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Meeting (and exceeding) 2019 Levy to Move Seattle deliverables

The 9-year Levy to Move Seattle was approved by voters in November 2015 and provides $930 million to improve safety for all travelers, maintain our streets, sidewalks and bridges, and invest in reliable, affordable travel options for a growing city.

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.

A family walking with signs from the Vision Zero Campaign, will goals to end traffic related fatalities.

Safety improvements

SDOT Crews repaving a part of the street.

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.

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.

SDOT Crews painting a bus only lane.

Mobility Investments

  • 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.

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.