Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Seattle

Someone tell the Seattle Times that bike lanes and bus lanes add capacity to city streets. Graphic: NACTO

Truck Crash on Freeway Paralyzes Traffic. Seattle Times: Ditch the Bike Lanes!

By Angie Schmitt | Mar 7, 2017 | No Comments

Last month, a truck crashed on a major Seattle freeway, paralyzing traffic for miles. The whole episode demonstrated the fragility of the freeway system, and the need for more resilient transportation networks. But the Seattle Times had a hotter hot take. The real culprit, according to the paper's editorial board? Bike lanes.

Transit has absorbed most of the growth in commute trips in downtown Seattle. Graphic: Commute Seattle

Downtown Seattle Added 45,000 Jobs and Hardly Any Car Commuters

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 10, 2017 | No Comments

Transforming from a car city to a transit city is no easy task. Just ask Denver and Los Angeles, which have spent billions to build rail systems but struggled to reduce solo car commuting rates. But Seattle shows it can be done: The share of downtown commuters who drive alone dropped from 35 percent in 2010 to 30 percent last year.

The scene at SeaTac airport Saturday, where police briefly interrupted transit service. Photo: Browngoetz via Twitter

Police Tried to Cut Off Transit Access to Airport Protests

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 31, 2017 | No Comments

Thousands of protesters were pouring into American airports Saturday in response to Donald Trump's refugee ban, when suddenly light rail service skipped the Seattle-Tacoma airport. The incident raises serious questions about who controls access to transit.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said the city won't be "bullied" by the Trump administration. Photo: The Urbanist

Mayors Stand Up to Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 26, 2017 | No Comments

With an executive order yesterday, Donald Trump followed through on his threat to punish cities where local police do not report undocumented immigrants. Funds for transportation, housing, and other programs may (or may not) be at stake, but mayors of sanctuary cities around the country made it clear they are not backing down.

Even a booming city like Seattle still has a lot of land tied up in parking lots. Photo: The Urbanist

The Case for a Tax on Parking Lots

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 18, 2017 | No Comments

Parking lots make cities less walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly. They crowd out space for housing. They erode the tax base. A few American cities have special taxes on surface parking lots that create an incentive for redevelopment, and Seattle is one of them. The trouble is, says Doug Trumm at The Urbanist, Seattle’s parking lot tax […]

If Not for Trump, Last Night Would Have Been Great for Transit

By Angie Schmitt | Nov 9, 2016 | No Comments

Last night had the makings of a historic election for transit. Voters in cities as varied as Raleigh, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles turned out to support ballot measures to dramatically expand bus and rail service. But the election of Donald Trump and the retention of GOP majorities in both houses of Congress cast a pall of uncertainty over transit agencies […]

Seattle Moves to Lower Neighborhood Speed Limits to 20 MPH

By Angie Schmitt | Sep 14, 2016 | No Comments

Seattle is getting serious about reducing the threat of lethal motor vehicle speeds. The city is moving to lower speed limits on neighborhood streets from 25 mph to 20 mph later this year. On big arterial streets, the city will determine speed limits on a case-by-case basis, but the default will be reduced from 35 mph to […]

CNT Study of D.C. Parking Could Pave the Way for Better Chicago Policies

By John Greenfield | Jan 20, 2016 | No Comments

Chicago’s City Council recently passed a beefed-up transit-oriented development ordinance that eliminates parking minimums for new residential buildings near transit. However, new development outside of the TOD zones still are still generally required to provide a parking space for every unit. A report co-authored by Chicago’s Center for Neighborhood Technology provides more evidence that this […]

Vote for the Best Urban Street Transformation of 2015

By Angie Schmitt and Ben Fried | Dec 22, 2015 | No Comments

It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2015, which means we’re about to hand out Streetsies to recognize achievements for walking, biking, and transit in American cities this year. Earlier this month we asked readers for nominations for the Best Urban Street Transformation of the year, and here are the standouts from your submissions. It’s a great batch and […]

How Ambitious Will Seattle Get With Its Transit Expansion Plan?

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 8, 2015 | No Comments

Next November, voters in the Seattle region will be asked to approve a new tax to fund a major expansion of the region’s light rail system. The $15 billion plan to expand transit, known as ST3, would be funded by a mix of sales taxes, property taxes, and car registration fees collected for 15 years. The big question is which projects […]

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