The Seattle Transportation Levy appears to be sailing to a landslide victory after the initial drop of ballots showed the measure passing with 67% of the vote, a margin that could grow as more ballots are counted.
Over eight years, the levy promises to invest more than $160 million in Vision Zero, $193 million in sidewalks and crosswalks and $133 million in bicycle safety. Those three categories total $487 million for direct investments into safer streets, about double the annual amount in the expiring Move Seattle Levy. It also promises $151 million for transit improvements and $66.5 million for public spaces in addition to $221 million for bridges and $403 million for street maintenance. It does not include any funding for new or expanded roadways.
With these funds in hand, Seattle has the means to make a meaningful push to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030, the city’s stated goal since 2015. The city also has the means to make meaningful progress on reducing its largest source of greenhouse gas emissions: Road transportation.
Washington State voters also appear to have rejected I-2117, an effort to repeal the Climate Commitment Act’s carbon tax that funds a lot of active transportation and trail work in the state’s budget. The initial results from election night show 62% of voters rejecting the initiative. This is another huge win for climate action, biking and walking safety, and many other investments. This result should also give WSDOT the state the green light to begin its delayed e-bike rebate program.
The approval these votes by such wide margins are much-needed rays of hope in our community on a very grim day for the nation. I see our community believing in itself and investing in a better tomorrow. We’re not giving up just because the problem seems difficult, even insurmountable at times.
“Tonight’s results demonstrate that Seattle voters are committed to advancing a safer transportation system that benefits all,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell in a statement declaring victory for the levy.
Unfortunately, there are strong echos of 2016 here, when the region passed Sound Transit 3 funding in the same election that Trump won the first time. I went to the ST3 party, and it was grim. People were in tears everywhere, and it was hard to muster much of a cheer when the transit measure passed. It was a big local win overshadowed by a much larger loss.
I know a lot of you are feeling horrible today. It has taken me hours to write this story because my mind keeps drifting back into the doom spiral thinking about our nation’s future. I am grateful that I had a rec league hockey game scheduled last night in Mountlake Terrace. An hour and a half of biking round trip was very helpful for my mental health. Getting outside and moving my body broke up that painful ball of anxiety in my gut so I could at least start working through it. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t come up with any answers to fix our nation’s problems, but I found strength in this thought: Remember that your community loves you.
As I wrote in 2015, the path to the Move Seattle levy “was paved by the lives of people who did not need to die.” The same is unfortunately true in 2024. But Seattle has defiantly responded to a rise in traffic deaths with a rise in traffic safety funding. We refuse to accept that beloved members of our community must die to preserve the status quo on our streets.
Thank you to everyone who worked to make this transportation levy as good as possible, and then everyone who worked to get out the vote and make sure it passed. Special thank you to Rita Hulsman, who did not allow our city’s leaders to take their eye off what really matters in this levy. We have done a genuinely good thing that will save lives and make our city a healthier and better-connected place.
