Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed 2025-26 SDOT budget (PDF) had to be written assuming the 2015 Move Seattle Levy will expire at the end of 2024 without a replacement. So it is a grim look at how SDOT’s work would be gutted if voters do not approve the Seattle Transportation Levy (Proposition 1) on the November ballot.
“With fewer financial resources available, SDOT will focus on capital project delivery for existing work and commitments made in the levy,” the budget overview notes. “Less will be spent on maintenance and preservation of assets (roads, bridges, transit, pedestrian and bike facilities), while innovations and system enhancements will be delayed to a future time when more resources are available. This slowing of maintenance and asset preservation work will affect transportation safety, mobility of goods and services, and climate and environmental goals.”
The expiring levy has provided $103 million per year, and the only way to craft a budget without that $103 million is to slash pretty much everything. The result is a budget that focuses on the non-optional functions of the department like moving bridge operations, emergency weather response, court-mandated accessibility fixes, some safety elements of the Vision Zero program, fixing dangerous road deterioration, and keeping lines painted. Investments to get ahead on road maintenance, expand the bike network, maintain or improve trails, fully rebuild roadways (rather than simply adding yet more patches), complete seismic retrofits for bridges, provide bus and streetcar operating costs, or build new sidewalks would all be slashed hard. SDOT staffing would also be reduced, which would harm the effectiveness of essentially every department team.
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