Fwd: Why Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Endorses the 2024 Transportation Levy
Clara Cantor
- Share your stories: Part of the campaign for the next levy is telling positive stories about the current one. If you have projects built in your neighborhood in the last 8 years that have meaningfully improved the way you get around, share your story with us!
- Get more involved: If you are interested in playing a role, large or small, reach out to me at Cl...@SeattleGreenways.org and we can discuss options!
- Invite partners to endorse: Over the coming month, we will be working to build the coalition of supporters. If you are a part of other orgs, or have local partner orgs you work with that you are able to reach out to or provide contact info for, please let us know!
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways' Volunteer Network Votes to Endorse the 2024 Transportation Levy
The decision to endorse the 2024 levy comes on the heels of months of advocacy to increase investments for walking, biking, and connections to transit. While the proposed levy doesn’t fully rise to meet the city’s identified needs, the $1.55 billion 2024 transportation levy headed to voters this November is a balanced compromise and deserves your vote.
We’re proud of the changes we advocated for that were ultimately included in the levy, thanks to thousands of volunteers like you who wrote emails, made phone calls, showed up at rallies and events, and spoke to elected leaders.
A few highlights include:
- $66.5 million for a new people streets and public spaces program
- $145 million for sidewalk construction and repair, including building 350 blocks of new sidewalks.
- $133.5 million for bike safety.
- $39.5 million for a new equity-focused program for neighborhood-initiated safety projects.
- $70 million for Vision Zero, including safety projects on all of Seattle's top 5 most dangerous streets: Aurora Ave N, Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, 4th Ave S, Rainier Ave S, and Lake City Way.
A compromise level of funding
Disappointed in the size of the levy?
Us too, because polling found voters would be willing to support up to a $1.7 billion levy to meet our city's transportation needs, but in the end, democracy is about compromise, and the $1.55 billion levy represents a major increase over the $1.35 billion levy that was originally proposed — and that increase is thanks to people like you who told the city you wanted more investments in sidewalks and safety projects.
Additionally, if the levy were not to pass, SDOT would lose a third of its budget and nearly all of the walking and biking funding. This would mean massive layoffs and at least a year of progress lost while the city regrouped to run another initiative, which is not guaranteed to be better.
The 2024 Levy has huge potential
In crafting this levy, the city felt that the previous Move Seattle levy was too rigid, and did not allow flexibility to adapt in the face of major headwinds like a Trump presidency that was hostile to transit funding and a major pandemic. So the new proposal swings in the other direction and has much more flexibility. Flexibility is good, but it means there will be a critical role for ongoing advocacy to hold the city accountable to its goals around climate, equity, accessibility, and safety.
If we are vigilant and fight for these critical outcomes, the Seattle Transportation Plan and this funding levy could make Seattle one of the best cities to walk, bike, and take transit in the United States. But we will need your continued engagement to help push our city to achieve its highest potential.
What Comes Next?
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways will be campaigning with Transportation Choices Coalition and other advocacy groups now through November to pass the levy!
Now more than ever we’ll need your support!
- Volunteer with the Campaign! Please contact Clara to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
- Invite partners to endorse. If you are a part of other organizations, unions, or neighborhood groups, please let us know, and we can provide materials to help start endorsement conversations!
- Share your stories. Part of the campaign for the next levy is telling positive stories about the current one. If you have projects built in your neighborhood in the last 8 years that have meaningfully improved the way you get around, share your story with us! It can be as simple as a couple of sentences and a photo or a quick video you film on your commute.
- Donate to support Seattle Neighborhood Greenways work.
After November, if the levy is passed, we will continue to advocate for additional progressive revenue and state and federal funding, and push elected leaders to implement a bold vision for our transportation system.
The Seattle Transportation Levy deserves your vote, and we hope you’ll join us on this journey to pass the levy this November.
Be well,
Clara Cantor
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