Environment & Sustainability
Sunday Video: Autonomous Vehicles Deserve Heavy Skepticism
Urbanist circles differ in how they see autonomous vehicles, particularly as they move toward wider adoption. Some see them being a tool that builds...
Pacific Northwest’s Largest Highway Project Ever Is in Deep Denial
Proponents of a $7.5 billion project to widen I-5 and replace the Columbia River bridge are ignoring induced demand, creating faulty traffic models that obscure its real environmental impact.
Op-Ed: Expanding Tree Canopy Is a Climate Solution and Livability Boost
Bellevue, Seattle, and Tacoma are each working to expand tree protections, but all should go further to expand canopy and adapt to a warming climate.
Op-Ed: Unclogging Seattle’s Water Permit Gauntlet Would Help Address Housing Crisis
Onerous requirements for new water infrastructure that go further than Washington state law are a part of the problem when it comes to encouraging home building in Seattle.
King County Metro Faces Looming Fiscal Cliff
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.
Washington Transit Agencies Sound the Alarm About Impacts from I-2117
If approved, Initiative 2117, repealing 2021's Climate Commitment Act, would put $2.39 billion in funding for transit agencies across the state over the next 16 years at severe risk of evaporating.
Seattle’s Low-Pollution Neighborhood Pledge Remains in Planning Mode, Seven Years In
London's Pavilion Road, fully pedestrianized in 2021, represents a strong contrast with Seattle's plans to reduce pollution by transforming streets, still stuck in the planning stage despite nearly seven years of work.
Seattle’s Trolleybus Fleet To Get New Supercharged Batteries
King County Metro's entire trolleybus fleet is set to get upgrades to their batteries that will allow them to remain off-wire three times longer.