All posts by Nathan Dickey

Seattle’s much-delayed Comprehensive Plan update was released last week by the Office of Planning & Community Development (OPCD). Coverage of the broad points of the plan was quickly provided by The Seattle Times ($), The Urbanist, The Stranger, and Crosscut. The primary takeaway image is the “Future Land Use Map” (FLUM), here:

Coverage of subsequent disappointment from housing density advocates was then provided by The Urbanist and The Seattle Times ($).

The plan itself is full of florid prose describing how it supposedly expands housing opportunities across the city, meets equity goals, invests in walkable communities, and meets the challenges of climate change. It establishes “Key Moves” and proposes policy changes that sound good on the surface, but the proof will be in how these policies are implemented.

State Legislature to allocate $200M from the Climate Commitment Act toward hybrid ferries, assuming the Act isn’t repealed by I-2117 in November.

Free carpool parking permits are returning to the Angle Lake Station parking garage.

King County Metro has broken ground on its interim electric bus base in Tukwila.

The movement to add density to suburban neighborhoods transcends political boundaries (New York Times gift article).

March 11 [today]: Seattle YIMBY is organizing a silent protest at City Hall to support more density than proposed in the draft Comprehensive Plan.

March 12 and March 14: Sound Transit is hosting drop-in sessions for Federal Way Link Extension project updates at Highline Community College on.

March 12, 14, and 21: SDOT is hosting a series of open houses for the Aurora Avenue Project.

March 14 in Loyal Heights: Seattle is hosting its first of eight Draft One Seattle Plan (comprehensive plan update) Open House events.

March 16: Seattle YIMBY also hosting a walking tour in Ballard showcasing of existing housing that would be illegal to build today.

May 5: Emerald City Ride returns with a crossing over the high West Seattle Bridge and a loop around West Seattle.

Articles on the recent West Seattle Link Extension station planning meetings, Seattle Transportation Plan, and draft comprehensive plan update are in the works.

This is an open thread.

Since 2021, SDOT has been working under a Pedestrian and Bicycle program grant from WSDOT to “reimagine” Aurora Avenue North from the northern end of the SR-99 Tunnel to 145th street. Based on community input provided during a series of meetings last summer, SDOT has released concept art depicting four potential general corridor concept designs: “Walkable Boulevard”, “Bike Connection”, “Center-Running Bus Lane”, and “Maintain Capacity”. Since Aurora varies in width along its route, there are versions of each graphic for a 90-foot roadway and a 106-foot roadway.

The Aurora Project is split into five segments:

Note: This map shows the Aurora Project area as diverting to Linden between N 63rd and Winona, but review of details from previous community meetings shows this is not actually under consideration. Also, Aurora Bridge and the Woodland Park section are excluded from segments 1 and 2, respectively, due to “unique constraints and challenges”.