Staff Biography
Ryan Packer
Senior EditorRyan Packer lives in the Summit Slope neighborhood of Capitol Hill. They are on the board of the Friends of Pike Place Market and write about transportation issues at Capitol Hill Seattle. They believe in using Seattle’s history to attain the vibrant, diverse city that we wish to inhabit. Follow them on Twitter @typewriteralley or email at ryan [at] theurbanist [dot] org.
Recent Articles
State Senate Taps Bateman for Housing Chair in Major Committee Shakeup
Big changes are coming to the Washington State Senate in 2025, including the elevation of incoming Senator Jessica Bateman to a high profile post as head of the Housing Committee, a symbol of the continued salience of the issue.
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.
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.
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.