King County Executive Dow Constantine is not seeking a fifth term, but County Councilmember Claudia Balducci is seeking to grab the baton and take many of the unfinished initiatives he leaves behind over the finish line. She will face numerous challengers in what is sure to be a crowded primary.
A Route 7 bus comes down Rainier Avenue on a sunny day in a red bus lane

King County Metro Testing Onboard Cameras to Cite Bus-Lane Violators

King County Metro is testing out on-board cameras that capture license plates in order to issue citations for violations of bus only lanes. It's the first transit agency in Washington to try out this technology.
A photo of a RapidRide H bus at Burien Transit Center

King County Extends Metro Public Restroom Pilot, Considers Longer-Term Plan

Two bathrooms at King County Metro transit centers will keep operating into 2025 thanks to a new budget allocation. But whether the County can sustain and grow its public restroom program in the long-term is another question.

Sara Nelson Warns She Can Kill Any Transit Project She Wants

A budget amendment put forward by Council President Nelson asks for information on how and when the city creates priority space for buses, citing opposition to Route 40. At a meeting last week, Nelson suggested that if she had wanted to kill a controversial project she already could have done it.
The Space Needle peeks over the top of midrise rooftops

Reminder: The Urbanist’s Monthly Meetup Is Tuesday at TeKu Tavern

The Urbanist next monthly meetup is Tuesday, November 19th at TeKu Tavern + Cafe in Seattle from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Op-Ed: Abandoning Seattle’s First Avenue Streetcar Is Still Foolish

The Seattle City Council again voted against completing the Center City Streetcar. But it remains a prudent investment, vastly improving the Seattle Streetcar network and First Avenue walkability.

Council Affirms Support for SLU Streetcar, but Opposes Center City Extension

By a 5-3 vote last week, the Seattle City Council said it wasn't ready to plan for the decommissioning of the South Lake Union Streetcar. But unifying the city's two streetcar lines into one system seems less likely than ever before.

Get Your Tickets for Our Anniversary Celebration on December 5th

Join The Urbanist on December 5 at the historic Stimson-Green Mansion for an evening of celebration, reflection, and community. Space is limited. Get your tickets now!

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The Space Needle peeks over the top of midrise rooftops

Reminder: The Urbanist’s Monthly Meetup Is Tuesday at TeKu Tavern

The Urbanist next monthly meetup is Tuesday, November 19th at TeKu Tavern + Cafe in Seattle from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
The Space Needle peeks over the top of midrise rooftops

Join The Urbanist for Our Monthly Meetup on November 19th

The Urbanist next monthly meetup is Tuesday, November 19th at TeKu Tavern + Cafe in Seattle from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Join Us December 5th for The Urbanist’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

Join The Urbanist on December 5 at the historic Stimson-Green Mansion for an evening of celebration, reflection, and community. Space is limited. Get your tickets now!

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Builders Continue Pivot to Housing in Downtown Bellevue

In shift away from office and toward housing growth, Downtown Bellevue's development pipeline has seen nearly 4,000 additional homes proposed and more than two million square feet of office space abandoned in just the last couple of years. Once built, the pipeline of 14,000 homes would more than double the population of downtown.

Bellevue Reveals Initial Designs for Pedestrian Bridge over I-405

Plans for a new connection between Wilburton and Downtown Bellevue are coming into view, as the City starts to look at how it can keep the project moving forward.

Bellevue Greenlights Downtown Bike Detour Proposed by Kemper Development

The Bike Bellevue plan was set to repurpose a lane on a minor downtown street to create a safe space for people on bikes. Then Kemper Development got involved.

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Seattle Set to Double Down on Arbitrary Parking Mandates

Despite being a longtime parking reform leader, Seattle is set to require off-street parking, even as it unlocks significant housing capacity near transit. This will make housing harder to build.

Updated Seattle Growth Plan Adds Five Neighborhood Anchors, Bigger Fourplexes

An updated version of Seattle's 20-year growth plan includes additional opportunities for housing density, but mostly retains the city's longstanding pattern of walling off lower-density areas of the city.

Seattle’s Growth Plan Keeps Most of the City Unaffordable, County Committee...

Seattle's 20-year growth plan doesn't do enough to ensure that lower income residents will be able to access the vast majority of the city's residential neighborhoods, according to King County's Affordable Housing Committee.

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Commentary

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Ryan Packer in a bike helmet along a bike path with an autumn-colored tree behind

Ryan Packer Talks Vision Zero, Traffic Safety on Hacks and Wonks...

Ryan Packer broke down local "Vision Zero" traffic safety campaigns on a recent episode of the Hacks and Wonks podcast.
Photo of Rian Watt wearing a t-shirt from the National Civil Rights museum and an unbuttoned button down shirt. He is smiling slightly.

Rian Watt Talks Primary Results on Hack and Wonks Podcast

The Urbanist's Senior Advisor Rian Watt discussed primary election results and the latest happenings at Seattle City Hall on a August 9 episode of...

Urbanist Publisher Doug Trumm Discusses Transportation Levy on Hacks & Wonks...

The Urbanist’s Publisher Doug Trumm was recently on Crystal Fincher's Hacks and Wonks podcast to discuss the Seattle transportation levy proposal, which came in well short of where safe streets advocates were pushing the mayor to go. The episode is a good primer on the levy debate.

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