELATES TO
THE DISTRICT FUNDS,
COUNCILMEMBER, THE D- 7 FUNDS
WILL BE RELATED
TO VISION ZERO.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ISSUES
IN UPTOWN BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC
PATTERN CHANGES, BECAUSE OF
THE VIADUCT BOUND, AND NOW THE
TUNNEL, WHICH IS REALLY
CHANGING AND CREATING SOME
SITUATIONS
IN
UPTOWN. ON THE TOP, WHAT I WAS
JUST TALKING ABOUT, THAT SCHOOL,
THE SHARED STREET, THE SCHOOL
STREET. AND THEN ALSO IN
THORNDIKE AND
MAGNOLIA WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO
HAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD VILLAGE.
WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME
IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
AND WE'LL LOOK FOR OTHERS.
BUT THE GENERAL THEME FOR
MY DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE
VISION ZERO AS IT RELATES
TO THE DISTRICT FUNDS.
SORRY THERE WAS NO QUESTIONS
THERE.
BUT I MADE IT QUICKER THOUGH.
SO, THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COUNCIL
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER?
>> THANK YOU.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS
PRESENTATION.
I'VE SEEN YOU AND YOUR STAFF
OUT AT COMMUNITY EVENTS.
I KNOW WE WERE IN SOUTH
SEATTLE RIGHT OFF OF MLK FOR OUR
VIGIL
FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED
FROM TRAFFIC
VIOLENCE. AND I REALLY
APPRECIATED
SEEING THROUGH.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS THAT I WANT TO GO TO
FROM
THE SLIDES.
SO, LET'S -- YOU NOTE ON SLIDE
12 THE INCREASE IN
DEATHS FOR
PEDESTRIANS OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL YEARS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT A BIT IN
YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND IT JUST BRINGS
SOME QUESTIONS UP FOR ME ABOUT
HOW YOU'RE TAKING INTO
ACCOUNT PLANNED GROWTH.
AND I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR MY
COLLEAGUES' QUESTIONS
ABOUT THAT, COUNCILMEMBER
SETTLE THINKING ABOUT THE
NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS AND URBAN
VILLAGES.
I'M CURIOUS HOW YOU'RE
THINKING ABOUT PLANNED GROWTH OR
PLANNED
INCREASED TRANSIT
CAPACITY, THINGS THAT LEAD TO
MORE PEOPLE
WALKING, WHICH WE WANT,
AND HOW WE ARE PROACTIVELY
PLANNING
TO KEEP THOSE FOLKS
SAFE, PARTICULARLY THINKING
ABOUT
THE JUDD KINS PARK LIGHT
STATION ON NORTH RAINIER.
I KNOW THERE IS A
VERY COMPLICATED INTERSTATE
EXCHANGE THERE THAT POSES
SEVERAL
CHALLENGES. I WAS PLEASED TO SEE
SOME NOTES IN YOUR SLIDES ABOUT
THE PINEHURST STATION AND FUTURE
PLANS THERE.
SO, WE CAN JUST HEAR
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NOT JUST THE
ISSUE --
THE AREAS THAT ARE
ALREADY PROBLEM AREAS THAT THE
DATA TELLS US ABOUT, BUT HOW WE
ARE
THINKING ABOUT PEDESTRIAN
SAFETY, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO
SEE
MORE PEOPLE WALKING, BIKING,
TAKING TRANSIT.
>> WE DO THAT IN, KIND OF,
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS,
RIGHT?
ONE IS, KIND OF, LIKE, WE TRY
TO INVEST IN MORE PEDESTRIAN
SAFETY CENTRIC IMPROVEMENTS SUCH
AS LEADING PARTITION CONTROLS
AND
THE URBAN CENTERS THAT WE
SEE WHERE WE ALSO SEE A LOT
OF GROWTH.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BRINGING UP THE JUDD KINS
PARK
LIGHT RAIL STATION.
THAT HAS BEEN A VERY
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
WORK WITH
WASH DOT. THAT INTERCHANGE WE
KNOW ON
RAINIER AVE AT I-90 IS THE
INTERCHANGE I'M REFERRING TO --
POSES UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR
PEOPLE WHO WILL BE CROSSING
TO THE NEW LIGHT RAIL STATION
WHEN IT OPENS HOPEFULLY LATER
THIS
YEAR.
SO, THAT -- KIND OF LOOKING
AT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE
COMING OUR WAY AND TRYING
TO FIND PARTNERS NOT ONLY WITHIN
SDOT BUT OUTSIDE SDOT
TO IMPLEMENT IMPROVEMENTS
BEFORE THE PEDESTRIAN
DEMAND MATERIALIZES BECAUSE OF
THE CHANGES.
WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED
RAISED
CROSSWALKS. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED
NEW CROSSWALKS WITH RAPID
FLASHING.
WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO FINISHING
THAT PROJECT BEFORE THE
LIGHT RAIL
OPENS. AND WE KEEP, KIND OF,
LIKE,
OUR EYE OUT OPEN ON WHERE
THIS PLANNED GROWTH IS
HAPPENING,
WHERE A NEW LIGHT
RAIL STATION IS COMING.
THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ARE
SEEING ON NORTH 130th STREET ARE
ALSO GOING TO INFLUENCE THE
NEW LIGHT RAIL STATION THAT IS
COMING OUT THERE.
SO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE AHEAD OF THESE GROWTH
TRENDS THAT WE ARE SEEING IN OUR
CITY AND IDENTIFY PROJECT AND
PROJECT
OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE
THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY TO
THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES. AND WE TRY TO,
KIND OF, LIKE,
DO THAT WHENEVER WE SEE
AN OPPORTUNITY THAT EXISTS.
AND WE GO ABOUT FINDING
PARTNERS NOT ONLY INTERNALLY BUT
ALSO
EXTERNALLY AND TRYING TO BUILD
THE PROJECT BEFORE SOME OF
THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
HAPPENS.
>> CAN I -- I'M GOING TO
DOUBLE DOWN ON THAT.
JUST TALKING ABOUT SOUND
TRANSIT AND THE NEW SOUND
TRANSIT 3
WORK THAT IS HAPPENING TO
CONNECT WEST SEATTLE THROUGH THE
HEART OF DOWNTOWN AND UP TO
BALLARD.
THERE IS A LOT OF PLANNING THAT
SDOT IS WORKING ON
TOGETHER WITH SOUND TRANSIT AND
THE
COMMUNITY ON FUTURE STATIONS,
FUTURE STATION LOCATIONS,
AND STATIONARY PLANNING TO
SUPPORT SAFE ACCESS TO EACH OF
THOSE
NEW
STATIONS. SO, THAT WILL BE A
MASSIVE EFFORT OVER THE NEXT
DECADE, WORKING TOGETHER WITH
SOUND TRANSIT AND COMMUNITY TO
GET
GREAT IMPROVEMENTS READY TO GO,
PLANNED, DESIGNED, AND READY TO
GO TO SUPPORT THOSE NEW STATION
LOCATIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
AND THEN A QUESTION FOR MY
OWN UNDERSTANDING JUST ABOUT THE
NO
RIGHT TURN ON RED,
I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE PROGRESS
THAT'S
BEEN MADE THERE.
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM HOW
THOSE NEW SIGNAGE, THAT NEW
SIGNAGE, IS BEING IMPLEMENTED.
SO, IS THAT ONLY HAPPENING
WHEN ANOTHER SAFETY UPGRADE
IS HAPPENING AT THAT LOCATION?
OR ARE YOU ALL WORKING THROUGH A
LIST AND IMPLEMENTING THE
DELIVERY OF THOSE SIGNS? IN
A DIFFERENT WAY?
>> MY TEAM -- WE
FIND
OPPORTUNITIES. DEFINITELY WHEN
WE HAVE
A PROJECT THERE, WE WROTE
OUT POLICY IN SUCH A WAY THAT
THOSE PROJECTS ARE PROMPTED TO
INSTALL
THE -- BUT APART FROM THAT, THE
VISION OF THE TEAM
IDENTIFIES THESE INTERSECTIONS
AND LOCATIONS INDIVIDUALLY AND
GOES
ABOUT INSTALLING THESE --
AND THE WAY WE, KIND OF,
LIKE, PRIORITIZE IS BASED ON
WHERE
WE SEE THE MOST PEDESTRIAN
DEMAND
AND MOST EXPOSURE, RIGHT?
OBVIOUSLY THAT TURNS OUT TO BE
DOWNTOWN, CAPITOL HILL,
U DISTRICT.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS
THAT COME TO MIND, AND
WE SYSTEMICALLY WORK THROUGH
THOSE LOCATIONS AND START, KIND
OF,
LIKE, GOING OUTSIDE OF
THOSE URBAN CENTERS AND URBAN --
TO INSTALL THESE.
SO, IT'S A COMBINATION OF
TRYING
TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF
AN EXISTING PROJECT, BUT ALSO
WE INDEPENDENTLY IDENTIFY
LOCATIONS THAT WE WANT TO PURSUE
IN
A GIVEN YEAR AND THEN GO ABOUT
IT.
AND OUR FOCUS IS MOSTLY ON
WHERE WE HAVE -- SEE THE MOST
NUMBER
OF
PEDESTRIANS, WHERE WE SEE MOST
NUMBER OF THAT EXPOSURE TO
CONFLICTING, TURNING TRAFFIC,
AND PRIORITIZING THOSE
LOCATIONS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT
CLARIFICATION.
I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I WANT TO
TURN TO THE DATA
THAT YOU HAVE ON SLIDESLIDE 11.
AND I JUST WOULD
TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO, THIS IS THE DATA ON
LIVES LOST IN
SEATTLE STREETS. I WOULD VE TO
HEAR A LITTLE
BIT MORE ABOUT THE SOURCE OF
THIS DATA.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING
QUESTION.
AS WE KNOW THERE'S
DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE
REPORTED TO
SDOT, TO SPD.
IF YOU CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT
TO WHAT'S GOING INTO THIS SLIDE
BUT ALSO AS YOU'RE THINKING
ABOUT
NO RIGHT TURN ON RED AND
OTHER KINDS OF SAFETY
IMPROVEMENTS, I
WILL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, GIVING
MY OWN PERSONAL STORY, I'VE
BEEN HIT AS A PEDESTRIAN IN A
LOW-SPEED ACCIDENT ON
RAINIER, WHICH I ALMOST DIDN'T
REPORT
BECAUSE I, AT THE TIME MORE THAN
A DECADE AGO, DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
REPORTING THAT ACCIDENT GIVEN IT
DIDN'T HAVE SERIOUS INJURY.
SO, IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE
BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THE
DEPARTMENT
IS INCORPORATING DATA THAT
COMES THROUGH SPD AND ALSO USING
THAT
COMMUNITY INPUT TO
UNDERSTAND HOTSPOTS AND MAKE
PRIORITIZATION
DECISIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THIS
QUESTION. I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED
IT. AND I'M SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT
YOUR
EXPERIENCE ON RAINIER AVENUE.
NOW, THE DATA THAT YOU SEE ON
SLIDE 11, 12, AND 13 ARE PURELY
BASED ON POLICE- REPORTED
TERRIFIC COLLISIONS, RIGHT?
THESE COLLISIONS ARE ACTUALLY
TRAFFIC REPORTS THAT WE GET FROM
BOTH SPD AND WSP THAT HAVE A
LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE A
PARTICULAR COLLISION HAS
OCCURRED, AT WHAT TIME DID IT
OCCUR, WHAT WERE
THE CONDITIONS AT WHICH THE
CRASH OCCURRED,
AND MOST SPECIFICALLY HOW THE
CRASH
HAPPENED AND WHO WAS INVOLVED,
WHAT WERE THEY DOING,
AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THIS IS THE MOST RELIABLE
DATA SET THAT WE HAVE WITH A LOT
OF
PARAMETERS THAT HELPS US DIG
DEEPER AND UNDERSTAND NOT ONLY
THE PATTERNS BUT ALSO THE
CONTRIBUTING
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE RELATED
TO A PARTICULAR
CRASH. NOW, I FULLY UNDERSTAND
AND
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE
POTENTIALLY MORE INJURY- RELATED
CRASHES OR CRASHES THAT
WERE NEVER REPORTED OR PEOPLE
THAT HAVE GONE DIRECTLY TO
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FOR
CARE, RIGHT, THAT MAY NOT HAVE A
POLICE REPORT ON FILE, RIGHT?
AND WE DO SEE -- WE ARE AWARE
OF THOSE DATA RESOURCES, AND WE
DO, KIND OF, LIKE, TAKE IT
INTO CONSIDERATION WITH OUR
PRIMARY INVESTMENT DECISIONS
BASED
ON POLICE REPORTED COLLISION
DATA.
THE REASON IS THAT, THESE
OTHER DATA SOURCES, THE SFDs CAD
DATA, THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS
WHEN THEY TAKE THEIR INFORMATION
AS SOMEBODY COMES
TO SEEK HEALTH CARE BECAUSE
OF A A COLLISION
OR SOMETHING. THAT DATA SET IS,
KIND OF,
LIKE, HIGHLY INCOMPLETE, RIGHT?
THE EMERGENCY DATA SET
DOES NOT HAVE LOCATIONS, RIGHT?
IT'S HARD FOR US TO
TAKE ACTION WHEN WE DON'T KNOW
WHERE THAT PARTICULAR COLLISION
OR CRASH
HAPPENED, RIGHT? THE SFD CAD
DATA DOES HAVE
LIMITATIONS.
IT DOES SAY WHERE A
COLLISION HAPPENED RELATIVELY
SPEAKING, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE
ANY INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN IT
HAPPENED, HOW DID IT HAPPEN, WHO
DID WHAT, FOR US TO DEVELOP A
COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING.
WE ARE AWARE OF THESE DATA
SETS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, AND WE
ARE TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN
USE THEM IN MAKING SOME OF
THE
PROGRAMMATIC DECISIONS. BUT
PRIMARILY THE COLLISION
TRENDS THAT WE TRACK AND
WE SHOW HERE ARE BASED ON POLICE
REPORTED COLLISIONS.
AND FROM THAT COLLISION
DATABASE, WHERE WE KNOW THE
MOST ABOUT A PARTICULAR
COLLISION
OR CRASH OR A PATTERN OF
COLLISIONS THAT WE CAN DIG
DEEPER INTO AND
ANALYZE.
BUT WE ARE
LOOKING -- THINKING MORE
PROGRESSIVELY AND TRYING TO
SEE HOW WE CAN UTILIZE THIS
INFORMATION. LAST YEAR, WE HAD
TWO OF
THE RESEARCHERS THAT WERE
WORKING
ON EAST QUARTER COLLISIONS COME
IN
AND PRESENT TO OUR SENIOR
TEAM AT SDOT, RIGHT?
AND WE WERE ABLE TO, KIND
OF, LIKE, OBSERVE WHAT THEY
WERE SEEING FROM JUST THE
EMERGENCY
ROOM DATA.
BUT AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING
TO, KIND OF, LIKE,
COLLABORATE FROM THEM TO SEE HOW
WE CAN USE
THAT IN OUR DATA DISTRIBUTION AS
WE
THINK ABOUT ALL THE MODES
OF TRAFFIC AND ALL TYPES OF
ROAD USERS ON OUR STREETS. YOU,
CHAIR.
>> THANK
YOU. COUNCILMEMBER LIN?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND THANK YOU TO OUR SDOT
PARTNERS.
AND JUST A FEW TOPICS HERE
JUST REAL QUICK ON SAFER
VEHICLES. APPRECIATE THE
POINTING OUT
THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE
HAVE LARGER AND LARGER VEHICLES,
IT'S
CREATING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
ISSUES, INCLUDING SAFETY.
JUST WANTED TO THINK ABOUT
WHETHER OUR PARKING RATES SHOULD
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT VEHICLE SIZE
AND WHETHER WE SHOULD
HAVE DIFFERENT PARKING RATES
FOR SMALLER VEHICLES.
JUST REAL QUICK ON DISTRICT
FUNDS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL
BE ENGAGING WITH DISTRICT 2
ABOUT HOW TO USE OUR DISTRICT
FUNDS.
BUT JUST WANT TO PUT IN A
PLUG TO -- FOR OUR CITYWIDE
COLLEAGUES.
AS WE THINK ABOUT DISTRICT
FUNDS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
OUR CITYWIDE COLLEAGUES
HAVE EQUITABLE VOICE IN USE OF
OUR TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS
AND WHETHER THAT'S HAVING
CITYWIDE FUNDS FOR THOSE
COLLEAGUES
OR SOME SAY IN OUR DISTRICT
FUNDS.
SO, JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
I DO ALSO APPRECIATE THE COMMENT
ABOUT LIGHTING.
YOU KNOW, WE DID LOSE A
BELOVED COMMUNITY MEMBER ON
BEACON HILL
IN DECEMBER.
AND I'M CONCERNED THAT LIGHTING
MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE.
I DO THINK THE LIGHTING IN THAT
INTERSECTION WASN'T GREAT.
I THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME
LIGHTS THAT WERE OUT.
SO, I DO THINK THAT'S
SOMETHING TO
UPLIFT. IN TERMS OF -- YOU KNOW,
WE
HEARD FROM A COMMENTER ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, POLITICAL WILL.
AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE
TO CHAIR SAKA FOR MAKING THIS
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR.
AND I DO THINK THAT SIGNALS THAT
SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
AND MUST BE OUR PRIORITY.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS
DIFFICULT WORK AND THAT THERE
CAN BE
PUSHBACK, YOU KNOW, ROAD
CHANGES AND SO ON CAN BE VERY
CONTROVERSIAL. BUT PUBLIC SAFETY
HAS TO BE OUR
GUIDING STAR.
AS POINTED OUT, DISTRICT 2
HAS SOME OF THE LEAST SAFE
STREETS.
AND AS COUNCILMEMBER RINCK
MENTIONED, IT IS THE NUMBER
ONE IN --
JUST WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT POLITICAL WILL AND HOW WE
THINK ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY AS IT
RELATES TO
PUBLIC SAFETY. WE HAVE OUR
PUBLIC SAFETY CHAIR
HERE, WHICH I'M EXCITED
TO PERHAPS THINK ABOUT HOW WE
CAN
BETTER COLLABORATE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK
PARTIALLYPARTIALLY
SHIFTING HOW WE THINK
ABOUT TRAFFIC VIOLENCE AND HOW
IT COMPARES TO OTHER TYPES
OF PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.
AND I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE IS
JUST WE ARE SO ENGRAINED
TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
TRAVELING BY VEHICLES AS ROUTINE
THAT WE
DON'T STOP TO THINK
ABOUT THE IMPACTS THAT IT HAS ON
OUR
NEIGHBORS AND OUR CLIMATE AND
SO ON.
AND ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK --
IF YOU COULD GO TO SLIDE 12 --
JUST IN TERMS OF HOW WE THINK
ABOUT TRAFFIC VIOLENCE, YOU
KNOW, I SEE HERE WE TALK
ABOUT WHO IS IMPACTED.
BUT WHAT I DON'T SEE, AND I
WOULD BE CURIOUS TO
UNDERSTAND, IS WHO -- YOU KNOW,
I'M
NOT TRYING TO ATTRIBUTE BLAME,
BUT OFTEN TIMES THERE ARE
MORE THAN -- THERE'S BOTH THE
VICTIM
BUT OFTEN, YOU KNOW, WHO ELSE
IS INVOLVED?
AND SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT HAVE
A VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND
THERE'S NOBODY ELSE INVOLVED OR
YOU MIGHT HAVE A
BIKE ACCIDENT AND NOBODY ELSE
INVOLVED.
BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT IN MANY
OF THESE CASES, THE --
THERE'S ANOTHER PARTY
INVOLVED, AND IT'S MOST LIKELY
A DRIVER.
SO, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT
A LITTLE BIT AND WHY WE
DON'TDON'T
THAT DATA OR TAKE
A LOOK AT THAT?
>> THANK YOU SO
MUCH COUNCILMEMBER LIN FOR
THAT QUESTION.
WE DO HAVE THE DATA ON
WHO'S INVOLVED.
PEOPLE WALKING -- ALL
THE FATALITIES I CAN SAY ARE
INVOLVED AT LEAST ANOTHER
VEHICLE. I KNOW IN THE ONE
PARTICULAR
CASE, VERY TRAGIC CASE
OF WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL,
WHERE
AN UNOCCUPIED VEHICLE JUST
ROLLED DOWN A HILL, RIGHT,
AND FATALLY INJURED A STUDENT.
BUT TYPICALLY OUTSIDE OF THAT
ONE TRAGIC FATALITY, MOST OF
THESE -- ESPECIALLY
THOSE CRASHES THAT ARE
AFFECTING MULTIPLE ROAD USERS,
THERE'S
ALWAYS THE INVOLVEMENT OF
ANOTHER PERSON AND A
VEHICLE THAT IS CONTRIBUTING
TOWARDS
THE CRASH.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED
TO HIGHLIGHT IN MANY WAYS -- YOU
KNOW, IT IS OFTEN TIMES
THAT
VEHICLE. I MEAN, IT'S JUST A
MATTER
OF PHYSICS.
THESE ARE 1,000-POUND VEHICLES
TRAVELING, WHETHER IT'S, YOU
KNOW, IN THAT CASE A PARKED
VEHICLE.
BUT THESE ARE DANGEROUS
THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON
THAT DANGER.
AND AGAIN, I THINK BECAUSE IT
IS SO ROUTINE THAT WE OFTEN
FORGET ABOUT THAT DANGER.
SO, WE THINK ABOUT TRAFFIC
VIOLENCE IN A DIFFERENT WAY
THAN OTHER TYPES OF
VIOLENCE. AND ONE EXAMPLE OF
THAT, I
THINK, IS THAT OFTEN TIMES WHEN
THERE IS A FATALITY OR SERIOUS
INJURY, IT GOES UNNOTICED.
SO, I WONDER IF THERE ARE BETTER
WAYS TO UPLIFT WHEN THERE IS AN
INCIDENT. INCIDENT SO THERE IS
MORE
AWARENESS.
JUST FOR EXAMPLE THE BICYCLIST,
ALLY, WHO WAS KILLED ON
BEACON
HILL. IN MANY WAYS IT TOOK
THE COMMUNITY HAVING A PROTEST
TO CALL ATTENTION TO IT, TO GET
--
TO GET NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES TO
LOOK TO SEE IF THEY HAD
VIDEO FOOTAGE BECAUSE IT WAS A
HIT
AND RUN AND WE'RE STILL
LOOKING FOR THE DRIVER OF THAT
CRIME.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF
THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN DO
BETTER WITH
COMMUNICATIONS AFTER AN
INCIDENT TO RAISE AWARENESS BOTH
FOR, YOU
KNOW, IF IT'S A HIT AND RUN
TO CALL ATTENTION AND
POTENTIALLY GET EVIDENCE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER
INCIDENTS.
THERE WAS AN INCIDENT ON
LAKE WASHINGTON BOULEVARD THIS
SUMMER WHERE THERE WERE A LOT
OF WITNESSES.
A DRIVER, YOU KNOW, HIT A
16-YEAR-OLD KID ON A BIKE.
PLENTY OF WITNESSES AND FOOTAGE.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK
ITIT MUCH ATTENTION FROM SPD.
SO, MAYBE THIS IS MORE JUST
UPLIFTING IT FOR CHAIR KETTLE
ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE.
BUT I DO WONDER IF WE CAN DO
BETTER AS A CITY TO CALL
ATTENTION TO TRAFFIC VIOLENCE AS
IT IS OUR, ACCORDING TO
SURVEYS, TRAFFIC SAFETY, NUMBER
ONE
PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO JUST WANT TO
CALL
ATTENTION TO -- OR ASK.
IN TERMS OF VISION
ZERO, HOW MUCH IS MODE SHIFT?
YOU KNOW, JUST, AGAIN, IF
VEHICLES ARE THE -- YOU KNOW,
CAUSING THE DAMAGE IN THESE
INCIDENTS, HOW MUCH IS
MODE SHIFT CENTRAL TO OUR VISION
ZERO
GOALS? AND I THINK ABOUT SOME OF
THE
DIALOGUE HERE.
AND I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF
YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.
IF YOU BUILD LARGE
HIGHWAYS, PEOPLE WILL, YOU KNOW,
FILL
THEM.
IF WE BUILD SAFE
INFRASTRUCTURE, PEDESTRIANS WILL
COME.
AND I THINK ABOUT, SORT OF,
THE, YOU KNOW, OFTEN TIMES I
HEARD
SOME TALK ABOUT LOOKING FOR
A SAFE CROSSWALK.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ARE PEOPLE
USING IT?
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE A SAFE
CROSSWALK, WE'RE GOING TO
REDUCE
HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE
BEING PEDESTRIANS INSTEAD OF
DRIVING.
AND SO COULD YOU SPEAK
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, SORT OF, A
LARGER --
HOW DO WE HAVE A RE- THINK HOW
WE
MOVE, WHERE WE THINK ABOUT
OTHER WAYS OF MOVING?
AND HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO
OUR LARGER VISION AS A CITY AND
TO OUR URBAN PLANNING?
AND HOW CENTRAL IS
THAT TO VISION ZERO?
>> THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR
THE QUESTION.
AND I THINK THAT MODE SHIFT IS
GOING TO PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE,
A KEY ROLE, IN A NUMBER OF
KEY CITY INITIATIVES, RIGHT?
NOT JUST THE VISION ZERO.
ABSOLUTELY AS MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE WALK AND BIKE AND TAKE
TRANSIT AND MOVE AWAY FROM
VEHICLES AND REDUCING THE NUMBER
OF VEHICLES ON THE STREET, WILL
HAVE A DIRECT IMPLICATION ON
THE CRASHES AND THE COLLISIONS
THAT
WE SEE.
BUT WE ALSO WILL NOW HAVE
AN EVEN MORE COMMITMENT TO
IMPROVE THE SAFETY OUTCOMES FOR
THOSE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE WHO ARE
WALKING/BIKING.
BUT THAT MODE SHIFT IS ALSO VERY
KEY TO REACHING SOME OF
OUR CLIMATE GOALS, RIGHT?
SO, IN A LOT OF WAYS, MODE
SHIFT IS TIED TO NOT ONLY THE
KIND OF
TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE
THAT WE HOPE TO PURSUE IN THE
FUTURE.
IT HAS INFLUENCE ON OUR
VISION ZERO GOALS AND TRENDS,
BUT
ALSO HAVE IMPACT ON OUR CLIMATE
GOALS THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY.
SO, I WOULD SAY KIND OF,
LIKE, MODE SHIFT PLAYS A KEY IN
A CENTRAL ROLE IN A NUMBER OF
INITIATIVES, INCLUDING VISION
ZERO, IN OUR CITY FOR THE
NEAR FUTURE TO COME.
>> THANK YOU
SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU
POINTING THAT OUT.
AND I DO THINK THERE ARE SO MANY
BENEFITS TO THAT MODE SHIFT IN
TERMS OF OUR
VISION ZERO, CLIMATE CHANGE,
AFFORDABILITY.
I THINK THERE ARE MANY
OTHER WAYS THAT WE NEED TO THINK
ABOUT
PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, OUR RIGHTS OF WAY, OUR
CRITICAL -- YOU KNOW, IN
TERMS OF JUST LAND AREA, YOU
KNOW, OUR
RIGHTS OF WAY ARE, YOU
KNOW, PROBABLY THE DOMINANT AREA
WHERE
PEOPLE INTERACT AND ARE -- YOU
KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE , SAY AS
A CITY IN PUBLIC
SPACES. AND SO MUCH OF THIS
RIGHT-OF-WAY, WHICH IS A PUBLIC
SPACE, IS DEDICATED TO PEOPLE
AND VEHICLES WHERE THERE'S NOT
GREAT INTERACTIVITY, RIGHT?
WE SEE -- YOU KNOW, THE SHARED
STREETS IDEA, WHERE PEOPLE CAN
INTERACT.
SO, I THINK ABOUT PUBLIC
SAFETY MORE BROADLY AND
HOW WE CAN USE OUR RIGHTS OF
WAY.
AND JUST ONE LAST POINT.
AS I THINK ABOUT OUR RIGHTS
OF WAY IN GUN VIOLENCE IN
DISTRICT TWO, WHEN PEOPLE CAN
ENGAGE
IN GUN VIOLENCE BUT THEY
CAN QUICKLY LEAVE AN AREA
BECAUSE
OF, YOU KNOW, EASY ACCESS TO
THE HIGHWAY OR EASY ROADS TO GET
IN AND OUT OF THERE,
THAT ALSO CREATES A PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUE.
SO, I THINK WE -- YOU KNOW, WE
NEED TO THINK BROADLY
ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND
HOW WE'RE USING OUR RIGHTS OF
WAY
TO ACHIEVE SAFETY,
AFFORDABILITY,
CLIMATE CHANGE. AND YOU KNOW,
IT'S GOING TO BE
A DIFFICULT TRANSITION FOR US
IN TERMS OF THAT MODE SHIFT.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO ACT
WITH URGENCY AND BOLDLY FOR SO
MANY
DIFFERENT REASONS. AND JUST ARE
GETTING BACK TO,
AGAIN, THAT ORIGINAL POINT
ABOUT POLITICAL WILL, WANT TO DO
MY BEST TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND
MY COLLEAGUES HERE TO IMAGINE
A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR CITY.
AND TRANSPORTATION AND VISION
ZERO ARE REALLY CENTRAL TO THAT
WORK. SO, THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
AND THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES, FOR
YOUR VERY THOUGHTFUL
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS CON TRER
SAGS.
CONVERSATION. WE'VE HAD A
WONDERFUL,
SPIRITED CONVERSATION AROUND
WHAT'S AT STAKE
HERE. AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE
SURFACE ALL -- MOST OF THE KEY
INSIGHTS AND TAKEAWAYS TO THIS
COLLECTIVE CONVERSATION SO FAR
AND
ANSWERED -- A FEW ASKED
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS
GOING TO ASK.
SO, LET ME JUST BRIEFLY MAKE A
FEW COMMENTS, AND THEN
I'LL WIDDLE IT DOWN TO ONE
QUESTION.
SO, FIRST AND FOREMOST, MOVING
ON TO SLIDE 9,
VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN.
NOTE THAT THAT IS -- AS
THE SLIDE DEPICTS, IT IS A
THREE- YEAR STRATEGY.
IT IS -- THE NEXT ONE IS DUE --
OR THIS CURRENT THREE-
YEAR PLANNING CYCLE EXPIRES
I THINK AT END OF THIS YEAR.
SO, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO
THE DEPARTMENT TO, YOU KNOW,
REPORT ON HOW THEY'RE THINKING
ABOUT
APPROACHING THAT NEXT ONE
AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHAT KIND
OF LESSONS
ARE LEARNED SO FAR, INITIAL
THEMES DO YOU
ANTICIPATE FOR THAT NEXT
ONE. AND THEN MOVING ON TO --
LET'S
SEE -- SLIDE 14, THE MAP, THE
FIRST MAP THERE.
THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THAT.
THAT WAS MY REQUEST, AS
CHAIR, THE FIRST MONTH I
BECAME CHAIR IS TO HAVE A SLIDE
THAT SHOWS A
SIDE-BY-SIDE DEPICTION FROM
A COUNCIL/DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE
IN
TERMS OF THE DATA, WHAT'S AT
STAKE. THIS YEAR BASED ON THE
CURRENT DATA, LOOKS LIKE
DISTRICT 2 IS
THE WORST OFF BY 1 PERCENTAGE
POINT. LAST YEAR, I THINK
DISTRICT 2 WAS THE WORST OFF
BY 2 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
AND MY VERY FIRST YEAR, DISTRICT
1 WAS THE WORST OFF BY TWO
OR THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS.
THEY, SORT OF, TRADE OFF
EVERY YEAR.
DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT TWO.
AND THIS IS A RACE TO THE BOTTOM
I DON'T WANT ANY PART OF IN
MY
DISTRICT. BUT AS CHAIR OF OUR
BROADER
S.T.E.P.S. COMMITTEE,
WHICH INCLUDES TRANSPORTATION
AND
SAFETY FIRST, I'M
APPROACHING THIS WORK AS WELL
THROUGH A
CITYWIDE LENS AND A CITYWIDE
PERSPECTIVE. AND SO I ALSO THINK
THAT
WHY DISTRICT 1 HAS SOME OF
THE HIGHEST RELATES TO
ITS GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE OF
TERRITORY.
IT IS THE LARGEST -- THE
SINGLE LARGEST COUNCIL DISTRICT
BY
TERRITORY.
MORE TERRITORY, MORE ROADS,
MORE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY EQUALS
MORE
OPPORTUNITY FOR CRASHES,
SERIOUS BODILY INJURIES, DEATHS.
SO, IN ANY EVENT, I
APPRECIATE COMMENTS FROM ALL OF
YOU
COLLEAGUES, AND I -- IN
THIS CASE, COUNCILMEMBER LIN, I
KNOW YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS
ISSUE IN YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT
AND ALSO FROM A CITYWIDE
PERSPECTIVE.
I COULD GO SO MANY AREAS.
I'D LOVE TO NERD OUT
A LITTLE BIT ON SOME OF THESE
SPECIFIC ENGINEERING SAFE
SYSTEMS
APPROACH PROVEN
COUNTERMEASURES, WHETHER IT'S
TRAFFIC SAFETY
CAMERAS, DAYLIGHTING
INTERSECTIONS, LEADING
PEDESTRIAN INTERVALS, OR SO
MUCH. BUT WE'LL CONTINUE
THE CONVERSATION THERE.
CLOSE OUT HERE ON SLIDE
28. ON AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC SAFETY
CAMERAS, WELL, THAT'S JUST AN
ILLUSTRATIVE SLIDE.
BUT MY QUESTION PERTAINS TO MORE
BROADLY AS WELL.
SO, THE DEPARTMENT IS A VERY
DATA-DRIVEN DEPARTMENT, WHICH
I STRONGLY SUPPORT.
FULL OF A BUNCH OF GENERALLY
A BUNCH OF SMART ENGINEERS AND
EXPERTS.
AND YOU ENDEAVOR TO MAKE
DATA- INFORMED DECISIONS.
ENGINEERING.
THAT'S WHY IN PART
S.T.E.P.S., THE E IN STEPS IS
ENGINEERS.
SO, WHAT ROLE DOES -- DO
NEAR MISS INSTANCES, SO MORE --
WHAT
ROLE DO NEAR MISSES FROM
A QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVE FACTOR
IN THE DEPARTMENT'S ANALYSES
ON MAKING ANY NUMBER OF
SAFETY UPGRADES?
I DO THINK, AS A GENERAL
PROPOSITION, WE NEED TO FOCUS
HEAVILY ON -- NOT EXCLUSIVELY --
ON THE HIGH- INJURY NETWORK.
BUT WE SHOULD ALSO NOT WAIT
FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DIE ON OUR
ROADS IN ORDER FOR THAT TO
QUALIFY FOR A SAFETY UPGRADE.
ALL THAT TO SAY, WHAT ROLE
DO NEAR MISSES PLAY?
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THAT
QUESTION. YES, ABSOLUTELY.
NEAR MISSES ARE AN INDICATOR
OF WHERE OUR POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
COULD BE, RIGHT?
BUT NEAR MISSES, COLLECTING
THAT DATA IS ALSO VERY
CHALLENGING.
NOW, THERE ARE TWO EXAMPLES
THAT WE HAVE WHERE WE DO,
INDEED, HAVE COLLECTED THAT NEAR
MISS
DATA AND USED THAT IN OUR
PROJECT- BASED
DECISIONS. THE SMART -- IS ONE
THAT WE
ARE IMPLEMENTING ON MLK AT
VARIOUS
INTERSECTIONS HAVE VERY SPECIFIC
CAMERAS THAT WERE INSTALLED AT
INTERSECTIONS THAT
BASICALLY LOOK AT
THE LIVE VIDEO FEED THAT COMES
IN AND IDENTIFIES
POTENTIAL NEAR MISS
LOCATIONS THAT WE ARE USING TO
DEVELOP WHAT
ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONS CAN WE
IMPLEMENT ALONG THAT
CORRIDOR. THE SECOND EXAMPLE
THAT I'D LIKE
TO÷÷ REFER TO IS AS YOU'RE VERY
WELL FAMILIAR OF ANOTHER TRAGIC
FATALITY THAT WE ARE SEEING
AT SOUTH PARK AND SOUTH
HENDERSON
STREET.
NOW, THAT PARTICULAR
INTERSECTION HAS HAD A
HISTORY OF FATAL AND SERIOUS
INJURY
COLLISIONS. BUT ALL THE WHILE,
THE NUMBER
OF COLLISIONS WERE FAR AND
FEW IN BETWEEN.
SO, WHAT WE HAVE DONE LAST YEAR
WAS TO INSTALL SOME ADDITIONAL
EQUIPMENT TO COLLECT DATA OVER A
PERIOD OF A WEEK TO SEE
WHERE THESE NEAR MISSES ARE
HAPPENING.
YES, NEAR MISSES DO GIVE US
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON
WHERE TO -- WHAT IS HAPPENING AT
CERTAIN LOCATIONS THAT WE ARE
INTERESTED IN.
BUT THAT IS, KIND OF, LIKE, A
VERY ADD HOCK APPROACH FOR US
TO TRY TO COLLECT THAT
INFORMATION AND USE THAT
INFORMATION TO
MAKE SOME OR OUR
ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATIONS OR
JUDGMENTS ON
COUNTERMEASURES.
UNLIKE THE CRASH RATE, IT'S NOT
AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE ACROSS
THE CITY.
WE HAVE TO GO COLLECT THAT
INFORMATION AT SPECIFIC
LOCATIONS. AND WE DO, INDEED,
COLLECT
THAT DATA WHEN WE FEEL
THAT THAT IS -- THAT DATA IS
NEEDED
TO SUPPLEMENT THE CRASH
ANALYSIS OF THE COLLISION
HISTORY THAT WE ARE SEEING AND
THE
CRASH ANALYSIS THAT WE ARE
PERFORMING TO MAKE ENGINEERING
DECISIONS
IN THAT LOCATION.
SO, YES.
NEAR MISSES PLAY AN IMPORTANT
ROLE, BUT WE HAVE TO GO OUT
AND GET THAT DATA AT SPECIFIC
LOCATIONS.
AND WE LOOK FOR
OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THOSE THINGS
WHEN WE
THINK THAT THAT DATA WOULD
SUPPLEMENT
US IN DEVELOPING
RECOMMENDATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
AND FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO
NOTE THAT -- AND I APPRECIATE
THE EARLIER COMMENTS ON SOUND
TRANSIT'S ROLE IN MAKING
APPROPRIATE SAFETY UPGRADES AND
REPAIRS IN TERMS OF, LIKE,
THE INITIAL PLANNING EFFORTS FOR
THE
WEST SEATTLE, THE DOWNTOWN,
TO FUTURE BALLARD EXTENSION AS
WELL.
AS THE HIGH-INJURY NETWORK
MAP MADE CRYSTAL CLEAR, A LOT OF
THE
RAINIER CORRIDOR INJURIES,
DEATHS, ARE DIRECTLY ALONG OR
ADJACENT TO SOUND TRANSIT
LIGHT RAIL.
AND SO THEY, TOO, PLAY A
CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR CITY IN
MAKING APPROPRIATE UPGRADE.
FIRST THING I SAID AT THE
BEGINNING IS THIS IS A SHARED
RESPONSIBILITY.
ALL THIS TO SAY -- AND I
NOTE THAT ABEL IS HERE FROM
SOUND TRANSIT IN THE AUDIENCE
RIGHT
NOW. AND FORMER SEATTLE CITY
COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL.
SO, APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT LATER THE THIS YEAR,
WOULD LOVE TO INVITE OUR
PARTNERS, OUR GOVERNING PARTNERS
FROM SOUND
TRANSIT, SDOT, AND OTHERS TO
DO A DEEPER DIVE ON THE
RAINIER CORRIDOR PIECE AS WELL.
ONE QUICK COMMENT -- WE'VE
GOT TO -- I HEAR SOMEONE -- I
SENSE SOMEONE ITCHING TO MAKE
A COMMENT AT THE TABLE.
ONE FINAL THING.
AND WE DO HAVE TO MOVE ON.
>> I JUST WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT YOU -- THANK YOU
FOR POINTING OUT ABEL IS IN THE
AUDIENCE. HE WAS JUST HIRED BY
SDOT TO BE
OUR DIRECTOR OF
TRAFFIC OPERATIONS.
SO, YOU'LL SEE HIM AT THIS
TABLE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT MOVING
FORWARD.
>> WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH YOU MORE REGULARLY.
AND WE'LL STILL INVITE
OUR PARTNERS AT SOUND TRANSIT
TO COME SHARE OUT THE
COLLABORATIVE PROGRESS AND HOW
WE'RE
WORKING TOGETHER ON ESPECIALLY
THE RAINIER SAFETY ISSUE.
ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU, MOST IMPORTANTLY,
TO INTERIM DIRECTOR BRADY FOR
BEING
HERE.
YOUR PRESENCE, I THINK,
HELPS SIGNAL FROM A DEPARTMENT
PERSPECTIVE, THE
EXECUTIVE POSITION HOW IMPORTANT
THIS
ISSUE IS.
AND CERTAINLY THERE'S
POLITICAL WILL ON THE COUNCIL,
ON THE
LEGISLATIVE SIDE, TO DO MORE.
SO MANY ILLUSTRATIVE
EXAMPLES THERE.
ALL THAT TO SAY, THIS IS
A PARTNERSHIP.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
WILL THE CLERK READ ITEM
TWO INTO
THE RECORD?
>> AGENDA ITEM
TWO, COUNCIL BILL 121022, AN
ORDINANCE GRANTING
HST LESSEE WEST SEATTLE
LLC PERMISSION TO CONTINUE
MAINTAINING AND OPERATING A
PEDESTRIAN SKY BRIDGE OVER
AND ACROSS VIRGINIA STREET
BETWEEN
FIFTH AVENUE AND
SIXTH AVENUE FOR A 15- YEAR
TERM,
RENEWABLE FOR ONE SUCCESSIVE 15-
YEAR
TERM, SPECIFYING THE CONDITIONS
UNDER WHICH THIS PERMIT IS
GRANTED,
AND PROVIDING FOR THE
ACCEPTANCE OF THE PERMIT AND
CONDITIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
IT IS 11:30 NOW.
SO, WE DO HAVE A HARD STOP AT
NOON. LOOKS LIKE OUR PRESENTERS
HAVE ALREADY JOINED US AT THE
TABLE.
THE REASON I KEPT THIS IS I
KNOW THAT THERE ARE
REPRESENTATIVES
FROM THESE PROJECTS THAT HAVE
TAKEN TIME OUT OF THEIR
BUSY SCHEDULE TO COME.
SO, WE'LL TRY AND MOVE
THROUGH THESE.
SDOT COLLEAGUES, I ASKED
YOU EARLIER TO SPEND A LITTLE
MORE TIME ON, YOU KNOW,, KIND
OF, FRAMING THE CONVERSATION
WITH SOME ADDITIONAL
CONTEXT,
OVERVIEW. I'M WONDERING NOW,
GIVEN THE
TIME, LET'S TRY TO SPLIT THE
BABY, IF YOU WILL.
INSTEAD OF A MORE
FULSOME, ROBUST DAY ONE CONTEXT,
AND, YOU KNOW, THE -- QUICK
THREE- TO
FIVE- MINUTE OVERVIEW THAT
WE NORMALLY DO FOR THE SECOND
ITEM, LET'S TRY TO SPLIT THE
BABY
A LITTLE BIT, ESPECIALLY ON THE
SECOND ITEM, IF WE CAN GET
TO
IT. PLEASE INTRODUCE
YOURSELVES FIRST AND
BEGIN.
>> BEVERLY BARNETT,
SEATTLE DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION.
>> AMY GRACE, SEATTLE DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION.
>> -- DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION.
>> SO, BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARE
INSTANCES WHERE PRIVATE PROPERTY
OWNERS HAVE SOUGHT TO USE
PUBLICPUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY.
FIRST IS A SKY BRIDGE
THAT'S BEEN
IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME, AND
IT'S BACK FOR RENEWAL OF
ITS
PERMIT. AND THE SECOND IS A
ALLEY
VACATION, WHICH WAS
PREVIOUSLY CONDITIONAL APPROVED
AND IS
NOW BACK FOR ITS FINAL APPROVAL
ORDINANCE.
AND I'LL LET SDOT TALK
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS
AND, SORT OF, CONTEXT FOR THESE
DECISIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CHAIR
SAKA. WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO BE
HERE,
AND IT'S VERY FUN FOR US TO
BRING THINGS THAT WE HAVE
COMPLETED.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO WORKING WITH THE NEWLY
RECONSTITUTED S.T.E.P.S.
COMMITTEE, AND WE REALLY WELCOME
THE
NEW COUNCILMEMBERS. WE REALLY
ENJOY WORKING WITH THE
COUNCIL.
AND FOR AMY AND FOR ME, ALL
OF OUR ITEMS GO THROUGH COUNCIL
REVIEW.
SO, WE'RE HERE A LOT, MAYBE
NOT AS MUCH AS OUR NEW DIRECTOR.
BUT WE'RE HERE QUITE
A BIT. SO, COUNCILMEMBER SAKA
WANTED
US TO PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW
OF OUR TWO PROGRAMS.
SO, AMY AND I WORKED ON
A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ABOUT
STREET VACATIONS AND
TERM PERMITS.
AND GIVEN THE TIME AND
THAT YOU'VE JUST HAD SUCH A
SERIOUS
DISCUSSION, WE'RE JUST GOING
TO ZIP THROUGH THIS.
BUT YOU'LL HAVE IT AVAILABLE.
AND LISH IS AN EXPERT ON ALL
OF OUR WORK, AND WE'RE
ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
SO, WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH
REALLY
ZIPPY AND NOT DO EVERYTHING
JUST TO SET SOME CONTEXT BEFORE
YOU LOOK AT A VOTE ON THE
RENEWAL OF
THE SKY BRIDGE AND THE
FINAL VACATION
ORDINANCE. SO, THE FIRST SLIDE
THAT WE'LL
LOOK AT REALLY JUST DEFINES
RIGHT-OF-WAY.
AND I THINK MOST OF
THE COUNCILMEMBERS ARE SO
FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF THIS.
BUT FOR OUR NEW
COUNCILMEMBERS, PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-
WAY IS
DEDICATED FOR SPECIFIC PUBLIC
PURPOSES.
AND IT'S HELD IN TRUST, AND THE
CITY COUNCIL ACTS AS THE
TRUSTEE.
SO, ALL OF US VIEW THE USE AND
THE VACATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY
AT A MORE ELEVATED LEVEL
BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT
PROTECTING
AND SERVING THE PUBLIC WHENEVER
WE MAKE THESE LONG- TERM
DECISIONS THAT AMY WORKS ON AND
THE VACATION DECISIONS.
>> I'LL JUST POINT OUT HERE,
AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF RIGHT-OF-
WAY IS THAT IT IS AN
EASEMENT THAT IS ON TOP OF THE
ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS'
PROPERTY
RIGHTS. SO, THE CITY DOESN'T
COMPLETELY
OWN THE STREET.
SO, THE ADJACENT PROPERTY
OWNER IS REALLY THE ONLY PARTY
THAT
COULD ACQUIRE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
>> SO, AS WE NOTED, THE --
BECAUSE THIS IS SPECIAL
PURPOSE PROPERTY THAT IS CREATED
BY
EASEMENT, AS LISH NOTED,
THE AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS STREET
VACATION ISSUES IS GRANTED
BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO
THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THE STATE HAS SET
OUT PROCEDURAL RULES BUT NOT
REALLY CRITERIA AND GUIDANCE.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL
HAS ESTABLISHED THOSE.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAS
ADOPTED VACATION POLICIES FOR
MORE THAN 40 YEARS.
THE MOST RECENT WAS DONE
IN
2018. AND THAT SETS OUT THE
CRITERIA AND THE PROCESS AND
DEFINES
THE TWO THINGS THAT WE ALL LOOK
AT, THE PUBLIC BENEFIT AND
THE PUBLIC TRUST.
AND SDOT ADMINISTERS THE
PROGRAM AT THE REQUEST OF CITY
COUNCIL
BECAUSE IT'S A LOT.
LISH WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT
ALL, AS YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE MORE
LISHS, EVEN THOUGH HE DOES
A LOT.
SO, THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS SHOWS
A HIGH- LEVEL OVERVIEW OF
THE VACATION
PROCESS. AND THE GREEN REFLECTS
THE POINTS WHERE THE CITY
COUNCIL EITHER TAKES AN ACTION
OR
IS
BRIEFED. AND WE COME TO THE
COUNCIL
WITH BRAND- NEW PARTITIONS FOR
YOUR EARLY
REVIEW. WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE
REVIEW
PROCESS, WE COME BACK TO
THE CITY COUNCIL FOR A PUBLIC
HEARING, AS REQUIRED BY
STATE LAW.
AND WE GIVE YOU OUR ANALYSIS IN
SDOT AND ALL THE PARTS AND
PIECES LIKE THE
DESIGN COMMISSION REVIEW.
THE CITY COUNCIL REVIEWS, AND
THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO GRANT,
GRANT CONDITIONS OR TO DENY.
IF THE COUNCIL GRANTS
THE VACATION PETITION, THE
PROJECT PROCEEDS INTO
CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE THAT
EMPOWERS
THE DEVELOPER TO MOVE FORWARD
AND USE THE SIGHT.TE.
THE CITY COUNCIL HOLDS OUT
THE FINAL ORDINANCE UNTIL
EVERYTHING IS DONE.
IT'S AN ACCOUNTABILITY TOOL FOR
CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE
EVERYTHING IS DONE AS THEY HAD
ANTICIPATED. AND THAT'S WHAT
WE'LL SEE IN
A FEW MINUTES TODAY, THE
FINAL VACATION ORDINANCE FOR GID
PARKS PROJECT.
SO, THE NEXT SLIDE JUST COVERS
WHAT WE CONSIDER AS PUBLIC
TRUST. AND THIS JUST
IS THE -- ALL THE PURPOSES THAT
STREETS PROVIDE.
SO, WE LOOK AT ALL OF
THOSE. I WOULD HIGHLIGHT THAT
THE
COUNCIL HAS ADDED STRONGER
LANGUAGE AROUND FREE SPEECH
AND PUBLIC ASSEMBLY IN THE
2018 POLICIES RECOGNIZING
THAT STREETS ARE A VERY FREE,
OPEN, AND ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC
ASSET.
AND THE COUNCIL WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THAT THAT WAS LOOKED
AT WHEN WE LOOKED ON, TO LOOKING
AT A VACATION.
SO, THE PUBLIC BENEFITS ARE
DEFINED IN THE STREET
VACATION POLICIES.
AND MANY OF THEM RELATE
TO THINGS THAT STREETS PROVIDE.
SO, WE LOOK AT PAUSES,
LANDSCAPES, ARTS, COMMUNITY
CONNECTIONS.
AND IT'S ALWAYS INTENDED TO
BE BEYOND THEIR OBLIGATIONS.
AND IT'S INTENDED TO BE
LONG TERM.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS ALSO
LOOKED AT WAYS THAT WE CAN ADD
MORE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR LOOKING
AT OFFSITE PUBLIC BENEFITS,
IF IT'S A WAY TO CREATE
AMENITIES IN UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITIES.
AND THOSE WERE ALSO REALLY
HIGHLIGHTED IN THE
2018 POLICIES.
SO, THE TWO THINGS, PUBLIC
TRUST, STREET PURPOSES, PUBLIC
BENEFIT, BECAUSE IT'S
AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC ASSET.
SO, THOSE ARE OUR TWO ELEMENTS.
AND THEN THE NEXT, WE WANTED
TO SHOW A PROJECT THAT THE
COUNCIL
APPROVED -- WELL, THE
FINAL VACATION
ORDINANCE, LAST YEAR. AND THIS
SHOWS -- THE
ORANGE SHOWS THE ALLEY THAT
WAS VACATED AND THE DEVELOPMENT
ON EITHER SIDE.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THE REASON THAT I WANTED
TO SHOW THIS IS THERE IS A
PUBLIC PLAZA IN FRONT OF THE
TOWN HALL.
BUT THE PLAZA WAS CREATED BY THE
DEVELOPERS OF THE HOUSING.
BUT THE WAY IT'S SITUATED AND
THE WAY IT'S USED, I THINK
PEOPLE BELIEVE IT
BELONGS TO
CITY HALL. SO, I THINK THAT
SHOWS IT'S
A GOOD PUBLIC BENEFIT BECAUSE
THE
PUBLIC JUST GOES THERE.
AND EVERY TIME I'M AT TOWN
HALL,
IT'S FULL OF PEOPLE WITH
TICKETS TO EVENTS, AND IT HAS A
VERY PUBLIC FEEL.
SO, THAT, I THINK, IS A
GOOD
EXAMPLE. THIS SLIDE, I ALWAYS
LIKE
TO INCLUDE.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
THE ORANGE HATCH MARKS ARE
WHERE VACATIONS HAVE OCCURRED.
AND I THINK IT SHOWS THE POWER
OF THE VACATION PROCESS TO
CHANGE THE SCALE AND LOCATION
OF OUR MOST INTENSE
DEVELOPMENT FOR OFFICE TOWERS
AND MAJOR
INSTITUTIONS. SO, THAT'S THE
MINI- VERSION OF
STREET VACATIONS.
AND THEN AMY'S GOING TO
FINISH WITH THE MINI- VERSION
OF SIGNIFICANT TERM PERMITS.
>> THANK YOU FOR
THIS
OPPORTUNITY. SO, SIGNIFICANT
STRUCTURE TERM
PERMITS ARE FOR STRUCTURES
THAT WILL HAVE A LONG DURATION
IN THE
RIGHT-OF- WAY, IMPEDE THE CITY
OR THE PUBLIC'S USE OF THAT
SPACE, OR ARE NECESSARY FOR
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE
ADJACENT PROPERTY.
SO, THESE THINGS
INCLUDE PEDESTRIAN TUNNELS AT
HOSPITALS, PIPELINES, PRIVATE
UTILITIES BETWEEN COMMUNICATION
LIKE
FACEBOOK, GOOGLE. THERE'S A
NUMBER OF THOSE DOWN
THERE. PLAZAS, AND OTHERS.
AND THROUGHOUT MY PART OF THE
PRESENTATION, THE PICTURES SHOW
DIFFERENT TYPE OF TERM
PERMITS. THIS IS A TRANSITION
THAT
ALLOWS THE WASTE WATER FACILITY
TO
NOT OVERFLOW INTO PUGET SOUND.
THAT'S A GOOD THING.
A SPECIAL TERM OF PERMITS ARE
SKY BRIDGES.
IT'S THE CITY'S POLICY
AND STATED IN THE CODE THAT
WE DISCOURAGE STRICTLY PRIVATE
SKY
BRIDGES BUT GENERALLY ALLOW
SKY BRIDGES FOR PUBLIC OR
SEMIPUBLIC USES.
PUBLIC WOULD BE LIKE THE SKY
BRIDGES AROUND THE U DUB
CAMPUS THAT CROSS 15th AVENUE
NORTHEAST, MONT LAKE BOULEVARD,
NORTHEAST
PACIFIC STREET. THOSE ARE
TRULY PUBLIC. WE ENCOURAGE
STUDENTS TO
USE THEM TO GET TO PARTS OF
CAMPUS.
AND SEMIPUBLIC ARE THE ONES
YOU SEE AT HOSPITALS.
HOSPITALS ARE BIG FACILITIES
AND HAVE A BUILT- OUT
ENVIRONMENT
AND THERE'S NOT
LARGE PARCELS FOR
THEM TO EXPAND. SO, THEY NEED TO
GO
ACROSS STREETS TO EXPAND.
SDOT LEADS THE REVIEW.
THESE ARE APPROVED BY CITY
COUNCIL, BUT WE DO AN
INTERDEPARTMENTAL REVIEW.
SOMETIMES PUBLIC BENEFIT IS
REQUIRED FOR --
STRUCTURES DEPENDING ON
THE IMPACT. BUT PUBLIC INPUT IS
ALWAYS REQUIRED FOR SKY BRIDGES.
THERE'S TWO STEPS OF
THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR
NEW
PERMITS. SO, WHEN A NEW PROJECT
COMES TO
US, WE WORK WITH
THEM TO DO THEIR DESIGN UNTIL
IT'S
ABOUT 60% DONE SO THAT WE CAN
BRING A PROJECT TO YOU THAT'S
FEASIBLE, THAT HAS BEEN VETTED,
AND
IS LIKELY TO MOVE FORWARD AND
GIVE
YOU SOMETHING THAT WOULD --
THE ORDINANCE PACKAGE.
SKY BRIDGES ARE ALSO INVOLVED.
SEATTLE DESIGN COMMISSION
REVIEW.
THEY ARE -- PART OF THE CITY.
THEY LOOK AT THE IMPACT TO
THE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENT AND
THE PUBLIC BENEFIT PROPOSAL.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND THAT'S A SHORT, TWO-
MINUTE VERSION OF
TERM PERMITS. LIKE I SAY, WE'RE
HAPPY --
YOU'LL
SEE THE CHINA GATE WAS THE LAST
SLIDE.
THAT'S A TERM PERMIT.
NOBODY THINKING OF IT AS A
TERM PERMIT.
IT'S A PRIVATE ENCROACHMENT,
BUT
IT'S A COMMUNITY ASSET.
SO, I HAVE ALL SORTS OF
THINGS OUT THERE.
SO, MOVING ON TO THE WESTON
HOTEL.
SO, THE WESTON HOTEL
WAS ORIGINALLY PERMITTED, THE
SKY
BRIDGE, IN 1981.
AND SO ORIGINAL ORDINANCE
HAS REACHED ITS FINAL
EXPIRATION,
AND THEY'RE COMING BACK TO
REPERMIT FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS.
IT WAS -- IT'S ACROSS
VIRGINIA STREET BETWEEN FIFTH
AND
SIXTH AVENUES.
NOW MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THIS IS
AN IMAGE OF THE SKY
BRIDGE. AND THE ORDINANCE LAYS
OUT
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
THE TERM, THE INSURANCE
REQUIREMENTS, A BOND, INSPECTION
REPORTS. IT'S THE OBLIGATION ON
THE PRIVATE PARTY TO USE THIS IN
A WAY THAT'S SAFE FOR THE
PUBLIC
TO BE ON THE STREET BELOW.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO, THEIR PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR
THIS, BECAUSE IT'S AN
EXISTING SKY BRIDGE, IT WASN'T,
LIKE, SOMETHING WE WOULD LOOK
FOR FOR
A NEW SKY BRIDGE THAT WOULD BE
BRAND-NEW TO THE
URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND WHAT THEY PROVIDED
WAS MAINTENANCE TO THE GIANT
SEQUOIA
TREE. AND THIS TREE WAS DYING.
IT WAS AT -- IT WAS BEING
CONSTRAINED BY HOLIDAY LIGHTING.
IT HAD -- ITS IRRIGATION
SYSTEM WAS ACTUALLY DROWNING IT.
IT NEEDED A LOT
OF HELP. AND URBAN FORESTRY
WANTED TO
WORK WITH IT, BUT THEY
WERE STRUGGLING TO GET THE FUNDS
TO DO IT THEMSELVES.
SO, THE WESTIN HOTEL
REMOVED THE HOLIDAY LIGHTING AND
IMPROVED THE SOIL CONDITIONS,
REPLACED THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
AND NOW THIS TREE HAS A
MORE LENGTHY LIFE SPAN EXPECTED.
URBAN FORESTRY IS HAPPY
WITH
THIS.
THEY LOVE IT. AND IT GETS IT TO
BE ABLE
TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER SEVERAL
YEARS
OF, NOT NEGLECT, BUT
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.
A MAN IN 2016 WAS IN THE TREE,
CUT IT DOWN FROM THE TOP.
IT HAS MANY CHALLENGES OVER THE
YEARS.
AND THESE ARE JUST IMAGES OF IT.
IT'S WHAT WE CALL FROM THE
'80s, THE HAMSTER RUN BECAUSE
IT LOOKS
LIKE A HAMSTER RUN.
NEXT SLIDE.
THE GENERAL LOCATION IN DISTRICT
7 FOR COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
AND WE'RE JUST HERE TO PROVIDE
THIS PROPOSAL.
AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT
CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THIS.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR THIS
PRESENTATION. COLLEAGUES, I
THINK - - SO,
WE WENT THROUGH AN OVERVIEW OF
THE
PERMIT, VACATION
REQUEST PROCESS, DISCUSSED A BIT
OUR
ROLE,
RESPONSIBILITIES WITH RESPECT TO
THIS PROCESS, KIND
OF PROVIDED A REFRESHER ON THAT.
I'LL JUST SHARE FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, THE HALLMARK OR
TOUCHSTONE OF THIS WORK ON
OUR END, ON THE COUNCIL SIDE, IS
ENSURING THAT THERE IS
SUFFICIENT PUBLIC BENEFIT.
AND THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE
OUR LOAD STAR, AS WE CONSIDER
THESE VARIOUS PIECES OF
LEGISLATION
TO HELP IMPLEMENT THESE
PROJECTS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT THE --
WE HAPPEN TO BE AT THE ORDINANCE
STAGE, WHICH IS THE SECOND
STAGE IN WHAT IS TYPICALLY A
MULTI- YEAR PROCESS, MANY
MONTHS AT A ARE MINIMUM.
SO, WE ARE VERY FREE AS A
LEGISLATIVE BODY TO APPROVE
OR REJECT IF WE DETERMINE THERE
IS NOT SUFFICIENT PUBLIC
BENEFIT.
THAT SAID, DOING THAT, REJECTING
SOMETHING AT THE LAST MILE STAGE
WOULD RESULT IN A LOT OF
THINGS NEEDING TO GO BACK TO
THE DRAWING BOARDS.
SO, WE NEED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS
AND JUDICIOUS WITH
EXERCISING THAT AUTHORITY.
BUT IT'S ONE WE SHOULD
NOT HESITATE TO WIELD IF WE
THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
INSTEAD, OUR PRIMARY
OPPORTUNITY TO HELP INFLUENCE
THE
CONTOURS OF WHAT THOSE PROPORTED
PUBLIC BENEFITS SHOULD LOOK LIKE
IS AT THE
RESOLUTION/INTRODUCTION
STAGE. SO, THAT IS WHERE I WOULD
ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO
CONSIDER OPPORTUNITIES TO
GUIDING
THAT CONVERSATION ACCORDINGLY.
ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS,
COMMENTS, FEEDBACK?
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE, I THINK
THIS IS YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO, GO AHEAD.
>> YES, CHAIR.
THANK YOU.
AND THIS IS OUR SECOND
MEETING ON THIS.
SO, WE HAD A FULLER MEETING.
WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE
WESTIN BEFORE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THE
WESTIN AND ITS LEADERSHIP
HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD.
FOR THIS SKY BRIDGE DOES SERVE A
FOCUS, A BENEFIT IN ITSELF
IN TERMS OF THOSE WHO MAY BE
DISABLED, HAVE MOBILITY
CHALLENGES.
SO, THERE'S THAT PIECE EVEN
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE
GIANT SEQUOIA.
I HAVE TO SAY THE GIANT
SEQUOIA, GOING TO THAT PIECE, IS
SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE, AS I'VE
SAID MANY TIMES, OUR EVERGREENS
HELP MAKE OUR CITY.
AND I'VE BEEN POINTING ON THIS
FOR MANY TIMES, AND I THINK
THIS
IS FANTASTIC. THE URBAN FORESTRY
COMMISSION JUST CONFIRMS IT, AND
I THINK
THIS IS ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT
THING.
AND IT IS THE SIGHT LINE TO THE
WESTIN.
IT'S ABOUT BEING A GOOD
NEIGHBOR WITH THE OTHER ENTITIES
IN
THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, I THINK THIS IS A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT
KIND OF
PUBLIC- PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP,
BUT THIS TIME THROUGH THE PUBLIC
BENEFIT OF A SKY BRIDGE.
AND COLLEAGUES, I SUPPORT
THIS, AND I'VE HAD ENGAGEMENT
ON
THIS WITH
DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, LIKE I
SAID, WITH THE WESTIN
AND OTHERS.
SO, I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE. COLLEAGUES, ANY FINAL
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON
THIS ONE? HEARING -- SEEING
NONE, I MOVE
THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND
PASSAGE OF COUNCIL BILL 121022.
IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>> IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF
COUNCIL BILL 121022.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS?
HEARING AND SEEING NONE, WILL
THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL ON THE RECOMMENDATION TO
PASS
COUNCIL
BILL 121022. [ ROLL BEING CALLED
]
>> CHAIR, THERE ARE FIVE VOTES
IN FAVOR AND ZERO
OPPOSED.
>> THE MOTION CARRIES AND
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
THAT
THE COUNCIL PASS 121022 WILL
BE SENT TO THE JANUARY 20th,
2026, CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
>> WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
READ ITEM THREE INTO THE RECORD.
>> COUNCIL
BILL 121117, AN ORDINANCE
VACATING THE --
SECOND EDITION IN THE DENNY
TRIANGLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND
ACCEPTING
A PROPERTY USE AND
DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ON THE
PETITION OF
GID DEVELOPMENT GROUP AND
THE SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION
DEPARTMENT, CLERK FILE 313843.
>> THANK YOU.
LO AND BEHOLD, OUR
PRESENTERS ARE ALREADY AT THE
TABLE. I'LL ASK -- I THINK WE
HAD A
GOOD OVERVIEW AND CONTEXTUAL
GROUND LAYING FOR A LOT OF
THE EARLIER DISCUSSION, SO I
WOULD LIKE US TO, KIND OF, SKIM
OVER SOME OF THE OTHER
BACKGROUND AND
FOCUS ON THE PUBLIC
BENEFIT PIECE AND ANY, LIKE,
MATERIAL CHANGES OR UNIQUE
FEATURES OF THIS PROJECT AT A
HIGH LEVEL.
THANK YOU. GO AHEAD.
>> GO
AHEAD.
>> OKAY.
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
YEAH, WE CAN BE REALLY
QUICK WITH THIS.
THIS IS A GOOD SLIDE.
IT DOES SHOW THIS IS IN
DISTRICT 7.
BUT WHAT'S A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT WITH THIS THAN A
LOT
OF VACATIONS, THAT THIS IS
PARKS DEPARTMENT AND GID
JOINT VACATION PETITION.
SO, YOU CAN SEE THE ALLEY
THERE WITH THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER
PROPOSING SOMETHING ON THE
NORTH AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT,
WHICH
ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY ADJACENT.
SO, THEY CAME IN WITH THE ALLEY
VACATION PETITION JOINTLY
AND THEN -- WHAT'S THE NEXT
BEST --
MAYBE THE NEXT BEST SLIDE
IS PAGE 2.
YEAH. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD
ONE JUST TO DO A REAL HIGH-
LEVEL
OVERVIEW. SO, VACATED THE ALLEY
BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES ALLOWED
ALL
THE VALLEY FUNCTIONS TO
GO AWAY. THEY'RE ACCOMMODATED
ON
OTHER SIDES OF THE PROJECT FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT CREATED A MORE SEAMLESS
PARK AND PUBLIC PLAZA
AREA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT.
SO, THIS, I THINK, IS A
GOOD OVERVIEW.
AND THE PHOTOS
SHOW, KIND OF, HOW EVERYTHING
WORKS OUT.
SO, ON THE PARK SIDE, THEY
WERE ABLE TO DO A LARGER PARK,
AND
ON THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER
SIDE, THEY WERE ABLE TO DO
-- USE THE FORMER ALLEY FOR
SIDEWALK
CAFES AND THINGS.
AND THEY, KIND OF,
REALLY ENHANCE EACH OTHER.
I THINK WHAT ISN'T SHOWN ON
THAT
IS THAT I THINK ANOTHER THING
THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING
ABOUT THIS PARK PLAZA IS THAT IT
HAS
CHILDREN'S PLAY EQUIPMENT.
AND A LOT OF THE DOWNTOWN
SPACES ARE MORE URBAN SPACES.
AND THIS HAS AN OLD FASHIONED
PARKS PURPOSE.
AND EVERY
TIME I'M DOWN THERE, MY DENTIST
IS BY THERE.
SO, I GO THROUGH
AND THERE'S ALWAYS KIDS ON THE
SLIDES
ENJOYING IT.
SO, SLIDE THREE SHOWS THE
PUBLIC BENEFIT FEATURES.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE -- FOR
PARKS, JUST THE CREATION OF
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY
PARK
THAT'S VERY OPEN.
ON THE DEVELOPER SIDE, THEY
SET ASIDE STORAGE SPACE FOR
PARKS
SO, WE HAVE, LIKE, GIANT
CHESS PIECES AND THINGS IN
THERE.
AND PARK STAFF DOESN'T HAVE
TO BRING THINGS IN AND
OUT. AND THERE IS A LOT AT
LOOKING LIKE THE EDGES AND HOW
THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER, KIND
OF, MEETS AND LOOKS AT THE PARK.
SO, THERE WAS A LOT OF
WORK DONE ON THAT.
AND THERE WAS ADDITIONAL
LANDSCAPING DONE BY THE
DEVELOPER AROUND THE SITE TO
ENHANCE THE GREENERY FEEL
ANDAND THETHE THING NOT REALLY
PARK-LIKE AROUND THE
BUILDING BUT ADDITIONAL
LANDSCAPING.
I THINK -- THAT REALLY, I
THINK, COVERS EVERYTHING BECAUSE
WE'VE HAD A PREVIOUS BRIEFING.
WE CAN LOOK AT MORE OF THE
ALTERNATIVES, BUT I THINK
THAT'S REALLY THE HIGHLIGHT.
>> AND THEN I'LL NOTE
THAT COUNCIL PLACED EIGHT
CONDITIONS
ON THE VACATION.
ALL EIGHT CONDITIONS HAVE
BEEN MET.
AND ALL THE PUBLIC
BENEFITS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED THAT
WERE AGREED
TO.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S --
YEAH. THE REASON THE
COUNCIL ESTABLISHED
THE TWO-PART APPROVAL PROCESS IS
TO ALLOW
THE
DEVELOPMENT TO PROCEED, BUT THE
COUNCIL DOESN'T FINISH ITS WORK
UNTIL ALL OF US THAT WORK ON THE
PROJECTS CAN COME IN AND SAY,
YEAH, THE PARK'S IN, THE FEE'S
PAID, THE
LANDSCAPING'S DONE, EASEMENT --
EVERYTHING
IS RECORDED AND COMPLETED.
WE ONLY COME FORWARD WITH
A VACATION ORDINANCE
WHEN EVERYTHING IS DONE OR
IF THERE WERE A LOT OF CHANGES,
WE MIGHT
COME IN AND SAY, OH, E NEED TO
CHANGE
THE PROJECT. IS
THAT OKAY? BUT THIS IS REALLY --
EVERYTHING IS DONE
AND COMPLETED. AND KIDS ARE OUT
THERE.
THEY MUST BE -- I DON'T
KNOW WHERE THEY COME FROM
BECAUSE
IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A VERY KID
NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS KIDS
THERE, WHEREVER THEY'RE FROM,
THEY'RE
ENJOYING THE SPACE.
>> GOOD?
>> YEAH.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME AND I'M
LOOKING AT YOU FOR A CLOSING.
OKAY.
>> I'M SORRY, CHAIR SAKA.
>> ALL GOOD, ALL GOOD.
>> I WAS TRYING TO GET THROUGH
AND TURN IT OVER.
>> NO, NO, NO.
OKAY.
ALL GOOD.
REALLY DO APPRECIATE THIS
OVERVIEW.
AND YET AGAIN ANOTHER DISTRICT 7
PROJECT, LO AND BEHOLD. I HAVE
SOME PROJECT ENVY
HERE YET AGAIN.
BUT ALL GOOD.
THIS STRIKES ME AS ANOTHER
SOLID PROJECT, TREMENDOUS PUBLIC
BENEFIT, IN THIS CASE
STRONG NEXUS WITH OUR PARKS.
SO, DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE
QUESTIONS,
COMMENTS,
FEEDBACK? COUNCIL MEB KETTLE?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR, JUST
TO BUILD ON YOUR PROJECT
AND DISTRICT ENVY --
>> NOT DISTRICT, PROJECT.
>> -- I JUST WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS IS PROVIDING
THAT
KIND OF PARK- LIKE SPACE, WHICH
IS REALLY NEEDED IN THE AREA.
YOU KNOW, THE BROADER SOUTH
LAKE UNION, WE HAVE THREE PARKS.
BUT THESE LITTLE PIECES --
BECAUSE WHAT THIS HIGHLIGHTS IS
THAT THERE'S A LOT OF
RESIDENTS.
THAT'S PART OF THE
TRANSFORMATION OF
DOWNTOWN. AND WE'RE SEEING
THAT.
WE NOW HAVE A DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY
COUNCIL BECAUSE WE
HAVE
RESIDENTS. AND SOUTH LAKE UNION
COUNCIL
WE HAVE -- AND THEY'RE LOOKING
FOR
THESE AMENITIES, THESE PIECES.
AND I JUST HAD A DISCUSSION
WITH A NEW SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT,
AND YOU KNOW, IN THIS
DISTRICT OVERALL, THERE'S
NOTHING IN
THIS AREA.
I HAVE THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
ON QUEEN ANNE.
I HAVE A MIDDLE SCHOOL ON QUEEN
ANNE.
AND THERE'S A CENTER SCHOOL.
BUT I DON'T HAVE A TRADITIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL. THIS HIGHLIGHTS AN
ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE THAT WE'LL
TACKLE
SEPARATELY. THIS IS A GREAT
AREA.
I
NOTE IT, AS I NOTED THE LAST
TIME FROM THAT LAST PICTURE,
THE THANK YOU SLIDE, YOU'RE
BASICALLY OVER THE SHAKE SHACK.
SO, THERE'S A LOT OF
GREAT RESTAURANTS IN THE AREA,
A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS
HAPPENING.
SO, I DO RECOGNIZE THE
CHAIR'S PROJECT ENVY FOR THIS.
AND COLLEAGUES, I ASK FOR
YOUR SUPPORT.
>> AWESOME.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
COLLEAGUES, ANY OTHER
FINAL
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS? HEARING AND
SEEING NONE, I MOVE
THAT THE COMMITTEE
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF
BILL 121117. IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>> IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF THE BILL.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS?
HEARING AND SEEING
NONE, WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL
THE ROLL
ON THE RECOMMENDATION TO PASS
THE
BILL?
[ ROLL BEING CALLED ]
>> CHAIR, THERE ARE FIVE
VOTES IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED.
>> EXCELLENT, THE MOTION PASSES,
121117 REASON SENT TO THE
JANUARY 20th, 2026, CITY COUNCIL
MEETING.
ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE REACHED THE END.
THANK YOU, SDOT PARTNERS.
WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF
TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON FEBRUARY
5th AT 9:30
A.M. THIS IS -- THIS WAS
OUR INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE
NEW S.T.E.P.S.
COMMITTEE. I INVITE EVERYONE TO
CONTINUE TO TAKE STEPS FORWARD
WITH US AND
ALONGSIDE US ON THESE VERY
IMPORTANT POLICY TOPICS AND DO
IT TOGETHER.
IS THERE ANY FINAL BUSINESS
TO COME BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE BEFORE WE ADJOURN?
HEARING AND SEEING --
>>
CHAIR SAKA?
>> GO AHEAD, VICE CHAIR.
I'M SORRY COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
I'LL BE BRIEF IN THIS POINT.
I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE
THAT WHILE WE WERE HERE TAKING
UP
THE WORK OF COMMITTEE BUSINESS,
IT SEEMS LIKE OUR NEW MAYOR
IS TAKING UP SOME IMPORTANT
POLICY
MATTERS RELATED TO
TRANSPORTATION, PARTICULARLY
RELATED TO RELIABILITY WITH THE
ROUTE 8 AND MOVING FORWARD WITH
SOME BUS LANES.
I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT
IN COMMITTEE.
I KNOW IT'S OF INTEREST IN THIS
BODY.
I WOULD STATE IT'S EXCITED
TO SEE SOME ACTION BEING TAKEN
ON SOMETHING THAT IS URGENT AND
AFFECTING MANY WORKING
FAMILIES WHO RELY ON TRANSIT.
BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I WANTED
TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS UPLIFTED.
I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH THE
DEPARTMENT TO SEE ON
ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTINUE
TO
TAKE THIS UP IN COMMITTEE.
>> THANK YOU, VICE
CHAIR. AND I KNOW, YES, TO YOUR
POINT, WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS
MULTIPLE
TIMES.
THE LATE EIGHT SNAFU A
NUMBER OF TIMES IN COMMITTEE.
AND VICE CHAIR, I
KNOW YOU HAVE LED ON THE BROADER
ISSUE.
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CO- LEAD
MOSTLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT
BEHIND THE
SCENES AND SOME
PLANNING EFFORTS.
SO, GLAD TO SEE SOME
PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THIS AND
LOOK
FORWARD TO
MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION.
BUT WE DO NEED TO
-- THE NEED AND THE EMBARRASSING
LATE
EIGHT
DESIGNATION. IN ANY EVENT, THAT
IS IT.
HEARING NO FURTHER
BUSINESS, ANYONE ELSE?
HEARING NO FURTHER BUSINESS
COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, WE
ARE
ADJOURNED.
IT IS 11:58 A.M.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.