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How Mayor-elect Wilson Can Hit the Ground Running
Note: Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is a 501C3 nonprofit, meaning we cannot, and do not, endorse candidates for office. But now that the election is over, we can share our analysis of Mayor-elect Wilson’s transportation platform.
Congratulations to Mayor-elect Katie Wilson, who has a background of fifteen years of community organizing and working on local legislation at the Transit Riders Union. On a personal level, Wilson biked nearly everywhere before her toddler was born, and now she walks and takes transit.
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways staff and volunteers have worked closely with Wilson and the Transit Riders Union over the years, most notably as part of the Move All Seattle Sustainably Coalition to successfully reverse cuts to the walking, biking and transit projects during Mayor Durkan’s administration, and more recently to dedicate more money to walking, biking and transit in the Keep Seattle Moving Levy.
Wilson’s transportation platform is bold and visionary, and she will need our ongoing community support to achieve it. Here are a few excerpts of her priorities with our thoughts on how she can get started on implementing them in her first year of office.
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Safety and Vision Zero
Wilson’s platform: “Seattle launched Vision Zero in 2015 with the goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. But in the last decade, more than 1,850 people have been seriously injured and 253 people have been killed in vehicle collisions. We need city leadership that will prioritize keeping our kids, elders and neighbors safe on our streets. Prioritize transforming our most dangerous corridors, from Aurora to Rainier, into people-centered streets with great public transit, safe neighborhoods, thriving businesses, and tree canopy that will help clean the air and moderate the urban heat island effect.”
Our first-year recommendations for Vision Zero:
- Stand up a team to tackle a major overhaul of Rainier Ave S. The section of Rainier Ave S from Mt Baker to the CID has planned repaving, bike, safety, transit, and on-ramp revision projects, and they must all be coordinated in a unified vision to reimagine the street. We must dedicate the same intensity of effort and care for major safety projects as Seattle did for the downtown waterfront rebuild or the West Seattle bridge repair.
- Course-correct and speed up the Aurora Ave project to adopt a bolder vision, and come up with a plan for a demonstration project to unlock the $50 million in state funding.
- Construct safety projects on S Henderson St in Rainier Beach, N 125th St in Lake City, and 14th Ave S in South Park.
- Roll out rapid spot improvements on streets and at intersections SDOT knows are unsafe.
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Celebrate with us at our Dec Happy Hour at Stoup
Join us for an evening of connection, celebration, and community power. We'll toast our recent safe streets victories, share what's ahead for our movement, and enjoy good company.
Thursday, December 11, 5:30 - 7:00 PM at Stoup Brewing Capitol Hill
Your first drink (beer or non-alcoholic) and snacks are on us!
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Join us for a new volunteer orientation
Weds Dec 3, 5:30 - 6:30 pm. Virtual via Zoom. Learn about our coalition, our local neighborhood groups, and best practices for being an effective advocate in your community. No experience necessary. Sign up here
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Beacon Ave S & 15th Ave S Safety Project Guide
Thank you to all the neighbors with Beacon Hill Safe Streets who did the organizing and advocacy to make this exciting project happen (there was a period where it was on the edge!). Get involved with Beacon Hill Safe Streets to help extend the project for South Beacon Hill.
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OK, corral: Ease bike, scooter tensions in Seattle with better parking
We partnered with Anna Zivarts from the Nondrivers Alliance and Ilona Lohrey with the GSBA to propose a solution to misparked shared bikes and scooters in the Seattle Times this week.
"As Seattleites embrace shared e-bikes and e-scooters with over 30,000 trips per day, it’s clear that the city’s transportation infrastructure has not kept pace. We’ve all experienced it — whether we saw someone riding a scooter down a busy sidewalk or had our path blocked by a parked bike in a curb ramp... Direct SDOT to accelerate investment in a parking corral system where, in busy areas around town, shared bikes and scooters must be parked in designated zones located on the street whenever physically possible. In less busy areas, bikes and scooters would not be required to be parked in corrals, but must be parked properly to avoid blocking sidewalks or curb ramps. " Read more
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An affordable city is a multimodal city
Did you know: Transportation costs are the second largest burden on American family budgets (17%), after housing (33%)! To address the affordability crisis, we must create cities with affordable housing, and make walking, biking, and taking transit convenient.
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Ballard Fremont Greenways Celebrates New Crosswalk
When community members with Ballard Fremont Greenways realized 15th Ave NW was going to get repaved without any safety upgrades they sprang into action. They created their own detailed proposal, and successfully worked with Councilmember Strauss and then SDOT Director Greg Spotts to get SDOT to add in safety improvements including a new signal, crosswalk, and landscape median island.
At the opening celebration Ankur (pictured far left) said "What was originally a run of the mill repaving project has now set a positive precedent in Seattle for what can be done. Instead of just repaving the street, we’ve reconnected neighborhoods. "
Thomas said "When my 6 yo is riding with me on his own bike, the new crossing gives us another comfortable and safe place to get across 15th south of Market."
Justin said “I live west of 15th and do more shopping at Safeway now, including prescription refills. Before the redesign I wouldn't have even thought about it.”
Unfortunately because this project was so far along in design before the advocacy started, a more complete safety overhaul of the street was not possible — something the city should consider in the future for this street in particular, and as a general policy when repaving streets.
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Make a Local Impact this Giving Tuesday
Donations from our community help transform Seattle streets into safer spaces for everyone. Join us in making a difference for neighborhoods across the city by including Seattle Neighborhood Greenways in your Giving Tuesday contributions on December 2.
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Upcoming Events
- World Day of Remembrance Vigil for Victims of Traffic Violence
Saturday, November 29, 3:00 PM at the NW corner of MLK Way S and S Othello St
The Rainier Ave Committee is a BIPOC organizing group centering Black youth in community outreach and education around Rainier Ave. We are collaborating with MLK Transportation Justice on a youth-led vigil for World Day of Remembrance for victims of traffic violence.
- West Seattle Bicycle Connections monthly meeting | Dec 2nd
- WA Combined Fund Drive | Now through December (Use code 2006557 to support SNG)
- Giving Tuesday | Dec 2
- First Hill Improvement Association scooter safety meeting | Dec 2nd 6:30 PM
- New Volunteer Orientation | 5:30 - 6:30 PM | Dec 3
- NW Greenways Meeting: Thursday, Dec 4, 7:00 - 8:00 PM at Halcyon Brewing Company
- Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Community Happy Hour | Dec 11, 5:30 - 7:00 PM at Stoup Brewing Capitol Hill
- Ballard-Fremont Greenways Meeting: Thursday, December 4, 6:30-8 PM at Urban Family Brewing in Ballard.
- Central Seattle Greenways Meeting: Monday, December 10, 6:00 PM virtual via zoom.
- Northeast Greenways holiday social. December 12th, Seven Coffee Roasters, 5:30 PM.
- MLK Day Annual Rally & March 2026: Where Do we Go From Here? Community or Chaos | Garfield High School starting at 9:30 AM
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Share Your News
Have an upcoming event related to walking, biking, or rolling?
Please share it with us for inclusion in a future newsletter. We love highlighting opportunities to experience Seattle through walking, biking, or rolling.
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This season, we're filled with gratitude for our 2025 sponsors! These businesses and organizations help make it possible for Seattle Neighborhood Greenways to host events like the Volunteer Organizing Symposium and Community Crossroads. Their team members are passionate about transforming Seattle streets. Collectively, sponsors provide vital support for the work we do every day to make Seattle a great place to walk, roll, bike and live.
Learn more about sponsorship
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Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is a people-powered nonprofit working to make every neighborhood a great place to walk, bike and live.
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