Demand more from Seattle's Transportation Levy

Three images of people holding signs that read “Safe Streets for the South End”, “I <3 sidewalks, bike lanes, & bus lanes!” and “Don’t Defund Transit.”

There have been 8 people killed in crashes on Seattle streets in the last 6 weeks. This is a safety crisis we must not ignore. Now is the moment to demand more from City Council as they decide the next 8 years of transportation spending in Seattle.

Seattle City Councilmembers have proposed amendments to the levy package, but they are pitting us against each other, robbing sidewalk construction to pay for sidewalk repair, and bike safety to pay for public space. We shouldn't have to choose between vital programs when polling shows that Seattle voters support a larger levy of at least $1.7B that invests more in sidewalks and safety.

Playing it safe with a smaller levy is leaving money on the table that could be spent building desperately needed safety improvements, connecting our bike network, building missing sidewalks, and making transit faster and more convenient.

*** NEW UPDATE *** Councilmember Morales has proposed an amendment increasing the size of the levy to $1.7 billion to make councilmember amendments all additive instead of pitting vital programs against each other.

TELL CITY COUNCIL: Please vote for a $1.7 billion levy that invests more in sidewalks and safety.

Specific other amendments to support:
  1. Safety: Council must respond to this street safety crisis. Eight people were killed while traveling on our streets in May and June of this year. ASK: Please vote yes on amendments that increase funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, vision zero, public space, and neighborhood safety programs
  2. Sidewalks: ASK: Please increase the funding for building sidewalks to meet the scale of need in Seattle, and make your amendments additive – we shouldn’t have to choose between building and repairing sidewalks, or between sidewalks and public space.
  3. Equitable Investments: Reverse CM Saka’s proposed $15.5M cut to the equity-focused neighborhood projects budget. This is a 38% cut to a program crafted and proposed by SDOT’s Transportation Equity Workgroup to act on community ideas and priorities and increase the equitable distribution of safety-focused spending. ASK: Please vote yes on amendments that restore funding, and against amendments that further cut it.
  4. No Cops on Transit: Safety on transit requires a comprehensive approach including pedestrian lighting, clean buses and trains, social services and other non-enforcement personnel, and transit reliability. Armed officers, as suggested by CM Saka, do not belong on transit. ASK: Please vote yes on CM Moore’s amendment moving this funding to Vision Zero safety projects.
  5. Anti-Displacement: Light rail expansion at Graham St and C/ID will have dramatic impacts on existing BIPOC communities. In both neighborhoods, communities have put together plans and strategies to ensure that their communities remain rooted in place, but need continued investment to keep those plans moving forward. ASK: Please vote yes to fund community-led planning and land acquisition to prepare for light rail expansion in Graham Street and C/ID.

Thank you for your advocacy!