This November, Seattle voters will have the opportunity to vote yes on ballot Proposition 1 (Prop 1), which will function as a renewal of the expiring Bridging the Gap levy that has funded nearly twenty-five percent of Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) work for the past nine years.
Coined Let’s Move Seattle, Prop 1 will go beyond the basic repairs and maintenance funded by the previous levy to include serious investment in Seattle’s transportation future. Prop 1 will provide funding for a host of projects that address three critical areas:
- Taking Care of What We Have
- Safety as a Core Value
- More Transit Choice to Avoid Congestion
At the heart of the Prop 1 campaign is that concept that Seattleites deserve to have more transportation choices; thus, passage of the levy will enable SDOT to greatly improve our pedestrian, bike, and transit infrastructure. Improvements will be made with the aim of relieving congestion and encouraging greater mobility around the city.
Voters concerned about pedestrian issues have a lot to get excited about in the Prop 1 project descriptions. Some examples of pedestrian oriented projects include: building 150 blocks of new sidewalks, expanding Safe Routes to Schools programs so that all Seattle Public Schools are accessible by walking, and funding safety improvements at 750 intersections across the city.
Endorsed by a diverse and wide reaching coalition of nonprofit and community organizations (including Feet First!), Mayor Ed Murray, and all current members of city council, Prop 1 has garnered widespread support.
It is also important to note that Prop 1 offers a highly affordable means of investing in our city’s future. The levy will be paid for using a progressive property tax that will cost the median Seattle homeowner an additional twelve dollars per month.
To learn more about Prop 1, visit the campaign website at letsmoveseattle.com or read our upcoming blog posts on how projects slated in each of the levy’s three critical areas will contribute toward increasing more people in Seattle being provided safe, accessible, and inviting places to go by foot.