Category Archives: Government

Regional Light Rail Undergoing Expansion

With increasing ridership and voter support, regional transportation agency Sound Transit is expanding its services throughout the Puget Sound area. Formed in 1996 with the approval of King, Pierce, and Snohomish county voters amidst increasing traffic congestion, ST operates now … Continue reading

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Seattle Planners Release Marijuana Map

City planners today at the Seattle Department of Planning and Development released a preliminary map of areas where marijuana farms, processors, and stores may be located within city limits. According to the Seattle Times, the areas have not yet not … Continue reading

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Seattle’s Food Forest Takes Root

A new public food forest is opening over the next year in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood with fruit trees, shrubs, and other food plants that will be available to all visitors. The park will also have private gardening plots, known … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Food, Government, Land Use, Landscape, Policy, Public Space, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

West Coast Leads Electric Vehicle Sales

As electric vehicles gain a foothold in the U.S. auto market, manufacturers are seeing their highest EV sales in west coast cities and states. Data from research firm R.L. Polk shows that Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are three … Continue reading

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Study: U.S. Air Pollution Causes 200,000 Early Deaths Annually

A study published this summer by the MIT Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment quantifies the startling health impact of air pollution on Americans’ health, finding that about 200,000 people die per year a decade before they otherwise would have. … Continue reading

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Problems on SR-520 Floating Bridge Causing Delays, Cost Overruns

The project to replace the Governor Albert D. Rosellini/Evergreen Point Bridge, the world’s longest floating bridge, is facing costly delays due to design and construction problems by WSDOT and contractor Kiewit. Now due to open a year and a half … Continue reading

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New Columbia River Bridge Project Cancelled

The Columbia River Crossing, a joint venture between the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation, was recently cancelled. The project would have replaced the pair of Interstate 5 bridges, built in 1917 and and 1958, rebuilt several highway interchanges north … Continue reading

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Seattle Waterfront Plan Remains Car-Centric

The Alaskan Way Viaduct in downtown Seattle, a concrete double-decker relic of the 1950s highway boom, was slated for removal after damage from the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. The WSDOT, in partnership with the City of Seattle, Port of Seattle, and … Continue reading

Posted in Biking, Buses, Editorial, Government, Land Use, Landscape, Parks, Rail, Roads, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Washington State Ferries Upgrading Fleet

The Washington State Ferries (WSF) system is the largest of its kind in the United States, operating 22 vessels and carrying over 22 million passengers per year on 10 routes. The service is operated by the state Department of Transportation … Continue reading

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My Time at a City Committee Meeting

Currently and last summer I’ve had the unique opportunity to intern with my hometown planning department. This year an anonymous art donation prompted the new planning director, who is a graduate of the same program I will be attending, to … Continue reading

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