In March, City of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray introduced a proposal for a nine-year, $900 million levy to replace the $365 million Bridging The Gap levy due to expire at the end of 2015. The proposed Transportation Levy to Move Seattle is focused on basics: maintaining streets, bridges and sidewalks, and also investing in the future with improvements intended to provide more transportation choices to move more people and goods around this growing city, by increasing the property taxes paid by all residents in the City of Seattle.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has held open houses and given presentations on it since introducing the levy proposal. Over the next three weeks, SDOT has planned an additional round of opportunities for the public to learn details about this proposal, and to provide feedback. “It’s our goal to include community priorities in the this important transportation proposal that Mayor Murray will submit to the [Seattle] City Council in May,” said SDOT Director Scott Kubly.
To participate:
- Take a survey (available in multiple languages) to share your transportation priorities at www.moveseattlesurvey.com
- Participate in an on-line meeting, with Director Kubly, on Monday, April 20th from 6p – 6:45p. Sign up to participate on-line.
- Join SDOT Director Kubly for coffee and informal coffee shop conversation at Milstead & Co on Thursday, April 23rd, from 1p – 2p – or at the Central District Starbucks (2300 S Jackson) on April 13th from 2p – 3p, at Eastern Café (510 Maynard Ave S) on April 14th from 8a – 9a, at the Lake City Kaffeeklatsch (12513 Lake City Way NE) on April 17th from 8a – 9a, or at Via Vadi Caffe (8600 – 14th Ave S) on April 20th from 8a – 9a.
Find out about more engagement opportunities, and more information on this levy proposal to raise taxes and fund transportation improvements, visit the Seattle.gov website.
After the Mayor transmits the final proposal to the City Council, the Council will choose whether to submit it for inclusion on the November ballot by early August. This is an important issue to give input upon, and to learn more about before it goes to voters this fall.