(update below) Tomorrow morning, Mayor Durkan will unveil another of her 2020 budget initiatives: increasing the tax on Uber and Lyft rides in the city. In combination with that, she will announce a proposal to institute a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers. Mayor Jenny Durkan and Deputy Mayor Shefali Ranganathan briefing the press on the proposed new tax on Uber and Lyft rides and minimum wage for TNC drivers
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Update on Transportation Impact Fees hearing
Last week I reported that the City of Seattle’s Hearing Examiner had reopened the hearing on the city’s SEPA Determination of Nonsignificance, the first step in establishing Transportation Impact Fees in Seattle. Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil asked the parties to come back in so he could pose some additional questions to them that he felt weren’t thoroughly briefed in their filings to-date. That meeting was this afternoon; it lasted only twenty minutes, enough time for Vancil to lay out his four questions and for the parties to agree on a schedule for additional briefs.
Continue readingHearing Examiner reopens hearing on Transportation Impact Fees
Yesterday, Seattle Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil informed the parties in an appeal related to Transportation Impact Fees that he was re-opening the hearing “to address a narrow question of law not fully briefed by the parties in their closing arguments.”
Continue readingCity looks to spend $9 million more on Center City Connector streetcar design
Yesterday, the City Council voted out of committee a bill authorizing an additional $9 million to continue design and planning for the controversial Center City Connector streetcar. It now goes to the full Council for final approval.
Continue readingCity announces sale of “Mercer Megablock”
This morning, Mayor Durkan announced that the city has agreed to terms with Alexandria Real Estate Equities to purchase the Mercer Megablock property in South Lake Union, along with the adjacent city-owned property at 615 Dexter Avenue N. The deal will net the city $143 million in cash, plus a package of additional public benefits that together the city estimates will total somewhere between $275 – $305 million.
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Emerging mobility technologies are going to change our city streets.
The Council got a briefing this afternoon on a set of emerging mobility technologies. Get ready to change the way you think about streets, sidewalks, and even bike lanes. Also, expect the city to roll out an e-scooter pilot in the near future.
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Understanding the Magnolia Bridge alternatives
The City of Seattle commissioned the consulting firm SCJ Alliance to do a planning study on options for replacing the aging Magnolia Bridge. Last month they received SCJ’s report. Here’s what it said.
Continue readingHow safe are e-scooters?
Last week, Council members Mosqueda and O’Brien staged a rally for to promote introducing electric scooters to Seattle. They even invited leading scooter-share companies Bird and Lime to sit at the committee table in Council Chambers and give a nearly uninterrupted sales pitch — with no hard questions following. Mayor Durkan has been much more pessimistic on the idea, frequently citing the number of mayors who have told her to resist e-scooters as long as possible because of the injury rate. Before Seattle gets into the e-scooter game, shouldn’t we know something about how safe they are? Let’s dive in …
Continue readingElectric vehicle charging infrasructure ordinance advances out of committee
This afternoon, the Sustainability and Transportation Committee voted to advance a bill that would require new construction to include wiring infrastructure to support future installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
Continue readingJuarez nominated to seat on Sound Transit board
This afternoon, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that he is nominating Seattle City Council member Debora Juarez to the seat on the Sound Transit board that was vacated by Rob Johnson.
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