Advocates say Seattle's $1.45B transportation tax isn't enough
Within Seattle’s 84 square miles, repaving roads, building bike lanes, repairing sidewalks, maintaining bridges, planting street trees and generally keeping the transportation system functional is a multibillion-dollar proposition.
For the past nine years, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has relied on a $930 million property-tax levy to pay for about 30% of its budget. That levy expires at the end of 2024. In November, Seattle voters will be asked to renew it for $1.45 billion over eight years.
For the owner of a median-valued $804,000 Seattle home, the expiring transportation levy costs $276 annually. The $1.45 billion renewal would increase that to $468 a year. Owners of rental units would also see their taxes go up, which they would likely pass along to renters.
Though that would make it the largest levy in Seattle’s history, a coalition of street safety and climate advocates are pressing the City Council to increase the tax to pay for more sidewalks, bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes and crosswalks. The coalition includes Disability Rights Washington, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, Transit Riders Union, 350 Seattle, Puget Sound Sage, Seattle Subway and more.
https://crosscut.com/politics/2024/05/advocates-say-seattles-145b-transportation-tax-isnt-enough
We'll see.
