Ryan Packer
Ryan Packer has been writing for The Urbanist since 2015, and currently reports full-time as Contributing Editor. Their beats are transportation, land use, public space, traffic safety, and obscure community meetings. Packer has also reported for other regional outlets including Capitol Hill Seattle, BikePortland, Seattle Met, and PubliCola. They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.
Several high profile officials are pushing for the next update to the central Puget Sound's Regional Transportation Plan to be more transformative than it might otherwise have been. The plan sways which projects get grants.
The Urbanist is in the midst of our fall membership drive. The coming months are some of the most pivotal the region has seen in recent memory.
King County Metro is projecting a significant budget shortfall by 2028 if its current spending plan is maintained, thanks to lagging sales tax revenue, increased costs, and ambitious fleet electrification plans.
The groundbreaking for the RapidRide J between Downtown, Eastlake, and the U District marks the last RapidRide project scheduled to open in Seattle this decade.
City officials have insisted that the staff cuts for SDCI in next year's budget will not impact permit approval times. Staff are not convinced.
All three Swift Bus Rapid Transit routes operated by Community Transit saw double digit increases in ridership following the extension of light rail into Snohomish County, including a 36% jump for the Orange Line.
In response to state law, Mercer Island is poised to upzone some of the blocks closest to transit. But new affordability mandates may negate the move.
The new pedestrian connection, park, and gathering space all in one was envisioned as a key component of Seattle's new waterfront since work started on the project over a decade ago.