Meeting (and exceeding) 2019 Levy to Move Seattle deliverables

2019 was the biggest year to date for Levy to Move Seattle projects.

We invested $222M in projects that made walking and biking routes safer, improved our sidewalks and busiest arterials, and created better access to transit.

We’re happy to report that we met or exceeded almost every levy delivery goal we set for 2019.

The Move Seattle Levy makes up about 30% of our transportation budget and helps fund a lot of our work, including Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, and our Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plans.

We’re always keeping you up to speed on project completions or construction interruptions in your neighborhood, which means we’ve been talking to you about Levy progress and successes all year long!

“This past year was marked with major progress on some important Move Seattle Levy projects. Consistent reporting from Seattle Department of Transportation staff has allowed the Levy Oversight Committee to provide oversight continuously throughout the year. The Committee commends the increased spending and corresponding deliverables in 2019 and looks to see this trend continue in 2020.”

Ronald Posthuma & Rachel Ben-Shmuel, Levy Oversight Committee Co-chairs

Here’s a recap of some of the amazing work our crews and contractors did last year. Take a look at our Levy to Move Seattle 2019 Annual Report for an in-depth view of completed projects and spending.

Safety improvements

• We built 48 blocks of new sidewalk and 29 Safe Routes to School projects.

• We built 6 Vision Zero corridor projects including along NE 65th Street, and launched an initiative to reduce speed limits to 25 mph across the city.

• We built over 12 miles of bikeways, including important protected bike lane connections in the Center City Bike Network.

Maintenance and Repairs

• We completed 12,269 sidewalks spot repairs (more than double our planned accomplishments) and 1,316 curb ramps were built in the city, 210 of which were funded by the dedicated levy program to fund curb ramp upgrades.

• We repaved 35 lane miles of arterial streets including work on SW Avalon Way and 23rd Ave S.

• We started construction on the Fairview Bridge Replacement that will replace the last remaining major road built on a wooden bridge. 

A planning study, funded by the Levy to Move Seattle, explores feasible rehabilitation and replacement options for the long-term future of ten bridges, including the Magnolia and Ballard bridges. The studies are a part of our effort to better understand the size of Seattle’s maintenance backlog.

Mobility Investments

• We completed 32 projects to improve transit lanes and infrastructure, including adding red paint to dedicated bus lanes.

• We reached 90% design on Madison RapidRide G Line and Delridge RapidRide H Line projects.

• We added more than 100 bike parking spaces with levy funding, achieving our 9-year levy goal 4 years early, and contributing to the 1,500 bike parking spaces added in 2019 that were funded by a variety of sources.

2020 is the halfway point of the 9 year levy!

As we move into 2020, we’ll evaluate project goals and risks in the context of our shared COVID-19 public health crisis. Through our continued commitment to clear communication and transparency, we’ll report on any impacts during our 2020 Levy updates.

• We started construction of the Northgate Bike and Pedestrian Bridge.

• We’re adding safety improvements to Rainier Ave S.

• We began Green Lake area paving project.

• We’re on track to begin construction of the Delridge Rapid Ride H Line.

• We’re on track to complete construction of the Lander Street Bridge.

• We’re on track to complete the 35^th Street SW and SW Avalon Way paving project.

Keep your eye on the blog where we will post regular project updates throughout the year.

We’re closely monitoring all programs, projects, and levy spending, and we regularly share information with the Levy Oversight Committee. Read our 2019 Annual Report for an in-depth look at last years progress and spending.