UPDATE: Mayor cancels West Seattle Transportation Coalition appearance

| Transportation | West Seattle news

7:40 PM MONDAY: Three weeks after he answered questions at the District 1 Community Network’s meeting, Mayor Bruce Harrell is expected to do the same when the West Seattle Transportation Coalition meets online this Thursday night (June 23rd). While much of the attention during his first half-year has been on public safety and homelessness, transportation is a spotlight too, as the mayor has announced a public process for helping him hire a new SDOT director. And of course the West Seattle Bridge repairs have another three months to go. Also on the mayor’s transportation plate – as a Sound Transit Board member, he’ll be helping decide this summer which “preferred alternative” will be pursued for West Seattle light rail.Thursday night’s meeting is set to start at 6:30 pm; we expect to get the viewing/participation link in the next day or two, and it’ll be in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar when we do.

11:12 AM MONDAY: The mayor’s staff has sent WSTC word this morning that “something … came up” for Thursday night, so he won’t be in attendance after all.

Mark H June 21, 2022 (6:46 am)

Ask him how he expects SDOT to be an effective agency when they get a new director on average every 2 years and the hiring process takes 6-12 months. You can all but guarantee that whomever they hire won’t be in that role 4 years later. And the process starts all over.

flimflam June 21, 2022 (12:30 pm)

It’s almost as if they are doing a terrible job with the hiring…

Sick of seattle June 21, 2022 (12:31 pm)

More of the same. City leadership ignoring hard issues and hiding behind their massive failures in governance.

AF12 June 21, 2022 (2:43 pm)

The new SDOT director must be a Transportation Engineer expert with P.E. In addition, looking at the people on the public process group link , it seems we are looking for a PR person as a SDOT director. I believe the mayor must make the decision as who would be the best fit to become the SDOT director with help of his Transportation Department staff and not with about ten other individuals who most likely don’t have any idea about how the different transportation systems and modes work. In any case, believe me a professional engineer can also be a leader and advocate for all forms of transportation infrastructure. We don’t need Google search to come up with another director to use the city’s resources to install unprotected bike lanes that go nowhere! The future director needs to look at the overall transportation system and come up with practical solutions and not to just satisfy a particular group with the loudest voice!

James June 21, 2022 (3:02 pm)

This mayor is seriously frustrating. I cannot believe I voted for him.

shotinthefoot June 21, 2022 (3:30 pm)

Sounds to me that Bruce is scared to come to West Seattle, what with the bridge debacle and all. “something came up” indeed.

WSB June 21, 2022 (3:34 pm)

He answered questions from D1CN, a primarily West Seattle group, earlier this month, as covered here.

Mj June 21, 2022 (10:34 pm)

AF12 – What having a real Technical Expert run SDoT heaven forbid the thought. I agree it’s time for SDoT to follow the technical standards and be headed by a PE with expertise in Transportation. All the PC decisions have made the City’s Transportation System less safe with 2021 recording the most deaths since 2006!