missing title

Thank you, William.

All right.

Good morning.

The December 2nd, 2025 meeting of the Transportation Committee will come to order.

It is 9.31 a.m.

I am Rob Saka, chair of the Transportation Committee.

Will the committee clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Kettle?

Here.

Councilmember Rink?

Councilmember Strauss?

Here.

Vice Chair Hollingsworth.

Chair Sacco.

Here.

Chair, there are three members present.

I don't think Council Member Rink's microphone was on, but she is here in person.

So I think we have four present and accounted for.

All right.

If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing and seeing no objection, the agenda is hereby adopted.

Good morning, members of the public, colleagues of our Transportation Committee.

I hope you all had a very restful Thanksgiving holiday.

As for me personally, I was just bantering offline a moment ago that I overate a lot, but I had some great family time, some good rest and relaxation time with my family.

I hope you all were able to do the same.

And so we're right back at it, eager, excited to hit the ground running before we close out this year and go into our council recess, annual council recess at the end of December.

Before we start today's agenda, I wanna briefly reflect on a few of the great transportation policy work achievements that we've been able to work on together this year, including most recently during our annual budget process.

In the final adopted budget that we recently passed unanimously, by the way, there were a number of exciting transportation investments to make our system more safe, reliable and accessible for all.

This includes $1.4 million for Sandpoint Way Northeast improvements, $1 million in SDOT for Sixth Avenue Northwest Greenway improvements, $1 million for Eighth Avenue Northwest safety improvements, a $1 million transportation fund investment for removable safety barriers at farmers markets, year-round farmers markets across our city, $600,000 for traffic and pedestrian safety at Rainier Avenue South and Cornell Avenue South, $500,000 for SDOT for a Golden Gardens transit service pilot, we were able to fund a brand new updated Soto Transit Study We funded also a brand new chief transit safety and security officer.

We invested in new charging stations for e-bikes and power chairs right here at City Hall.

In the process, we fulfilled a very long-standing community need.

Communities have been asking for years for that same level of micro-mobility and accessibility charging infrastructure, climate-friendly infrastructure here at City Hall.

We were able to deliver.

We boosted the number of scooter corrals across our city to promote safety and accessibility.

There is $23 million in our recently adopted budget for new sidewalks citywide.

And that is just the sliver of the transportation policy related investments and innovations that we worked on during our budget alone.

Shout out to Councilmember Strauss as we seen there in that just micro sample and that non exhaustive list.

We learned that District 6 was well taken care of, but also the whole city.

Everyone benefits when everyone in our city is able to realize the benefits and promise of these exciting investments.

So that was just the budget.

Aside from budget, this year in 2025, as we look to close out this calendar year, this committee has focused on three high-level themes of success, accountability and ensuring a strong start to the levy, boosting transit safety and security, and finally, driving innovation.

With respect to accountability and ensuring a strong start to the levy, We successfully stood up and confirmed a levy oversight committee.

We have one of those appointments here today from one of our district representatives as well.

We also passed a bold levy delivery plan, better positioning the department to have a strong start.

for success earlier this year.

And actually that's one of the agenda items later today.

We're gonna learn about progress in that and also do a look ahead for going forward next year.

The second thing we worked on together this year is improving transit safety and security for all.

Earlier this year, you'll recall we convened a regional transit safety and security round table, bringing together partners across transit agencies, operators, workers with ATU Local 587, members from the business community and others to talk about solutions.

And we ended up implementing some of these solutions during the budget this year.

Third and finally, we focused on innovation.

Proud to share or remind really that we launched a brand new district project fund to help our district council members better respond to our constituents and deliver critically needed safety investments, those sort of micro scale safety investments.

Think of a new stop sign, maybe a roundabout, more markings on a crosswalk to help people to help keep people safe in their own neighborhoods.

We also launched a brand new e-cargo bike permitting program, the first of its kind legislation.

For those who like first of its kind legislation, there are a few models out there that exist across the country, including in New York, but we launched the first of its kind piece of legislation to support our program for e-cargo bike permitting.

And finally, we passed a new automated traffic safety camera authorization and legislation to incorporate and implement recent changes to state law and also better position our city to implement one of the federally approved safe systems approach countermeasures to keep people safe on the roads.

So it doesn't seem like we've done a lot.

When you look back, at the individual committee level or individual meeting level during budget.

But in hindsight, we have indeed accomplished a lot together.

There's clearly plenty more work to do.

So thank you colleagues, members of the public for helping to make our city a better place through this work and more.

Moving on to today's agenda, we will have several appointments and reappointments to our motor boards, as well as an appointment that I mentioned earlier to the levy oversight committee.

Have an exciting presentation from SDOT on the levy delivery plan progress and look ahead.

And finally, we will be briefing and discussing two important pieces of SDOT legislation to enable two vital projects across our city.

All right, that said, we will now move on to the hybrid public comment period.

Public comments should relate to items on today's agenda or within the purview of this committee.

Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today?

Currently we have one in-person speaker and one remote speaker.

Excellent, each speaker will have approximately two minutes.

We will start with in-person speakers first.

Clerk, could you please read the public comment instructions?

The public comment period will be moderated in the following manner.

The public comment period is up to 20 minutes.

Speakers will be called on in the order in which they registered.

Speakers will alternate between sets of in-person and remote speakers until the public comment period has ended.

Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left of their time.

Speakers' mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call on the next speaker.

The public comment period is now open and we'll begin with the first in-person speaker on the list.

Will Noah Williams please come to the podium.

Hey, good morning council members.

My name is Noah Williams.

I'm here from West Seattle on the sea line.

Thank you for your work this session in all of the transportation project funding and planning that you've done.

And for just going forward for this Next year, I just wanted to ask as a member of the Transit Riders Union that the council prioritize just basic fundamentals that we've been getting really good at here in the city.

That includes a useful transit network that allows you to get from as many places to as many places in as little time as possible.

And that means a frequent transit network, which we can only afford really by making efficient use of operators' time.

and the best way to do that to be able to afford more frequency is to add bus lanes in more places which allows fewer bus operators to be performing the same amount of work because the buses run faster.

Furthermore, in rapid ride construction hurdles, that world has been a little bit rocky these last few years, and I think that there are some improvements that we can pursue for the next couple of years.

Rapid ride projects shouldn't necessarily take as long into that accountability piece that you mentioned.

I think we can do some things involving accountability of contractors, vetting them a bit more thoroughly.

There were some hurdles with the last few lines, and just making sure that we select contractors that are based on criteria including performance, past performance and quality of work and not just their bid price and as much as possible using public sector talent for spot improvements that fall under the threshold that requires the city to contract them out.

Additionally, there are technology improvements.

Technology has changed in the last 15 years and you can now buy things like bus shelters with e-ink signs that run off solar and a cell connection that used to have to be hardwired.

Things like that can be pursued to make sure that we are able to complete construction projects faster and in less time.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

All right, we'll now switch to our remote speaker.

David Haynes, when you're ready, press star six to unmute and take it away.

David, I see you're present.

It's your turn to speak now.

Hello?

Yeah.

It's unfortunate that Linklight Rail is going to be closed down this weekend from Capitol Hill to Northgate.

There's like a non-stop problem with Sound Transit's integrity of their oversight and their production of this line.

And I'd like to point out that the council needs to consider green light priority for the RapidRide C and some of the other buses.

for two things.

So they can get through the congestion of all the discombobulated red lights on 3rd Ave.

And so that when you're waiting till next decade for the link light rail to go out to West Seattle or Delridge, you know, if you had the green lights that would trigger when the bus approached You wouldn't have to stop at the light and then the bus stop and then the next light.

You know, you could get through the light, drive the speed limit, get to the bus stop and expedite.

I think it would help offset some of the frustration people have trying to get to West Seattle claiming that they need a multi-billion dollar train to go three stops because the bus has to stop at every street light.

Now, part of the problem is it's still completely unsafe all throughout Seattle.

and there's certain people that conspire a desire to sweep everybody out of the downtown area, but it's still not safe in between Pine and Pike to put back the bus stop.

Yet the police chief and the transit keep arguing about who's responsible for clearing out the bus stop and around the bus stop.

And one of the worst places to make a transfer is at 3rd and Bell Street where the black and brown rival drug pushers compete to destroy their fellow man's life.

and are wrongly listed as low-level misdemeanor, making it a living hell.

It's even sketchy and concerning when you're just driving through there because you never know what kind of whacked-out individual is going to hop on the bus blowing meth smoke out of their mouth thinking they're so cool.

Anyway, Freight mobility needs to respect the people road raging through the stadium district and we need noise abatement around the transit oriented housing because you're having noise polluted inner city misinterpretation of 21st century first world quality development.

And we still need to improve the transfers between link light rail and the metro all throughout the corridors and the arteries because they're purposely like taking break.

All right.

Thank you.

Any more registered speakers?

No additional registered speakers.

All right.

If there are no additional registered speakers, we will now move on to our first item of business.

First, I want to note that Vice Chair Hollingsworth is here present and accounted for, so we now have a full present five-member committee.

Will the clerk please read item one into the record?

Agenda item one, appointment 03344, appointment of Timothy Harrison Chang as member Transportation Levy Oversight Committee for a term to December 31st, 2028. Thank you.

Will our presenters please join us at the table and share your presentations?

Once ready, please introduce yourselves and begin your presentations.

Colleagues, we have a number of important proposed appointments before us today, as you can see on the calendar for motor boards, this levy oversight committee member, others.

So we're gonna try and move through them as efficiently as possible, giving adequate time, but we're gonna try and move through these as quickly as possible, especially during the critical transition phase.

All right, please go ahead and introduce yourselves.

Good morning.

Pull this a little closer.

I'm Katie Olson with the Seattle Department of Transportation and the Transportation Levy Oversight Committee staff liaison.

Today I'm introducing Timothy Chang, our newest appointee to the LOC.

He's representing District 7. And I'm introducing him for formal confirmation.

He can't be here this morning, but he's prepared a statement for me to read on his behalf.

and just a reminder that LOC is tasked with overseeing transportation levy spending, revenues and delivery.

Members serve four-year terms and the first meeting was this past June and members since then have been meeting approximately monthly to onboard themselves to SDOT's work and to begin advising on reporting efforts.

So Timothy's statement is as follows.

I would like to serve on the Transportation Levy Oversight Committee because I have a personal interest in seeing our city's transportation network become safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly.

As someone who regularly uses all the major modes of transportation in Seattle walking, biking, transit, driving, and even the water taxi, I understand the importance of a well-integrated, accessible transportation system that meets the diverse needs of our community.

I am committed to promoting transparency, accountability and good governance, especially when it comes to managing public resources.

My experience as an auditor will help me while serving on this committee to help ensure that transportation levy funds are utilized wisely in accordance to the levy deliverables promised to voters.

I look forward to contributing to the committee with an eye towards good stewardship of public dollars and the successful delivery of the transportation levy.

Thank you.

Thank you, all right.

Do any of my fellow committee members have any questions regarding the proposed appointment?

Looks like Council Member Kettle, go ahead.

Thank you, Chair.

I just wanted to follow up.

Thank you for the introduction for Timothy.

And just to highlight with his record, he does have a very wide-ranging record and experience and then community involvement.

And as he noted, he uses arguably every piece of transportation here in the city to include water taxis, as he noted to me.

So I think that with this experience and then the Pricewater Cooper's experience, Waterhouse Cooper's experience, as Chair knows, good governance and audits go hand in hand and having that experience in itself really brings something to the table that I think the oversight committee could use.

So thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

All right.

Any final comments on the proposed appointment?

Hearing and seeing none, I move that the committee recommend confirmation of appointment 03344. Is there a second?

Second.

It is moved and seconded to recommend confirmation of the appointment.

Are there any final comments?

Hearing and seeing none, I assume that's a stale hand, Council Member Kettle?

All right, hearing and seeing none, new at least, will the committee clerk please call the roll and recommendation to confirm the appointment.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Strauss?

Aye.

Vice Chair Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Chair Sacco.

Aye.

Chair, there are five votes in favor, none opposed.

All right, the motion carries and the committee recommendation that council confirm the appointment will be sent to the December 9th, 2025 city council meeting.

We'll now move on to the next items of business.

Will the clerk please read items two through six into the record.

Agenda Items 2 through 6. Appointments 03329 through 03332 and 03346. Appointments and reappointments of Tyler Blackwell, Giovanni Modaliz, Herb Crone, Waylon Robert, Stewart G. Thompson as members Seattle Freight Advisory Board for terms to May 31st, 2027.

All right.

Thank you.

Well, any new members, presenters, please join us at the table if you haven't already.

Once ready, please introduce yourselves or reintroduce yourselves and begin your presentation.

Good morning.

My name is Baker Counsel, senior transportation planner with the freight and rail program.

and I'm the liaison for the Seattle Freight Advisory Board.

It's a 12-member board that advises the city on the impacts of transportation and land use policies and activities related to freight and goods movement, ports, rail, and manufacturer industrial centers.

Today, I would like to present three appointees, Gray Thompson, Tyler Blackwell, and Giovanni Modalis.

And I'd just like to give a brief statement from Gray Thompson, who was unable to be with us today.

So I will read his letter.

It states, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to serve on this Seattle Freight Advisory Board.

I am also grateful to Councilmember Rob Saka for nominating me and bringing my name forward to Bringing my name forward for your consideration.

It is an honor to be considered for this important role and I'm deeply grateful for the trust placed in me.

As someone who has lived in Seattle all of my life, I have witnessed firsthand the city's remarkable growth and transformation.

These changes have had significant impact on the acquirements and dynamics of freight movement throughout our community.

I'm excited to take on this role and I'm committed in my capacity as a member of the board to work collaboratively with the council and mayor.

My goal is to help identify and implement effective solutions that address the challenges involved in ensuring the safe and efficient movement of freight in Seattle.

Sincerely, Gray Thompson.

I also would like to present Giovanni Motilis, currently a senior supply chain program manager at Microsoft.

Significant, lots of background as an engineer and program manager with 10 years of international experience in consumer goods and cloud computing, infrastructure and manufacturing, as well as retail operations.

Lean Six Sigma, passionate about building and scaling innovative products, programs and services to solve real-world challenges.

Also like to give us a short bio on Tyler Blackwell, currently transportation planner with Soto Business Improvement.

area.

He's a transportation planner with expertise in public policy, infrastructure planning, and strategic civic advising, adept at stakeholder engagement, spatial analysis, and cross-sector collaboration, proven success in promoting green infrastructure, responsible mobility solutions, and transparent civic processes.

So if they would like to say some words.

Good morning, Transportation Committee Council members and Chair Saka.

I am Tyler Blackwell.

I am the transportation planner for the Soto Business Improvement Area.

I think you all have known me over the last few years as we continue to advocate for cleaner, safer freight that ensures both efficiency, sustainability, and just that we can make sure we can support our day-to-day operations both in the city as well as the region and nationally.

I'm open to any questions as well.

to go about.

Giovanni Motorese Good morning.

My name is Giovanni Motorese, and I'm very honored to be here.

This is possibly my first experience in this area.

I'm really excited to be a part of it, having this opportunity.

I've been living in Seattle for, like, about seven years now.

It's the second city where I lived the most after my hometown, so I'm It's really time for me to also give back to the CD and I want to do it under a different capacity that I've been doing like so far in terms of volunteering.

So I'm very passionate about global supply chains and I would like to apply this.

Thank you.

That is all I have to say for today.

All right.

So we have two that are in person.

Thank you for joining us in person today, Tyler and Giovanni.

Appreciate your willingness to serve.

Quick question from my perspective.

What is, and it's sort of choose your own adventure.

You can choose which of these questions they have.

answer, they're very similar, but what excites you the most about the opportunity to serve on this freight advisory board or what is the number one thing you hope to accomplish through your service on this cool board?

So whichever one of you wants to jump in and go first.

Yeah, I'll jump in.

I think one of the biggest opportunities that we have as a city is really figuring out how to do multimodal transportation that ensures safe movement for all goods and people.

And so one of the things I'm really looking forward to is the cross collaboration with the other modal board members and employees with the city of Seattle.

to problem solve some of the most challenging issues that we're seeing on our roadways, corridors that are really frustrating from a safety perspective that also play vital roles, such as 4th Avenue South or Aurora Avenue, and really trying to find ways to work and create new solutions that support all modes.

Thank you.

I'm excited about the fact that I can apply my knowledge and my background into something a little bit more practical.

The volunteering that I've done so far is not in the field.

Actually, what I could use is my professional skills, so this might be like is a great opportunity for that.

And what I would like to provide is actually giving my lens of like, especially in continuous improvement of projects and managing large scale programs.

So in order to really give an advantage and see also from different perspective that are coming from corporate as well to make sure that like the programs can move fast, they can move in much linear way also efficiently.

providing all the tools that I have to learn and that I put in my skill set.

Thank you.

No, that makes sense.

And just want to thank you, Tyler, Giovanni as well.

three other members who couldn't be present today, but your willingness to step up and serve our city in such a way is profoundly impactful, beyond words actually, in ways that just can't even describe, but your selfless service, most of these, the overwhelming majority of these various boards and commissions are 100% volunteer power.

And so you're stepping up to devote your time, talents and energy to serve our city.

And in this case, you know, more specifically improve our transportation infrastructure, vis-a-vis our freight and cargo mobility and network.

And so just can't thank you enough for your work.

That actually goes to everyone in the room, all the and people who aren't here that are nominees today, this is some of the most important work and we as a city are grateful for you stepping up.

Tyler, I think you're Yes, my office has had the pleasure of working with you in various capacities in your sort of day job role in the Soto BIA.

I always appreciate your thoughtful guidance and advice.

And Giovanni, I really appreciate your big tech background, current Microsoft, ex-Amazon.

That is a tremendously invaluable and important set of skills that I think we can that you can leverage to help our city move forward better.

So thank you.

Do any of my other colleagues have any questions or comments?

Council Member Kettle, floor is yours.

Thank you, Chair Saka.

I just wanted to quickly say, well, good morning.

and given Giovanni, I would say, and welcome.

And I just wanted to note that this is the freight program, the freight commission is super important, and this has come up with this council.

I know, like Councilmember Strauss, Chair Saka, we've had a lot of discussions, particularly with the maritime industrial lands.

It is imperative, and we've done some work on budget, Chair Saka has noted.

So I just want to emphasize, because it's often forgotten about the freight program.

I've met with the freight program team at SDOT, and I just wanted to note that.

And the key thing is, and pardon my Italian, but when it comes to effectuating the levy and getting the freight program pieces done, we cannot have a Damani, Doppel Damani.

What we need is the OG.

We need it today.

And so pardon my Italian, but I had to throw that out there.

But yeah, it's about not pushing it off to the future.

That's where the Doppel Damani comes in, by the way.

And instead do it today.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Council Member Kettle.

I don't know what any of that you just said means, but it sounded great.

And judging by Giovanni's reaction, it sounded like halfway decent.

So it's all good.

All right, any final questions or comments on this slate before we move on to the next?

No, mil grazie.

All right.

Well, let's see.

I move that the committee recommend confirmation of appointments 03329 through 03329. 3-2 and 0-3-3-4-6.

Is there a second?

Second.

It is moved and seconded to recommend confirmation of the appointments.

Are there any further comments?

Hearing and seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the recommendation to confirm the appointments?

Council member Kettle?

Aye.

Council member Rink?

Yes.

Council member Strauss?

Aye.

Vice Chair Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Chair Sacco.

Aye.

Chair, there are five votes in favor, none opposed.

All right.

The motion carries in the committee recommendation that council confirm the appointments will be sent to the December 9th, 2025 city council meeting.

Congratulations.

And thank you again.

We will now move on to our next item of business.

Will the clerk please read items seven through nine into the record.

Agenda items seven through nine, appointments 03342, 03343, and 03347. Appointments and reappointments of Lillian Dwolem, Delaney Lind, and Chris McKay as members Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board for terms to March 31st, 2027.

Thank you.

And looks like our most recent slate of presenters and panelists have joined us at the table.

So once ready, please introduce yourselves and begin your presentation.

Hello.

Oh, yeah.

Hello.

Thank you very much, Chair Saka, Vice Chair Hollingsworth, and council members.

Thanks for having us today.

My name is Kaylin Henley, and I'm the staff liaison to the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board and an associate transportation planner.

I am also joined here by Ashley Reid.

Hello.

I'm Ashley Reid, I manage the Pedestrian and Neighborhood Projects team which includes programs like the New Sidewalks program, Safe Routes to School, Neighborhood Greenways and other programs similar to those.

Great, so the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Committee board, pardon me, advises the city on matters related to pedestrian safety and access, their input guides, design policy, project development, and ongoing program monitoring.

So I am here with three appointees and an additional SPAB member.

So I would like to first introduce Lili Andualam.

Hello.

Okay.

Hi, everyone.

My name is Lillian Dwalam.

I'm a local resident in the Central District neighborhood, and I've been living in Seattle for the last three years.

Now, I'll admit I have no formal background in urban planning, but I do have a strong passion for improving my local community and experiences in corporate finance, business operations, and cloud infrastructure management.

Seattle is the first place I've lived that's provided a safe, walkable environment, and I cannot emphasize enough what joy that's brought me.

I want to help make this a lived reality for all our residents through serving on the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board.

From my own personal health journey, I learned how different people with different needs may be experiencing our streets with undue hardship.

One of my personal goals on the board is to advocate for accessibility as a primary objective for a functional pedestrian experience.

Lastly, I'm grateful for this opportunity and want to thank you for considering me for appointment.

Next on the agenda is Delaney Lind for reappointment and she is currently a co-chair but is not here today.

Next is Chris Mackay.

Hi Council, thank you for having us here.

Rob, thank you for nominating me to serve and having this opportunity to do so.

Like Lily, a lot of my reasons are personal as well.

I am a big walker and I was telling some of these folks, I think I probably put in 20,000 miles around the city by foot.

I love to walk and I would love to be able to work on campaigns that encourage more people to walk, to be honest with you, because it's healthy and it's better for the city.

Also to be able to work on those problematic intersections that are causing problems.

I see them in West Seattle myself.

And also accessibility along with Lilly.

I think that's so important, especially those areas of our city that still do not have sidewalks.

I think that's critically important.

so I come out from that personal perspective but I also am the director of the West Seattle Junction Business Association and I have the ear of the people over there if they have issues they call me and I'd be able to bring those to this board as well so thank you for considering me

Thank you, Chris.

And the other mayoral appointment for SPAB, who is not listed on today's agenda, but whose appointment we understand will be approved along with the others at full council, would also like to share some comments.

And this is Roby, pardon me, Roby Ganguly.

Hi, council.

My name's Roby Ganguly and a longtime Seattle resident in Queen Anne, big walker, user of the bus, cyclist.

And so personally, I've been interested in this committee, but also I was a business owner.

I created a company, Downtown Core.

We employed up to 50 people at our peak, ran it for 13 years.

And on a regular basis, the considerations around transportation and safety, walking to and from public transportation were really interesting conversations with each and every one of those people.

It's important to me to give back to this Seattle that I love.

And as a result, that's why I'm here.

Thanks, Roby.

Thank you, that's all.

All right, thank you so much.

Really appreciate each and every one of you for, again, your dedication and willingness to serve our city in such a manner.

This is awesome.

I think pedestrian access and, well, choosing to be a pedestrian is something that really isn't a choice.

Whether we choose to scoot, bike, drive, take transit around, we're all, 100% of us are pedestrians at some point in our journey.

And I think pedestrian access is, and our pedestrian network is something that connects all of us.

It's the connective tissue and glue that connects all of us.

very important work.

And again, really, really appreciate you all for your willingness to serve in such a way.

And Roby, thank you as well.

Your paperwork wasn't submitted in time for us to get in on the agenda, but yes, we will be considering and hopefully confirming your appointment at our next council meeting.

But thank you so much for carving out the time to be here today.

Colleagues, do you have any questions or comments for any of the slate?

Hearing, seeing none.

Oh, Council Member Rink, you're recognized.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Chair.

Not a question for today, but rather just a comment and expressing gratitude to you all for being willing to serve.

I myself am a walker as well and car free and I'm constantly thinking about ways that we can just build a city that supports more pedestrian access safely.

And so I just wanted to take a moment to recognize the the fact that you're spending your time volunteering on this really important commission and I look forward to working with each of you when it comes to improving pedestrian walkways throughout our city and addressing our most dangerous crossings.

Far too many of our neighbors have died on our streets at times because there's not a safe place to cross the street and I find that to be entirely unacceptable and something that we certainly need to prioritize so I'm really looking forward to working with each of you and I want to thank you again for your willingness to participate on one of our boards and commissions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And just to pile on there, the 27% missing sidewalk gap across our city is, look in neighborhoods, including some of those in most in need.

Chris, for example, in West Seattle and Del Ridge, Arbor Heights, certain parts of Highland Park, but really throughout the city and Council District 2, Council District 5, every single council district and every neighborhood has at least some missing sidewalks.

And before the levy, that voters approved under the then current pace of construction, it would have taken over 500 years for a city to fill that missing sidewalk gap.

And we provided $120 million of, which is really a generational investment in new sidewalks.

And there's still plenty more to do.

That will get us at least 350 blocks of new sidewalks and sidewalk alternatives.

there's plenty more work to do.

So I'd encourage you all to think about how we can better address the missing sidewalk network.

We also have a significant amount of broken sidewalks, if you will, and that are in bad state of repair, tripping hazards, accessibility, that really make our network accessible for all.

so I'd encourage you to think about that and also more broadly accessibility and ADA compliance as well.

Those three things for pedestrian access and safety are really important policy priorities, I encourage you to think about those and anything else you'd like to run with.

But because the three of you have taken time out of your busy days, I'll ask just one question of all of you.

And it's a corollary of what I just asked to the earlier board slate.

But what are you most excited about in terms of joining the Pedestrian Advisory Board?

Or what is the number one thing you'd like to work on in your time and your tenure on the board.

Whoever wants to jump in.

I really feel like the dangerous sidewalk crossings will be a priority for me anyway to look at.

So figuring out which ones are most problematic.

I have identified a few in West Seattle myself.

And yeah, there's just no excuse for somebody dying in a crosswalk.

I think for me it'll be understanding how I can go from someone who maybe is just walking down the street and I see something that I'm like, oh, that really sucks, I wish it wasn't like that, and not knowing what to actually do with that frustration or information to hopefully learning how to channel that and actually make change through my time on the board.

I think that for me it's understanding that governance is really challenging.

to understand from the outside and starting to be on the inside and be a little bit more of a participant as opposed to somebody on the outside as an observer is important.

Thank you.

Appreciate the comments and reflections there.

I think you all are very well qualified and ready to serve on this board and thank you again for your service.

If there are no further comments, questions for my colleagues, I move that the committee recommend confirmation of appointments 0-3-3-4-2, 0-3-3-4-3, and 0-3-3-4-7.

Is there a second?

Second.

It is moved and seconded to recommend confirmation of the appointments.

Are there any further comments?

Hearing and seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll and recommendation to confirm the appointments?

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Council member Strauss.

Aye.

Vice chair Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Chair Sacco.

Aye.

Chair, there are five votes in favor, none opposed.

All right.

The motion carries and the committee recommendation that council confirm the appointments will be sent to the December 9th, 2025 city council meeting.

Congratulations.

Well, we will now move on to our next item of business.

Will the clerk please read items 10 through 14 into the record.

Agenda items 10 through 14. Appointments 03333 through 03336 and 03345. Appointments and reappointments of Priyadarshini Balan, Zach Burton, Dana Copernal-Houston, Carolyn Tillinger, and Daniel Wolpert as members Seattle Transit Advisory Board for a term to August 2nd, 2027.

All right, thank you.

Any new presenters or panelists, please join us at the table and share your presentations.

Once ready, please introduce yourselves and begin.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair Sacca and members of the committee.

My name is Carolyn Birkenfeld.

I'm a transportation planner at SDOT and I'm also the staff liaison to the Transit Advisory Board.

The transit advisory board is made up of 12 members of the public who meet monthly to advise the city on public transit related matters in Seattle.

The board also functions as the public advisory authority for the Seattle Transit Measure, previously the Seattle Transit Benefit District.

The board is involved with all things transit from the review of capital projects to transit service network changes and transit access programs.

Today we are bringing forward one new candidate for appointment and four reappointments.

Our new candidate, Daniel Wolpert, is here in person, and our four reappointments, Carolyn Tillinger, Zach Burton, Priya Balan, and Dana Coppernell-Houston are not here today.

With that, I will pass it over to Daniel to introduce himself.

Well, greetings and good morning, Chair Saka and the rest of the committee.

Really grateful to be here.

Thank you very much for having me, for moving my appointment forward.

Really excited about this opportunity to get involved more in the city and also specifically with transit and transportation.

It was about almost six decades ago that my family and I participated in a bike ride sponsored by a city council member in Los Angeles to develop one of the first bike paths in the nation.

And really since then I've been very involved with and interested in promoting transportation other than single occupancy vehicles.

So it's great to see what Seattle is doing.

I think that with the levy and with all the things that are happening in the city, we have a great opportunity to and continue to really move forward a culture of multimodal transportation.

I, myself, take all the forms of transportation, including, you know, the Seattle Water Taxi kind of got dissed a little bit, a bit less than a thing, but we love the water taxi and connecting to all the other transportation, so it's wonderful to be here and I look forward to serving.

Thank you, Daniel.

That's all.

Excellent.

Well, thank you so much for your willingness to serve in this manner and sharing a little bit of your background and your journey that kind of ultimately brought you to the table today, quite literally.

So let's see here.

Do any of my colleagues have any comments or questions?

Hearing and seeing none, I will ask There's no, I'm not hiding the ball here.

The same question.

I think you're very well qualified, but what is the number one thing you're excited to work on if approved or what excites you the most about this?

Yeah, so just to frame that in terms of a little story, about six, seven years ago, I had the opportunity to go and teach in South Korea, and I went to Seoul, which is a city of 20 million people, and you can get to every corner of the city in Wi-Fi enabled, comfortable, beautiful public transportation.

And if you get on the freeway in Seoul at five o'clock in the afternoon on any day of the week, there's no traffic.

because everybody is using public transportation.

And so to me, that is kind of the gold standard of where we would love to be in terms of a city and a society.

And I think with what the city is doing, with the levy, with all these projects that are moving forward, that is getting us in that direction.

So I'm excited to participate in that.

Thank you.

I haven't been to Seoul yet, but I am aware of its robust transit infrastructure.

So that's cool to hear limited or no traffic or congestion during rush hour.

But yes, I couldn't agree more.

That is absolutely the goal.

And so I appreciate your perspective and your recognition of that and your willingness to better position our city to help get us there.

So, all right.

Well, if there are no final questions or comments from committee members, I move that the committee recommend confirmation of appointments 03333 through 03336 and 03345. Is there a second?

Second.

It is moved and seconded to recommend confirmation of the appointments.

Are there any further comments?

Hearing and seeing none, will the committee clerk please call the roll on the recommendation to confirm the appointments.

Councilmember Kettle.

Aye.

Councilmember Rink.

Yes.

Councilmember Strauss.

Yes.

Vice Chair Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Chair Sacco.

Aye.

Chair, there are five votes in favor, none opposed.

All right, thank you.

The motion carries and the committee recommendation that council confirm the appointments will be sent to the December 9th, 2025 city council meeting.

Congratulations and thank you again.

We will now move on to our next items of business.

Will the clerk please read items 15 through 19 into the record.

Agenda items 15 through 19. Appointments 03337 through 03341. Appointments and reappointments of Joan Chen as member Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board for term to August, 2026. Adina Akpo Asambe, Ksenia Ershova, Taylor Hom, and Nia Ransom as members Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board for terms to August, 2027.

Excellent.

Well, thank you.

And looks like our latest presenters have or are currently joining us at the table.

So thank you.

When you're prepared, please introduce yourselves and begin your presentations.

Thank you Chair Saka and Council Members.

Yeah, thanks for having us here today.

My name is Quinn Kelly.

I'm a Transportation Planner at the Department of Transportation in our Project Development Division and I'm also the Staff Liaison for the Seattle Bike Advisory Board.

The Bike Board advises the Mayor, City Council, City Departments and Divisions on projects, policies and programs that impact cycling conditions in Seattle.

The board's vision is to make Seattle a world-class city for bicycling and make bicycling a viable transportation choice by encouraging active transportation in policy and planning efforts throughout all levels of government.

The board also works to build a more inclusive cycling community by representing the needs of the diverse population of bicyclists in the city.

Today we have one new appointment to the board and four reappointments.

Our only new appointee today is Joan Chen.

Joan brings a breadth of experience in infrastructure and spatial design from her role as a landscape designer at Methuen.

She has a global perspective from using bikes as transportation in Beijing, Boston, New York, and Iowa, as well as a local knowledge from biking throughout the city of Seattle.

Joan is passionate about making biking a viable option for everyone by addressing geographic disparities in cycling infrastructure between Seattle's neighborhoods.

and we have Joan with us here today.

Thank you.

Hello everyone, my name is Joan.

I'm a bike commuter and transit user, District 3 resident and a landscape designer by trade.

I'm really excited to be living in a city that is building out complete streets and a place where I can take my bike onto public transit.

reliably, which is huge.

I'm really honored for this opportunity to be part of the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board, a group that I've been part of for the last couple of months and a really knowledgeable and dedicated group to improving bicycle infrastructure in the city.

And I would love to contribute to better multimodal infrastructure, that would benefit bicyclists.

We can't make the city any flatter but we can make our streets and intersections safer and more equitable.

Thank you.

Thank you, Joan.

Yeah, so in addition to Joan, I mentioned we have four reappointments.

We have Medin Akko Asambe, who is an enthusiastic bike rider and Rainier Beach resident, who has led a subcommittee looking at how to improve bike safety in the Rainier Valley.

We have Ksenia Eshova, who is a doctor, provides a public health perspective, and leads a subcommittee on tracking upcoming bicycle projects funded by the 2024 transportation levy.

We have TJ Hom, who's a very active board member, provides valuable feedback on projects based on his daily experience biking from Ballard to Soto, and leads a subcommittee exploring bike connections throughout the south end of the city.

And finally, we have Nia Ransom, who has served as co-chair of the Bike Advisory Board, helping to facilitate board meetings and leading planning for the 2024 board retreat.

Awesome.

Let's see, do any of my fellow committee members have any questions?

Hearing and seeing none, I will just say that, again, reaffirming and emphasizing my gratitude for you all for stepping up to serve re-serving in the case of some of the confirmations or reappointments.

Joan, appreciate you in particular for being here today.

Your acknowledgement of the vulnerable user status of cyclists in our city and your commitment to helping to better empower our city to do better and make appropriate safety upgrades across our city for the benefits cyclists and not just cyclists, everyone.

I will ask you a question.

It'll be a little departure from the earlier line of question, but I think it's an important one, because you talked about the importance of safety for cyclists.

is there a particular example of a city provided safety upgrade across our city somewhere, whether in your neighborhood or anywhere across the city that you're really excited about and you think is making an impact you'd ideally like to see more of, many dozens of federally approved countermeasures to boost safety on our roads, including for cyclists, but there's a long effort to make many of those upgrades as possible, including through recent funding of our transportation levy.

But is there an example that you like across the city?

Yeah, I'd say there are two that come to mind in my daily commute.

One is the Pike Pine protected bike lanes.

When I first moved to Seattle, I was biking with the buses and the bus lane going uphill, which probably annoyed everybody.

So I'm really appreciative of the protected bike lanes that went in in the last two years, which I think has made it a safer experience for all.

and another is just the completion of the waterfront and a bike trail.

And now there's a continuous connection from Inner Bay all the way to the West Seattle Bridge.

And that's huge in making not just safer segments, but a safe and complete network in the city.

So yeah, I would love to be part of the conversation and see more of those get built in the city.

Thank you, Joan, super cool.

You mentioned the voluminous hills that we have here in the city of Seattle, which is absolutely true.

I'll be honest, I'm a fair weather biker these days, but I do bike in the three or four months when it's fairly nice outside.

I don't love the hills, although in an earlier life, was a regular avid cyclist living in the city of San Francisco, another city, dense urban environment, even more dense than here, that is a very bike friendly city.

And one thing I appreciated about San Francisco is they had the wiggle to, it was this network to help to get around and some of the steep hills, if you're traveling from one point of the city to another, to minimize the uphill.

You're going uphill regardless, but to make it as gradual and easier as possible.

We need a wiggle in the city of Seattle or a better wiggle, equivalent, I'll say, because these hills don't make it good for all, especially fair weather cyclists like myself.

So in any event, well, thank you.

I move that the committee recommend confirmation of appointments 03337 through 03341. Is there a second?

Second.

It is moved and seconded to recommend confirmation of the appointments.

Are there any further comments?

Hearing and seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll and recommendation to confirm the appointments?

Councilmember Kettle.

Aye.

Councilmember Rink.

Yes.

Councilmember Strauss.

Yes.

Vice Chair Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Chair Sacco.

Aye.

Chair, there are five votes in favor, none opposed.

Excellent.

Thank you.

The motion carries and the committee recommendation that council confirm the appointments will be sent to the December 9th, 2025 city council meeting.

Congratulations, Joan.

Thank you again.

We will now move on to our next item of business.

Will the clerk please read items 20 and 21 into the record.

Agenda items 20 and 21. Appointments 03265 and 03266. Appointments and reappointments of Elizabeth Day and Noah Guter as members of Seattle Schools Traffic Safety Committee for terms to March 31st, 2028. Thank you.

And our final slate of advisory board nominees, School Traffic Safety Committee.

Looks like our presenters have joined us at the table.

When you're ready, please introduce yourselves and begin your presentations.

Good morning, Chair Sacca and other members of the committee.

My name is Diane Walsh, and I work as a Safe Routes to School Planner in the Project Development Division in SDOT, and I also serve as the SDOT liaison and member of the School Traffic Safety Committee.

The School Traffic Safety Committee was created in 1975 to bring together Seattle Public Schools, the city, and parents to improve safe routes to school.

The committee recommends new school crosswalk locations, walk zone boundaries, crossing guard assignments, criteria for placement of crossing guards, advises on traffic circulation plans for new schools, and any other policies that pertain to supporting safe routes to school for Seattle families.

The School Traffic Safety Committee is made up of 11 representatives from SDOT, SPS, King County Metro, and the Seattle Police Department, as well as one representative of parents, one member representing pedestrian safety, one member representing bicycle safety, and three members at large.

Today we have one new candidate for appointment, Beth Day from District 5, recommended by Mayor Bruce Harrell as a representative of parents for the School Traffic Safety Committee, the term through March 31st of 2028. Beth is a wetland biologist, she's here today, and a geographic information systems analyst.

She's passionate about cycling as a mode of transportation and is particularly interested in making it easier and safer for families to walk and bike to school.

And I'll let her introduce herself.

Hello, I'm Beth Day.

I'm a resident of District 5 up in Crown Hill.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the School Traffic Safety Committee.

I'm a mom of two kids in Seattle Public Schools, and I got passionate about safe streets when my kids were little, and we would walk in our neighborhood, which has no sidewalks.

And it could be.

somewhat intimidating and scary with small children.

My background is in wetland biology science.

I have a very strong background in data.

And I have been working on my master's degree in geographic information systems.

So I'm particularly excited about how my mapping and data background can to help aid the School Traffic Safety Committee, because we do a lot of mapping of the walk zones for the local schools.

I also have deep knowledge of Seattle Public Schools.

I became involved in Seattle Public Schools advocacy during COVID when I started listening to the school board meetings, sucked me in.

And one of the things I hope to bring to the committee is a connection between parents and to raise the awareness of this as a way to get things done around schools.

So thank you and I look forward to serving on the board.

Thank you so much, Beth.

Really appreciate you for being here today and your willingness to serve this truly profound and impactful manner for the safety and security of our kids.

This is some of the most important work that we do from a transportation policy planning perspective.

So thank you again.

Colleagues, any questions, comments from any of you all?

All right.

Councilmember Kettle, go ahead.

First, thank you, Ms. Day, for coming and for volunteering.

Usually this comes up again and again over the course, particularly with the long list that we had today, because everybody is looking to step up and volunteer.

And we know what that is, because usually before you come into this position, you've done similar work, which informs your decision to run.

Yeah, so from that perspective, thank you, because it does take time and effort to step up and devote your time in terms of public service.

I just wanted to ask or slash make a statement, and I think there's been great work in terms around the schools, like in District 7, and I don't really have a lot in District 7, to be honest.

I have the center school, but really no other high schools.

I have three elementary schools and one middle school.

But I have a plethora of other schools.

And while I've seen some great work around the Seattle School District schools, which is great, like Coelementary have done great work there, for example, in terms of traffic safety for schools.

The committee is titled Seattle School Traffic Safety Committee, not Seattle School District Traffic Safety Committee.

And the other observation I've made as a parent of a young daughter, stay-at-home dad until I took on this job, is parks.

There's a lot of times there's partnerships between various schools of the varying sorts of schools and parks.

and I just wanted to raise that because I think sometimes these the other schools and the parks and the connections of schools may get lost and I just wanted to raise that and if you had anything to comment you know if you had anything further from your own experience on that point I would love to hear it.

Yeah, I totally agree.

I live near Whitman Middle School, which has the park, the Soundview playfield associated with it, and I agree that since a lot of these parks and these schools tend to be together a lot of times and connected by things like greenways, it would be really useful to look into how we could better connect those together.

And also, as you're saying, it's not just public schools.

It is private schools.

It's the safety of all children getting to school, no matter how they get to school.

So, yeah, I agree.

Thank you.

All right.

Well, thank you.

And thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Any final comments, questions, colleagues?

Hearing, seeing none, I'll just say that, Beth, thank you again for your commitment and willingness to serve in this manner.

It's great to see a fellow parent of younger kids being willing to step up and serve and do this important work.

Question I have for you is, what grades are your kids in?

I have a sixth grader and I have a second grader.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

I have a sixth grader, a third grader, a first grader as well.

So six.

Yeah.

Very interesting.

So middle school.

So you're familiar with the six, seven.

Oh my gosh.

If you know, you know, if you don't count yourself lucky.

Yeah.

But you know, the, the, the, the struggles of parenthood are real.

Um, kids these days, I'll just say that.

But on a serious note, what are like the top three schools that you would like to see safety improvements in?

Oh man.

That is hard.

I know that there's been a lot of conversation about Washington Middle School after the tragedy that happened last year or this past year.

And so that's definitely something at the top of my thoughts.

I know that there's been some work, but it would be great to see that followed through further.

Up in North Seattle, there's, you know, the issues crossing Aurora.

I know that a lot of the schools like BF Day and Daniel Bagley Wilson Pacific old area.

Those all have to deal with often crossing Aurora and we have some safety improvements but just working on making those really viable ways for kids to get around like we just did the traffic counts and discussed some of that information and it is kind of surprising how few kids walk, and I think a lot of that has to do with perceived perception of the safety of walking to schools.

And especially in those areas where there are these major arterials, I would really like to see work to make them, to work on that perception of safety.

Yes, yes.

Love it, really, really appreciate you and your comments and the perspective that you bring.

It's a very valuable one.

And thank you again for your willingness to serve.

I move the committee recommend confirmation of appointments 032-65 and 032-66.

Is there a second?

Second.

It is moved and seconded to recommend confirmation of the appointments.

Are there any further comments?

Hearing and seeing none, Councilmember Kettle?

All right, hearing and seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the recommendation to confirm the appointments?

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Strauss?

Yes.

Vice Chair Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Chair Sacco?

Aye.

Chair, there are five votes in favor, none opposed.

All right, the motion carries and the committee recommendation that council confirm the appointments will be sent to the December 9th, 2025 city council meeting.

Congratulations again.

Thank you.

We will now move on to our next item of business.

Will the clerk please read item 22 into the record.

Agenda item 22, SDOT levy delivery plan progress and 2026 look ahead.

All right, thank you.

And looks like our presenters are currently joining us at the table and panelists, thank you.

Once ready, please do introduce yourselves and begin your presentation.

And thank you colleagues for bearing with us as we thoughtfully considered and moved those important slate of nominees forward and more fun stuff ahead.

Thank you, go ahead.

Bill LaPorte, Estat.

Megan Hoyt, Acting Deputy Director at SDOT, and also past member of both the Pedestrian Advisory Board and the School Traffic Safety Committee.

So that was a delight, I'll say.

Serena Lehman, Levy Manager at SDOT, also previous liaison for the Bike Advisory Board, and you know, got a first and sixth grader, so 6'7", I die a little inside.

Awesome.

Wonderful.

Thank you for having us here today.

So we are here to talk about the Seattle transportation levy that we passed last year and what it was like in 2025, what we delivered, and as we look forward, how we're gonna be talking about 2026, our reporting and things like that.

The levy, I'll just say, because as I was thinking, I was gonna actually save the vision slide, but that's okay, we don't have to.

Our agenda today is to remind us what we created together in the 2024 transportation levy, just a little refresh, regrounding.

The fun part, we get to show, Serena's gonna run through the highlights from 2025, and there's a lot of those, and they're pretty exciting.

We are going to start talking about what reporting is going to look like, how the levy oversight committee is informing what we're going to be reporting on, how we're reporting.

And it is almost that time of year when we come out with our next levy delivery plan of what we're planning, designing and constructing in 2026. So here's our reminder of the donut from last year that we approved.

The biggest reminder here is how many different wedges there were and that some are things we have done for a long time, we do really well, and we knew we could really start the levy strong from a readiness perspective and come out in 2025, building a lot of those things, and which things are new programs that we also need to develop.

And so we had quite a mix of those things.

Just as we segue to the fun part here, the levy gave us these defined buckets.

When we were here talking about readiness, we again said which things are gonna kind of take some thought, and it happened the way we thought it would.

The new programs that really need to have some thoughtful programming and thinking about how they're moving did not have a lot of deliverables in 2025, but the things we know how to do really did.

And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Serena because her Levy team has done an amazing job of tracking.

I mean, this looks so simple on the screen.

We're like, yeah, we got to...

We have some organization and in reality it is really hard to take all of the work we do that's funded by the levy and actually make sure it's in the right bucket, that we're reporting it the right way.

So I really appreciate the work she's doing and excited to show you what we did.

Thanks Megan.

So now we're gonna walk through a whole series of kind of what we've done in 2025, some highlights, some key milestones that we've hit.

And you know, thank you Megan for thanking my team, but I just wanna, you know, we hit the ground running on January 1 with all sorts of work.

We've delivered over hundreds of crew delivered projects We've hosted 10 community new sidewalk walks this year, and we've done so much more.

And so while I have the opportunity to come here and share all this information, this has been work that's been supported throughout the entire department.

And as we've heard in our previous confirmation hearings, this is work that is infiltrated throughout.

As we've already talked about, we also recruited and established our new levy oversight committee, which plays a key role in terms of how the department is transparent and accountable to the public as we deliver on this levy.

We've hired 52 positions with several more slated to be hired by the end of the year to support our overall levy delivery, as well as launching key new programs that are in the whole portfolio.

and then as you all know, we worked closely with city council to lift the proviso last year by delivering on our levy spending by delivering our 20, a very detailed levy delivery plan to all of you last January.

And we'll talk, at the end of this presentation, we'll circle back in terms of what's coming up in 2026. So I'm gonna walk through a series of photos highlighting kind of what we've done over this last year.

So in our Vision Zero School and Neighborhood Safety Program, you know, we use this funding to make targeted and community requested improvements to streets, sidewalks, and intersections to reduce traffic collisions, severe injuries and fatalities.

These are just a few highlights of projects that have happened around the city.

We wanna highlight some of the new programs that the levy has allowed us to launch, including our neighborhood scale traffic safety program, which works closely in neighborhoods to develop small scale safety improvements, as well as our neighborhood initiated safety partnership program, which has taken a lot of that work that came out of the community walks this year and what we've heard from the community and we'll start delivering projects next year, which we're very excited about.

Next slide.

So a large part of this levy also funds our ongoing maintenance of our roads and infrastructure throughout the city.

These funds are used to repave arterial streets that carry buses, trucks, cars, as well as improve infrastructure for people walking, biking, and rolling and taking transit.

We've launched into design of some of our major corridor projects.

So while you might not see work on the ground on some of these projects like East Marginal Way this year, starting that key planning and design, you'll start seeing those hit construction in a couple of years.

That's a key milestone that we needed to meet this year to stay on track with delivering our overall levy portfolio.

and then we also wanna highlight that Paving Spot is a new place that we funded through the levy this year and we have been, not Paving Spot, excuse me, our pothole program and our goal was to fill potholes within 80% of our pot requests within 72 hours and we hit that at 90%.

Next slide.

All right, so moving on to our bridges and structures highlights, you know, this is a program where we made some adjustments from our previous levy in terms of how we made improvements and how we were investing our funds for the bridges program.

We wanna keep bridges and structures in reliable and working condition and prepare for the future of bridge projects.

We launched our brand new bridge preventative maintenance program.

We are doing ongoing maintenance, but this funding allowed us to make the right investments at the right time to maintain our bridges infrastructure.

And then we also launched our areaways program.

This work, we've gone and looked at 12 areaways and done inspections, and this helps us know what future investments we need to make to keep those standing.

So our transit quarters and connections program, this program connects people safety to transit hubs, including link stations and bus stops.

A key thing that we did this year was we launched our transit passions or safety program and we use levy funding to support the hiring of eight new Metro transit safety officers.

And then additionally, we made 40 transit spot improvements to increase the access to buses and the experience of riders across the city.

And so our pedestrian safety program, this is the program that we've talked about a couple times during our board hearings, which is that we're building new sidewalks.

We have built 36.5 blocks of new sidewalk this year.

They'll be incomplete or in construction.

Most of them will be complete by the end of this year.

And as I mentioned, we've hosted 10 community walks.

We're using those walks to inform kind of where communities really need those sidewalks.

We wanna hear from community that's helping drive this program.

And then in addition, we've done over 12,000 sidewalks bought safety repairs.

So while adding sidewalks is very important and making sure that they're maintained and safe for users is equally important.

And we've added 37 additional crossing improvements.

So signals and operations, I have.

Got my pages all mixed up.

There we are.

So part of our signals and operations program is to install and maintain upgrade traffic signals for safe and reliable movement throughout the city.

This also improves pedestrian and bike accessibility and supports traffic operations during large events and incidents.

We have installed one new traffic signal.

We've responded to over 5,500 community inquiries through our transportation operation center.

The picture you're seeing in the middle is like, that's the hub of kind of the brain of the department where it's taking in, watching how our roads are moving at all times.

And this levy is funding that 24 seven operation.

I do wanna note that while we installed one new traffic signal, we'll be installing 10 over the course of the levy.

And we do improvements through other programs in terms of traffic signal improvements.

So while you might see it counted primarily in this category, you'll see them also being installed through our major paving programs as well as other programs.

All right, so our bicycle safety program.

In this program, we launched two new programs, including our bike lane maintenance program.

You can see a picture at the bottom of our bicycle street sweeper that goes through and we are maintaining all of our protected bike lanes on a regular cadence throughout the year to ensure that there are not slippery leaves, that if there's debris falling in there, it is cleaned up.

We also have begun upgrading our protected bike lanes.

From those of you who tracked closely the last several years, we've installed many protected bike lanes with kind of a post situation.

And we've now been moving towards the current best practice of installing a whole variety of types of more permanent barriers.

As you can see in the top left, that is one example.

And we're gonna be doing that in over 30% of our network across the city.

All right, so our People's Streets and Public Spaces program, this is used to activate public spaces and improve lighting in partnership with business districts and community organizations so people can enjoy the unique and vibrant neighborhoods and business districts.

This is a new program that was identified through the Seattle Transportation Plan, and we were very excited to be able to implement this with levy dollars.

So we launched this project this year, and we're seeing two large projects that are underway, including the Forts and Square redesign, as well as the Occidental Promenade.

So climate and resiliency, we've been using this program to address climate change directly.

Many of our levy programs support reductions to climate change through other methods like bicycle safety, but this one really focuses on how we can support kind of climate change directly.

And we're doing this by reducing air pollution and making sustainable transportation options.

We launched the climate electrification program and we're evaluating 30 existing EV charging sites to understand how they're used.

So as we implement, we'll be able to do it using those lessons learned.

And then we also launched our new low pollution neighborhoods.

and freight and goods.

So this program makes freight improvements to support trucks delivering goods and providing services.

Much of our work involves planning progress on several key spot improvements, including on Airport Way South, Diagonal Avenue South, and Industrial Way, right of way activation.

And we also made progress with the Urban Freight Lab and continued to collect data.

And then last but not least of our major levy programs is our good governance and equitable implementation.

This part of the levy funds supporting the levy oversight committee and its work, including allowing it to conduct, working to conduct audits needed.

And then we also launched the transportation funding task force.

This task force is tasked with looking at potential, like how we are investing in our arterials, sidewalks and bridges for the longterm and how we will fund that to kind of meet certain standards for those different assets.

And then we're gonna begin planning for our property tax exemption outreach.

So we have done a lot this year.

We hit the ground running, we've been delivering, we've been utilizing our crews, we've been engaging the community and we are excited to continue that momentum going into 2026. So now I'm gonna briefly talk on our Levy Oversight Committee and reporting.

So as we've already mentioned, we launched the, we set up the Levy Oversight Committee this last June, and it is the Levy Oversight Committee we've had for the last two levies as well, but it's created to ensure transparency and accountability to Seattle taxpayers.

They act as an advisory board to both city council, mayor, and to SDOT.

So, SDOT utilizes them as a primary place to provide presentations on programs, performance on levy programs, and how we are spending levy proceeds.

We work the levy oversight committee to provide written reports, as I mentioned, presentations.

We also report on the levy through a variety of different ways, including blog posts.

We're gonna be doing site visits to levy projects, and then we have a levy dashboard.

So we've been working closely with the levy oversight committee, one to onboard them over the last six months, but also to kind of understand from them what transparency and accountability means to them from SDOT as we're reporting on the levy on an ongoing basis.

So based on their feedback, we're gonna be, and by council ordinance, we're gonna be publishing an annual delivery plan, which is by council resolution that is due to January 31st of each year.

We'll also be providing quarterly updates on levy delivery and spending to both the LOC, as well as published on a public dashboard in May, August and November.

And so you will see our official dashboard launch in January of 2026, and you will also receive our Q1 through Q3 2025 performance report in January.

We will also be publishing an annual report and updating the dashboard in March of each year.

So March of 2026, you'll see a summary of all of our work that we have done through 2025. Some of the feedback we heard in addition to wanting to be able to track progress on a quarterly basis on the levy was that the LLC wanted to understand how the levy work tied to the overall Seattle transportation plan outcomes.

And so we are going to be relying very much on the STP performance report that's published every two years to connect kind of how the levy work is then supporting our overall city goals.

So one of the key things named in the levy legislation is a publish of a dashboard.

And so we've worked with the LOC to show them a draft dashboard last November and we're making those updates and you'll see that in January.

That dashboard is gonna show you for each program quarterly on what projects have been completed, some information on product work that is in progress.

And then per program will also be showing kind of levy spending and grant partnership funds and kind of how that's progressing over the course in the course of the year.

And then there'll be a map of completed deliverables.

All right, so here we are moving into 2026 and we have been working very hard on our 2026 levy delivery plan.

You know, the levy delivery plan that we published in January of 2025 was the most detailed levy delivery plan we have published in the history of Seattle levies.

It gave, you know, I think the intent of that very detailed delivery plan was to inform the council as well as the community kind of set expectations of what was gonna happen over the upcoming year.

And, but you know, it's a very complicated document when we publish that level of detail, we had taken to many considerations in terms of what's happening around the city, what's happening, you know, how long a project takes to deliver and then kind of how, like our capacity and then like what's happening based on like other needs that are emerging.

So, as I mentioned, we've been working very closely to develop the levy delivery plan and we are on track to submit this by January 31st of 2026. As I mentioned, there'll be a similar level of detail.

In January, we plan to start shopping out a draft to make sure that we, you know, everything's in there that people expect to be in there.

There's no surprises.

We've been incorporating lessons learned from this year as well as from previous levies in terms of how we like the timelines and how we deliver work.

You know, we wanna ensure that we are working closely with community to meet expectations as well as incorporate feedback as we're moving through.

And then next year is a special year.

2026, we have the FIFA World Cup coming to Seattle, which is very exciting.

We also have additional work for Blush Dots, Revive I-5.

And both of these things have impacts on kind of and also when we can do work on our right of way.

We wanna ensure that people, Seattle residents, as well as people moving through and in and out of Seattle are able to do that smoothly.

And that might have impacts in terms of the timelines at which we can deliver our work.

But we are working very hard to make our best estimates possible in terms of what we'll be delivering next year.

So stay tuned.

I just shared a lot.

That is, I think it of our formal presentation.

And I'm sure there are questions and we're, So yeah, look forward to also engaging with you kind of down the road when we come back with our levy delivery plan.

Thank you so much, Megan, Serena, appreciate your insightful presentation here and update on this important body of work.

Colleagues, any questions, comments?

First, starting off with Council Member Kettle, go ahead.

Thank you, Ms. Hoyt, Ms. Lehman, and Mr. Laborde.

Thank you for being here and your presentation.

I do like the end-of-year summary.

So I'll be looking for a similar thing on the public safety side.

So you're putting pressure on other parts of the government, by the way.

First question on bridges.

You noted the Ship Canal bridges, the Ballard-Fremont University bridges.

I wanted to ask about the Magnolia Bridge which Councilmember Strauss and I have been engaging on and if there's anything on that and oh by the way we had the emergency access from the marina right there at the base of the bridge on the Magnolia side up to I believe 34th Street you know that little where the beach is that location can you speak to that at all yes let me pull up my notes really quick

So my understanding is that for the Magnolia Bridge, we are making progress on updating the study to the Magnolia Bridge, and that is in progress in terms of the specifics of how the emergency access down to the marina is included.

I'm happy to get back to you unless, Megan, you have additional information.

I don't.

We'd have to check.

What's the timeline on the study for the bridge?

On the Magnolia Bridge study, the update of it.

I don't have that off the top of my head.

I can get back to you about that.

Okay.

Well, thank you.

Yes, I'd love to get an update on that.

I know that it's in contract right now.

We're working with a consultant, but in terms of the final, the timeline for going through it and completing it, I can follow up on that.

Yeah, definitely.

Also, really appreciate the freight program updates, as we noted earlier, since you were here enjoying the discussion earlier.

I just want to foot stomp on the freight program pieces of the levee and the work that's being done.

Also, the bike lanes, there's District 7, a lot of bike lanes, second, fourth, but other streets as well.

And the maintenance, particularly in this time of year with the leaves.

And by the way, it's protected and unprotected bike lanes, I get all over my district, come in different ways, and I'm noticing different areas that need some attention from that, because the last thing we need is some major bike spill that creates an executive session briefing for us.

So thank you for that work, and please be vigilant, press on that this time.

Soon the leaves will all be down.

Those might be the last there at the King County admin building, but the majority are coming down.

By the way, on that point, sidewalks are really important.

I appreciate your point.

I've been, in terms of new sidewalks, I recognize Districts 1, 2, and 5 need to be the priority, but District 7 not so much in the downtown core area because all the new buildings, it's generally not an issue, but Queen Anne and parts of Magnolia do have broken sidewalks.

And on that front, I'd love to meet with you, Mr. Laborde, offline on just one little example that's raised on that, something that I think something could be done as it relates to an alley and a sidewalk.

I just wanted to follow up with you.

We could do that separately.

The neighborhood greenway piece, I just want to take this as a plug.

We haven't passed the comprehensive plan yet, but we're soon to do it.

Thank you, Council Member Hollingsworth.

Part of this is taking the Queen Anne Boulevard Park to the next step, because it is a parks SDOT project.

and I would love to follow up on that with the mind of the neighborhood greenway piece and it also goes to unprotected bike lanes and things that we can really promote.

That's gonna be phase two after the comp plan pieces are done.

And then separately, I just wanted to add you had neighborhood traffic, as I mentioned Mr. Laborde earlier, for the district's piece, I will definitely be working with the SDOTs off the shelf vision zero, things are coming out of community in terms of like traffic calming.

So the D7 ones would be very along those lines.

There won't be any kind of exotic requests, pretty straightforward along those lines.

And then finally, I just wanted to note, thank you for for bringing up the oversight pieces.

This is super important.

Every week or month we hear something new related, since I'm looking at King County, out of the King County side of things, and we have to avoid having a city version of what's happening with King County and audits.

We have to do our audits, but in terms of results.

And so we need to make sure T's are crossed, I's are dotted, and things are done right.

And this is a massive levy.

Congratulations to Chair Saka for his work on it.

but as we carry it out, we have to do it right and we have to have the audit pieces there squared away.

So then at the end of the day, we can say, hey, good governance 101, look at this, this is what we've done.

Yeah, and when we were talking about our board experiences, I forgot to mention that I was actually on the levy oversight committee for the first Bridging the Gap levy and I think that's been an ongoing principle since the first levy is that If the voters are willing to trust us, we need to show them what we're doing and as we're doing it.

Excellent.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councilmember Kittle.

Colleagues, any other comments, questions?

Councilmember Ring, you're recognized.

Thank you chair and thank you all for the updates today and for being before committee.

You've covered a lot of areas of progress on levy implementation.

I'm curious on a couple of points and I wanted to ask if you have a progress update related to no right on red sign installation.

Sorry a little specific.

I just know they're making amazing progress.

They actually give a weekly update to us and there's like multiple locations noted every single week.

I don't actually know how the needle's moving on exactly how much they have left though.

But we can get you some more details on that.

Fabulous.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'd appreciate that as a follow-up.

And on slide 16, it's noted that we've planted 133 trees so far.

What can we do to speed up the deployment of street trees, especially in high-priority tree equity areas?

Is there anything you need from council on this?

Sorry, what was the question?

What can we do to further advance or speed up the deployment of Street Trees?

A lot of the ways that there's the spot tree placement, you know, just on a single block.

I mean, honestly, a lot of trees get planted when we build, say, new sidewalks or when we have the major corridors come in, the major corridor projects.

A lot of work happens like that.

So just naturally, more of that is gonna happen as some of those bigger projects come out and do planting.

I think, do you have other details?

Okay.

I also know that there was a work on the, we work with the Office of Sustainability and the Environment on this and I know that their tree plan, I feel like it was coming to a conclusion kind of this year or early next year to help us guide some of how we're working with them partnering.

Thank you, and moving us along, we adopted a statement of legislative intent focused on shared streets implementation as a part of the budget, and I want to thank Councilmember Strauss for his leadership on that.

I know I was a co-sponsor as well, but could you help us understand today what the work has been to date on rolling out shared streets, and can the levy be used to further support this work?

Is there an opportunity to work this into our 2026 implementation plan?

Do you wanna do that?

Yeah, so I think for 2026 implementation is a reality, at least for the first couple projects.

What we're working on right now is developing the criteria that will be applied for shared streets.

And that criteria is important because we need to make sure we can effectuate that 10 mile per hour speed limit that's allowed under the state shared streets law.

The big question for us is we have legislation ready to go that would enable it.

In fact, Council Member Strauss worked on that.

But the question is whether we need to complete the work on that criteria and do SEPA analysis on it before the bill is approved by Council.

And we're trying to sort through that right now.

If we don't need SEPA approval, of the criteria before the bills, the enabling legislation is passed, then we can move forward very quickly.

If we do need to do CPI analysis, it's realistically going to be a few more months because we have to get those criteria right, not only to make sure it's safe, but also because we do have state reporting requirements that come with the new law.

Understood.

Thank you for that update.

I know I'm hearing from community members who are antsy to bring this to their neighborhood.

I'm hearing about neighborhood petitions asking for shared streets, which I think is a fabulous thing.

So thank you for that update.

That certainly gives me what I need to be able to go back and talk to folks about what they can expect.

And additionally, I wanted to go back.

There was a note about the transportation funding task force, and you all noted that you've hired a consultant.

But can you help me understand, is this task force seated yet?

This task force is not seated yet and we're looking at early 2026 to get the task force seated.

Okay.

I took a look back and I know when this was adopted, this was before my time on council, but I took a look back at some of the initial founding legislation.

I know there was an intent to have the first convening of this task force in quarter two of this year.

And so I'm wondering what we can do to get this back on timeline.

I think We certainly as a body have a lot of priorities as it relates to transportation investments and we know that federal funding is a constant mystery these days and so what can we do to get this on timeline so we can identify some of these important fund sources to fund important projects?

Yeah, that's a great question.

I think what we're, you know, our end goal is that by what I'm looking at in the legislation is by January 1st, 2029, that we'll have kind of a long range strategy to invest some of those main investments.

And so, you know, we are intending to get the transportation funding task force seeded in early 2026, and we believe we can remain on task to meet those kind of initial deadlines outlined in the legislation.

and I think when it comes time to appointments, as we're engaging with you, continue to be responsive and be timely in helping us see those appointments.

I'm not sure if you want to add anything else.

I'll just add that it didn't start exactly when we thought it was, but we're taking advantage of this delay to come in really well organized, because what this task force is going to have to do is pretty big.

and making sure that we're all aligned in the expectations of what the task force is gonna do and what they're going to need to be successful.

We're taking advantage of that now.

So I feel like we're actually set up in a really good place to come together early next year, both with a real plan for what that task force would do and then being ready to actually select and seat the members.

Thank you all for that update.

That's encouraging to hear.

And I know I've come with a lot of questions today, so I'll just note these as perhaps a follow-up and then turn it back to the chair.

Interested in a follow-up on just understanding some of how our levy investments are complementing and preparing us for FIFA World Cup in the incoming year, and if there's anything there just to note.

Additionally, just wanna have a follow-up discussion on Safe Routes for Schools and other Vision Zero related projects as it pertains to the levy.

But with that, thank you, Chair, for the time and thank you all for your answers today.

Thank you, Council Member Rank.

Great questions.

With respect to the task force, the Financial Task Force, as a refresher colleagues and for those members of the public following along, the Financial Task Force, the Transportation Financial Task Force is a body of work and advisory board, if you will, that we stood up when we passed the transportation levy legislation two years ago now with the whole goal of figuring out, we started with the recognition that our $1.55 billion levy, it's one of the largest in Seattle's history.

And even if it was double that, through a $3 billion levy, we're still not going to meet the vast need to better address and make our broader transportation system citywide safer, more reliable, and more durable, more effective.

And a property tax, a levy, if you will, is one of only, well, it's one source of revenue and funds.

and so the idea is like what else can we do looking at three asset classes in particular, new sidewalks, bridges, and then of course roads.

Looking at those three asset classes, what additional funding mechanisms or levers can we pull if we have the political will as policy makers to make stronger investments in each and every one of those three functional areas?

and called out some specific examples to study, for example, impact fees, transportation impact fees for new sidewalks.

But there's a number of other opportunities.

Question is, what's the most thoughtful approach and timeline to do that?

That is something my office and I too am eager to see this levy or the task force legislation being transmitted and this stood up once and for all, cause I've been working with you all closely behind the scenes year round to do exactly that.

And I think the department did a great job in standing up the levy oversight committee quickly and getting them up and running.

And as between the two, that is certainly the more important of the bodies, but We also need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, so to speak.

And so looking forward to continuing to support that effort to, to stand that up, that important body up once and for all, noting that there are some, I think past due deliverables and milestones that, that we need to reach, but very important work.

Thank you for highlighting that council member Rick.

The final Quick comment I have, I'll just be honest, when I heard the word potholes, I sort of perked up a bit.

And so the...

Look, I'll say this.

When we developed the levy and we crafted this exciting package that we put before voters, we intentionally included a commitment, promised to voters that at least 80% of the reported potholes will be filled within 72 hours.

And I think that was an ambitious goal at the time, fairly ambitious goal at the time, but it was achievable and it's good to hear so far we're not only meeting that standard but exceeding it.

That's an important thing I hope is not lost in part of this conversation on all the complex nitty-gritty transportation policy topics we've been discussing today about the levy, but so far we've been able to exceed that threshold and meet and fill 90% of reported potholes within 72 hours, 90%.

It's A plus work.

A worked, A plus would be 95 to 96 plus, but it is excellent work and it's a new standard from which to continue to build upon.

And I know there's dependencies and weather dependencies in particular, but that should be our true North Star going above and beyond the commitment we made to voters.

In any event, kudos to the department for doing that work.

such amazing work and some of the most important work I think the frontline crews perform across our city.

And then, so comments, any comments?

Quick question on the status of hiring, I think on the same slide that talked about potholes where I perked up.

There was a note that said the department was able to hire 52 of the positions to support levy delivery and help launch new programs, which is great, is a good start.

Recall during the last levy, that was one of the sort of latent laggard items was we couldn't staff up.

And so to make sure we're appropriately staffed up and ready for this, the department is well-prepared.

We call on a number of reports, including a readiness plan a lot of it culminated in last year, the department proposing, I think 77 brand new positions within the department to help make sure we're off to a strong start.

And so of those 77 or 70 plus, I can't recall correctly if it's 77, but it was 70 something positions that were authorized and requested and authorized by council.

It sounds like today you've hired 52. What's the plan to hire the remaining 20 plus and what functions do those remaining 20 plus positions generally perform?

I can answer the first half of the question.

So 52 of the 72 have been hired, seven positions are in the state we're likely to have hired by the end of the year.

And then the remaining 12 we expect to be completed in Q1 of 2026.

I'll say that the same way, a lot of the work we've done, we've done it before, and then some things are brand new.

The things that we hired the fastest were the ones that, it was another of someone who already did that job and we were just doing more of the same thing.

That's really easy to have a job description, to go through the class comp process and to get the position approved.

For some of our new programs, it was a little more challenging and we've been doing multiple iterations of what some of the job duties are for the things that we just don't do it now.

And so there's not a good model of how it fits into the department.

So the positions that aren't hired yet have mostly fallen into that category.

I'm thinking our geo teams folks who are gonna do all that transformational work with communities, that's a brand new thing and it took a while to figure out the right position.

I think we also have some signal apprentice positions where we needed to get the lead to put the program together first.

So the ones that are lingering are mostly because it was a new thing.

And then we had really fast success with the ones that were like, we're just doing more.

We need three more people to do this job.

Got it.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

And I will close by noting that I think the department is off to a very strong start for implementing this Keep Seattle Moving Levy.

I don't know if there's an official name, but that seems to make the most logical sense.

Keep Seattle Moving Levy.

The department is off to a very strong start.

Thanks in large part to support and feedback from community, guidance and collaboration from this body, from this council.

and so kudos to the department for all the initial work to date.

And I will also say that in 26, the pressure and intensity only ratchets up even more because every year that builds up is increasingly more important than the year before it.

And years two, three and four, that's when during the now expired move Seattle levy, that's when we had to go through that reset.

And so these are, So kudos to the great job so far, pat on the back, slapping high fives, and attaboys, because great job so far, I think.

But next year and going forward, the intensity and pressure to deliver effectively and efficiently is only going to continue to latch up and mount.

But I do look forward to continuing to support you all and partner with you all to make sure we are delivering on our commitments to voters and also in partnership with our Levy Oversight Committee, of which I am a current member.

So thank you, thank you, thank you.

Any final comments, questions for my colleagues?

Hearing, seeing none.

Let's see.

We will now move on to our next item of business.

Will the clerk please read item 23 into the record?

Agenda Item 23, Council Bill 121117, an ordinance vacating the alley and block 24, heirs of Sarah A. Bell's second edition in the Denny Triangle neighborhood, and accepting a property use and development agreement on the petition of GID Development Group and the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, clerk file 313843.

Thank you.

Welcome to our presenters.

Please finish joining us at the table, share your presentations.

Once ready, please do introduce yourselves and begin your presentations.

And these next two items, hopefully we can get through with eight to 10 minutes or so, but we're not voting today regardless.

So go ahead and introduce yourselves.

Liz Schwitz and Council Central Staff.

Beverly Barnett, Seattle Department of Transportation.

I'm Jack McCullough.

I'm here representing one of the co-petitioners and in spirit representing Parks.

So the legislation in front of you is the final ordinance for a street vacation.

The vacation was tentatively approved by the council in 2018. and facilitated the development of a park and a multi-family residential structure.

As you probably, hopefully, remember, street vacations are a multi-stage process.

At this point, the projects have been built.

All of the conditions the council placed on the vacation have been met, and we're at the stage where the Council will grant final approval of the vacation, transferring the property that's been vacated to the adjacent property owners.

Thank you for getting us on the agenda.

We know things get backed up with budgets, so we really appreciate it.

So we're going to spend our time on the slide presentation, but we always want to get a little business out of the way before we take a look at that, and we can go through the presentation really quickly.

But as Lish had noted, the City Council has established a two-step approval process for vacations, and it's a tool that the City Council uses to ensure accountability before we close out the street or alley vacation.

So the substantive approval is made when SDOT brings forward the clerk file with SDOT recommendation and suggested conditions.

The City Council holds a public hearing as directed by state law, and then the City Council has broad discretion to grant the vacation and in determining the conditions and the timeframe for when the project should be begun or completed.

So the developer, after that substantive approval, may close the alley, build over the alley, do all the things, and the final ordinance is held out until the end of the process and generally after the development is done and open for business because many of the things the council cares about, the public benefit, urban design elements are some of the very last things that go in.

So part of our task is to come in and affirm that all the conditions have been met, all the fees have been paid, and it is ready and appropriate for the Council to take up the final step.

We also want to take the opportunity to show how the project turned out and what the public benefit features and elements are.

And I would note that this is a little bit unusual that this is a private applicant and Parks Department that were on both sides of the alley that came in as co-applicants, co-petitioners.

So now we'll look at the visuals, which is a much better way to explain this.

And we can go through this really quickly, but we're here for any questions.

And this is District 7.

Thank you.

Yeah, if you wouldn't mind just kind of briefly walking through those public benefits, and then I think that's the key features and items that Many of my colleagues would be most interested and then we can probably just open it up for questions, comments after that.

I think I've been assigned the task of walking through these public benefits.

As Beverly indicated, a lot of times alley vacations will be associated with building a bigger project or building over the alley or under the alley.

That's not the case here.

I mean, this is a case of building a better park.

These applicants came to me, GID out of Boston, came to me 12 or 13 years ago and said, we've got this site.

If you remember, this was an enterprise rent-a-car facility there.

Pretty ramshackle.

Parks bought it.

It was the first downtown park since Westlake, I think.

But Parks had no money to build it out.

So they said, we want to build a tower.

The way the code works downtown is it requires projects to take loading access and parking access off the alley.

And so if we built the project the way we were supposed to build it, this park would have been facing a loading dock and a garage access.

So I told the client, I said, I will work with you on this project on one condition, and that is we're going to vacate the alley.

because we're not gonna end up with a project and with a new park with that kind of condition.

And they agreed.

So what we ended up doing, as you can see in this slide, is actually GID as part of a separate transaction with parks, demolished the enterprise facility and actually filled the park site and brought it up to rough grade so that it was ready for the park to install their improvements and defray all of those costs.

You can go to the next slide.

This is a list of public benefits, and we'll skip this because we'll just go to them one by one.

The first one is expand the park improvements and you can see what we've done typically in the yellow line there.

That's the alley that's being vacated.

What we worked out with parks is rather than drawing the vacation line down the middle of the alley, we staggered the vacation, the property lines so that they actually enhance the ability of the park and parks is getting more property as a result of this than the private applicant is.

The private applicant property you'll see here is actually used as a spillout area for a cafe.

in order to activate the area.

Next slide.

Let's see.

Oh, this is number two, yeah.

And that's the activation point that I made, is we'll have the spillout area that's-and that is required to be used for that purpose.

Next slide.

The safety and enhancement, this is, and these are the parks and recreation items, I will say.

By converting it into a park, parks believed that they would be better able, under the parks code, to monitor activities out on the site than they had been.

And the last parks, SPR one, was expand events and programming.

Once the park was built, they had an opportunity to roll all of these out, and they made commitments that they would do that, and that's what they've been doing.

On the private side, I think is next, is a commitment to retail in order to activate the park.

The covenant, the PUTA that we've signed says that this space that opens out in the park has to be used for street level cafes, something like that.

It can't be used for anything else.

Next slide.

We gave, as part of this, a public benefit.

The private owner gave Parks permanent use of, built out and gave permanent use of a storage area.

A lot of times with Parks it's difficult to find places to store equipment that may be used seasonally.

And so this actually was incorporated in the project and Parks has the key.

Parks has the only key.

Next one.

This was my comment about how the area was, instead of drawing a line down the center of the alley, we allocated more property to parks, about 300 more square feet to parks than to the private owner.

Next slide.

We also added a bunch of landscaping around the site.

As you can see, the image on the left shows the code required standard landscaping.

The image on the right indicates the enhanced landscaping that was required and installed.

And then this was just a slide indicating that, frankly, the applicant didn't get benefits in terms of more floor area, height or anything else.

We just get a better project, a better park, a better representation along West Lake Avenue.

Next slide.

And as part of this, no question came up earlier.

Parks installed some play equipment.

We took some recent pictures of the play equipment here.

So you can see it's actively used park in a great location.

and I think that's it.

Yep.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you very much for the presentation, update on this important project.

Colleagues, as a friendly reminder, we are at the last stage, the ordinance level for this proposal.

I welcome any comments, questions from any of my colleagues.

All right.

Go ahead.

Council Member Kettle.

I won't put my hand up, so then I don't get the question, is this a stale hand?

I just wanted to thank Ms. Barnett and Mr. McCullough joining us today, along with central staffs on Mr. Whitson, of course Mr. Laborde, a standard there at the table.

This is an important area to kind of build out community.

As someone who's visited Shake Shack across the street a few times, for example.

I see people using the park as shown in that picture.

It is that kind of, not in the pouring rain necessarily, but I've seen that kind of use of the park and that activation of that area.

and it's really you know activation is key because in terms of you know bringing all these pieces together we've seen an improvement in the general Denny triangle but the overall South Lake Union neighborhood to the point that other neighborhoods would be you know envious in terms of the activation and what's that mean for quality of life for the neighborhood public safety and all the rest and so having all these different pieces are important.

I'm always wary about street alley vacations because as you know I pulled out logistics out of the design review because of commercial and residential loading docks and that logistics piece.

but this is very different.

It's an open space.

It's the partnership with parks that makes this very different.

And then the different pieces that you, Mr. McCullough mentioned.

So I thank everyone for their work on this.

And as the district representative, I support it.

And then we'll use it in future when I'm visiting Shake Shack or other businesses in the area too.

Excellent.

All right.

Thank you, council member Kettle.

and I too want to thank Beverly, Lish, Jack, of course, always Bill aboard.

Thank you for this presentation.

It is not a voting item today, but it is important that we heard it on committee.

So thank you.

And I note that this is yet another District 7 project.

You get all the cool, shiny things in District 7, Councilmember Kettle.

Your jealousy's coming out loud and clear, Chair.

It is, yeah, unapologetically.

I have some alley vacation permitting envy for the cool projects arising out of your Council District 7. I think going forward, I'm gonna consider using Chair's prerogative to slow walk some of those D7 projects until we get more in District 1 and District 3 as well for Vice Chair.

but in any event, thank you all.

Let us move on to the final item of business.

Will the committee clerk please read item 24 into the agenda.

Agenda Item 24, Council Bill 121022, an ordinance granting HST Lessee West Seattle LLC permission to continue maintaining and operating a pedestrian skybridge over and across Virginia Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue for a 15-year term, renewable for one successive 15-year term, specifying the conditions under which this permit is granted and providing for the acceptance of the permit and conditions.

Thank you.

Looks like we swapped out a Beverly for an Amy.

And so Amy, if you wouldn't mind just quickly introducing yourselves, I'm gonna ask that this portion of the presentation be limited to five minutes only.

I think this one is more straightforward because it is a renewal.

And then, so five minutes and focusing on the benefits.

Thank you.

Please introduce yourselves.

Sure, I'm a pale comparison to Beverly.

My name is Amy Gray and I work for the Seattle Department of Transportation.

And as noted this, next slide please.

This is a re-permitting of an existing sky bridge over Virginia Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

It was originally permitted in 1981 and it provides a pedestrian connection between the Weston Hotel and the parking garage.

Next slide.

So if you pass this ordinance, the first term will be for 15 years with one renewable 15-year term and the ordinance details all the obligations and responsibilities for the Weston Hotel.

Next slide.

So the public benefit.

The Weston, at the end of the final expiration of a 30-year term, SkyBridge's need to provide a public benefit for the next 30 years.

And the public benefit for this was doing maintenance and updating the irrigation system for the giant sequoia tree.

It's in the traffic island between Olive Way, Stewart Street, and 4th Avenue.

The tree was originally planted here in 1973. It was part of a forward thrust, which was in the 1960s, a voter-approved beautification of Seattle.

It included vegetation in traffic triangles downtown.

The tree had gone through significant impacts throughout its years, including the man in the tree incident in 2016 when the person went up there and occupied the tree and destroyed the crown.

The assessment of the tree recently gave it a four to one odds of survival.

a small planting container that was constricting the roots.

It had Christmas tree lighting that had been on for years that was restricting the growth of the tree and its ability to gain nutrients.

And so the Westin Hotel upgraded the irrigation system, improved the soil conditions, and removed the holiday lighting, adding several years.

And so this was work that Estat Urban Forestry worked with the permit permittee with and they've said that this gives this tree a lot of significant more years left in his life of this iconic destination tree in downtown Seattle.

Next slide.

These are images of the skybridge from within and outside.

You can see it's the affectionately we call the hamster run design of the 1980s.

You'll see a few of these downtown.

And the next slide.

This is a location, it's near the West End Hotel and the Amazon campus.

And next slide.

So we are recommending council approve this for the existing pedestrian skybridge.

And if the ordinance is approved, the permit will be in place the first term until 2041. And I'm happy to answer any questions, but thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you.

Anything else to add on behalf of your client?

So I'm just here on behalf of the West and we strongly support it.

It's an important ADA feature here for the facilities that it connects, but we're excited about the Sequoia tree.

And I think our obligation is for two years.

Yes.

Right.

So it's not just one and done.

We have to continue to manage the health of that tree for the next couple of years.

All right.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Colleagues, any comments, questions from any of you all?

I forgot to mention, this is also in District 7.

Yeah, I know.

Yeah, yeah.

All right.

Chair?

Yeah, go ahead.

Council Member Kettle.

Well, thank you for noting District 7. I appreciate it, Ms. Gray, joining the table.

and I also want to give a shout out to Mr. Eversick from Weston who's in chambers.

Thank you for joining us today and for the work that you do in our downtown area, the greater downtown area and I have to say the work related to the Sequoia is very, very important and so that is a true public benefit because to lose that tree would be There's different ways you could say it.

Crying shame.

Tragic.

Because it goes to what we are as a city.

Because I've been saying this again and again.

What makes us different as a city?

I talk about the native communities and so forth.

And then it's the idea that we're an evergreen city.

And I know that we can't replant evergreen trees everywhere.

and we have the deciduous trees and all that, but that's really part of our identity.

So when we do projects, whether it's the Overlook Walk, the waterfront, we do have to get the evergreen piece in for the new, but we have to maintain these efforts from decades past in terms of really maintaining what makes Seattle, Seattle.

And this Sequoia is really kind of a litmus tests, if you will, in terms of our commitment to that.

And so I thank the team and their commitment to do it, the irrigation pieces, anything that can help protect those soil amendments and like, anything to protect it.

I'm not going to say it because I don't want to jinx anything in terms of the reference to the recent past, but we need to ensure that it's good moving forward.

Thank you, Chair.

Of course, I support this renewal of the Skybridge.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

I note that this project is one that I'm keenly familiar with the Sky Bridge connecting to the West End.

Used, attended many of events and community gatherings at the West End and regularly have used that in the past.

Will continue to use it on a going forward basis.

So yeah, very important project.

All right.

Well, thank you all.

Thank you again.

We'll take these up at our next committee meeting.

Do any of my fellow committee members have any final questions, comments for the good of the order?

All right, hearing no further questions, comments.

We have reached the end of today's agenda.

Our next meeting is scheduled for December 16th at 9.30 a.m.

Is there any final business to come before the committee before we adjourn?

Hearing and seeing none.

We are hereby adjourned, it is 1141 a.m.