(SDOT camera at 35th/Holden, south end of newest corridor proposal)
One week after the end of public feedback on his initial $1.35 billion proposal for the new transportation levy, Mayor Harrell has just announced the revised plan. He’s added another $100 million, so it’s now a $1.45 billion, nine-year levy. But the list of potential West Seattle projects in the overview has been scaled back since that previous announcement (here’s our West Seattle-focused report from April).
Perhaps the biggest West Seattle change is a reduction for what’s envisioned for a “corridor” project on 35th SW – instead of the previously mentioned project (including repaving) from Morgan to Alaska, the revised levy only mentions Morgan to Holden. The revised levy document also no longer mentions Fauntleroy Way SW (the Triangle section was originally in the now-expiring Levy to Move Seattle, then shelved in case light rail needed that corridor). The one West Seattle holdover from the first proposal is at Olson, toward the end of the Roxbury corridor:
Olson Pl SW / 1st Ave S: 2nd Ave SW to SW Cloverdale St — Street reconstruction with a widened sidewalk or trail and treatments to keep vehicles from skidding on wet pavement.
We note two additions: On the list of potential sidewalk projects, the new proposal adds SW Brandon between 26th and 30th, something that’s been on the North Delridge wish list forever. And a “transit corridor performance project” is proposed for the block of SW Oregon between California and 44th.
The reduction in named West Seattle projects doesn’t necessarily mean this area is getting less investment – there are many categories in which the plan doesn’t go into detail (we asked about specifics previously and SDOT said those were yet to come). You can read the city’s overview of the new proposal here, and more details here. Now it goes to the City Council, with District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka leading the review as chair of the Transportation Committee and the all-councilmembers Select Committee focusing on the levy, starting next Tuesday morning (here’s the agenda).
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