Mayor to announce new SDOT director Wednesday

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Just out of the inbox – Mayor Bruce Harrell has chosen a new SDOT director “after an extensive national search” and will make the announcement Wednesday. When previous director Sam Zimbabwe‘s departure was announced and chief of staff Kristen Simpson was appointed interim director, the mayor said she didn’t intend to apply for the permanent job. No finalists have been announced, just a search committee appointed in April. The new director will arrive not only as the West Seattle Bridge prepares to reopen, but also as SDOT works on a longterm prioritization plan, which in turn will shape the next funding package, successor to the Levy to Move Seattle. (During our conversation on Tuesday, West Seattle Bridge project director Heather Marx, a West Seattle resident, told us the funding project will be in her portfolio post-bridge.) Meantime, you can watch the announcement of the new SDOT director at 11:45 am Wednesday via Seattle Channel. The job pays up to $254,000, according to the online listing.

John Smith July 26, 2022 (3:31 pm)

After seeing what SDOT did with the previous levies, I will be voting against the next levy.

Yes Sir July 26, 2022 (5:41 pm)

You part of the reason we can’t have nice things. If you live in the city, you need to vote for the levies and do you part. If they fail, then you have no room to complain when the more things start falling apart. On another note, Great Job Bruce Harrell and the first 6 months or so. You have done more in this time than the previous regime. Don’t let that City Council push you around either.
- John Smith July 26, 2022 (6:09 pm)
  
  Yes Sir, if a levy fails, the rational thing would be for the proposed levy ro be altered in such a way as to make it more appealing to the City residents.
- Adam July 26, 2022 (10:23 pm)
  
  So, as part of our civic duties, we should just blank-check anything and everything they ask for? And if the answer is no, then you must revisit your earlier comment, Yes Sir
- WS Biker July 27, 2022 (3:42 am)
  
  Yes, Mayor Bruce is doing an amazing job. He is quiet, thoughtful, and sees the big picture. I have seen incredible changes. Let’s not listen to the negativity.
  - Scubafrog July 27, 2022 (2:25 pm)
    
    I see the same high crime, new encampments (from the old being shuffled around), and nothing’s changed. What do you see?

the finn July 26, 2022 (5:38 pm)

Another Levy? These folks are like kids loose in a candy shop. How about repairing the bridges and roads instead of providing sidewalk candy.

WSB July 26, 2022 (5:55 pm)

Don’t know if it’ll necessarily be a levy. But the current one is expiring.

Jort July 26, 2022 (6:47 pm)

Will this be like the “Move Seattle” Levy, the one that was promised to bike and pedestrian advocates as a major source of funding for huge, consequential non-car projects but ended up being spent mostly and quickly on the Lander Street Overpass before SDOT (the city’s government-authorized automobile advocacy organization) said, “oh, oops, we totally overpromised those bike and pedestrian projects, sorry, no more money for those, sooooo sorry.” Also, best of luck to the new SDOT director, who will be held to the unreasonable and impossible standard of “solving” traffic and will, inevitably fail and be excoriated relentlessly in comments sections for all time for it. Or, hey, maybe I’ll be wrong and this person will be the first transportation official in the entire breadth of human experience on this planet to actually “solve” traffic problems. I’m not holding my breath, of course, because it is literally an unsolvable problem, and Seattle will not be the first place to do it.

Chemist July 27, 2022 (1:54 am)

The Lander Street Overpass project received $20 M of the $930 M levy, so that’s an odd way to define “mostly”.

Mickymse July 27, 2022 (12:47 pm)

1) Because voters foolishly used to support crazy ballot initiatives by a guy named Tim Eyman, proposing levies and asking us all to vote on them is the only way for the City to increase taxes above 1% (or was it 2%?) in order to pay for many things. Believe me, many governments would prefer NOT to have to go to voters every few years with a long list of boring-sounding projects in hopes that voters will say yes. And to those who would prefer to approve everything our government does, it’s not really been good for oversight either, as it encourages governments to put “flashy” projects into a levy in order to encourage YEs votes.2) Everyone — including, conveniently, the media — seem to have forgotten that the Move Seattle Levy didn’t “promise” to build out lots of things. The campaign for it was very clear that we wanted to raise local funds to be matched by state and federal tax dollars and grants. So when life and the economy caused those funds to dry up, then there were fewer or NO matching funds. The Levy never promised to build everything solely with out local dollars.

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