At the Seattle Metro Chamber, we’re focused both on addressing current needs and planning for long-term investments that support our region’s economy. For transportation, that means working with the city and transit agencies to make sure people feel safe riding the bus to work today and digging into the city’s 20-year transportation vision.
Last month, the Chamber and Downtown Seattle Association together submitted comments on the draft Seattle Transportation Plan. The city is to be commended for preparing the plan, which describes how the transportation system will evolve to maintain our quality of life, prepare for population growth, address mobility needs and create resiliency in the face of climate change. Defining our desired future is an important step to determine how we achieve that future.
While the draft plan was a good first step, we shared specific areas of improvement:
- Include economic vitality as a standalone goal and incorporate existing city goals, such as Vision Zero and carbon emission reductions.
- Add public safety for transit riders as a key move.
- Develop a strategic plan for downtown mobility and access.
- Prioritize strategies and key moves in the plan.
- Focus on Sound Transit investments already approved by voters.
- Recognize manufacturing industrial centers as distinct neighborhoods,
- Be ready to engage in projects of statewide significance within the City of Seattle.
- Maximize state and federal funding, and existing sources for transportation investments.
- Include public and private utilities as essential functions of the public right-of-way.
- Integrate opportunities for public-private partnerships.
As the city incorporates public comments into the next version of the plan, we will continue our advocacy work on a possible transportation levy renewal next year. Proposals are expected to be released later this year or in early 2024.