Mayor Ed Murray announces Move Seattle levy

With Seattle’s current transportation levy set to expire at the end of 2015, Mayor Ed Murray on Wednesday announced an ambitious transportation levy to fund the Move Seattle plan, Murray’s 10-year transportation vision that integrates transit, walking, biking, driving and freight. The nine-year, $900 million proposal would replace the existing Bridging the Gap levy, which was $365 million over nine years.

What does the proposed levy mean for people who bike in Seattle?

The levy would:

• Build 50 miles of protected bike lanes and 60 miles of greenways, which equates to 50 percent of the “citywide network” identified in the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP).
• Build the Missing Link segment of the Burke-Gilman Trail and the Northgate Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge.
• Complete safe walking and bike routes to ALL Seattle public schools
• Complete 7-10 multimodal corridor projects that should improve conditions for all people choosing to ride a bike, walk, use transit or drive.
• Build bicycle and pedestrian connections to light rail stations.
• Install over 1,500 new bicycle parking spots citywide.

We applaud Mayor Murray for his vision and dedication to creating a Seattle in which all people can travel safely, conveniently and quickly where they need to go regardless of their preferred mode of transportation.The levy is critical to make this vision a reality, and Cascade will work with its partners and the city to help further refine and pass the levy.

But as Mayor Murray said, the Transportation Levy to Move Seattle will not meet all of Seattle’s transportation needs and additional funding will be needed to fully implement the BMP over its 20-year horizon. Cascade will continue to work with the Mayor’s office, City Council and SDOT to find additional funding sources to fully implement the BMP's vision of a network of safe, connected and convenient bikeways in all neighborhoods of the city as soon as possible.

Learn more about the proposed levy and weigh-in: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/moveSeattle.htmhttp://www.seattle.gov/transportation/moveSeattle.htm