FoS.blog

• At Upcoming Open Houses, the Public Can Comment on the Bored-Tunnel Plan

  From the State Department of Transportation: Learn more about the bored tunnel recommendation - Attend a public scoping open house on Feb. 23 and 24 You’re invited to attend a public scoping open house and get a first look at the bored tunnel recommendation to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. [...]
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  Posted: February 13, 2009, 10:53am EST
  by editor

• Thu 2/12 - Streets for People Kickoff Forum

  Seattle’s abuzz with people working to improve their neighborhood streets by making them better for walking, biking, transit and trees. What if we could all find each other, so we could learn from and support each other? Why – that would be a MOVEMENT!* Join us & connect with others [...]
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  Posted: February 04, 2009, 3:52pm EST
  by editor

• Blog Is on Hiatus

  Come back later. [...]
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  Posted: February 04, 2009, 11:43pm EST
  by editor

• “There Won’t Be Any Cost Overruns,” Promises State Transportation Secretary Regarding the Bored Tunnel

  Bold. We'll see.' [...]
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  Posted: January 28, 2009, 10:08pm EST
  by editor

• Anti-Bored-Tunnel Initiative 99 Is Filed

  So reports the Seattle Times. I-99 sponsor Elizabeth Campbell and her comrades need 18,000 signatures by July 20. [...]
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  Posted: January 26, 2009, 8:43pm EST
  by editor

• Plan, Set Priorities, and Embrace Tolls Says Ex-Transportation Secretary

  Reacting to the bored-tunnel plan, ex-Washington State Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald wrote an excellent column in Crosscut today. He is asking the right questions: Are we wisely capturing new technology and innovation to build a transportation system that conserves energy and serves tomorrow’s job economy? Or are we still trapped [...]
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  Posted: January 26, 2009, 8:39pm EST
  by editor

• Seattle Inventor's Prototype Personal Windmills Shows Promise

  We've written about micro wind-power generation before, so we were pleased to see today's newstory about a Seattle inventor who has developed a clever design for a personal windmill. Thomas Key, who works on the renewable-energy program of the Electric Power Research Institute, believes that micro wind-power generation is infeasible,' [...]
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  Posted: January 26, 2009, 8:17pm EST
  by editor

• Other Notable Bills: Infrastructure for Electric, Greenhouse-Gas Amendments to the GMA

  The Legislature will also consider a proposed bill providing for the development of infrastructure that would support electric vehicle infrastructure, which the bill defines as "structures, labor, machinery, equipment, circuitry, and electrical appliances necessary to support an electric vehicle, including battery recharging stations and outlets and battery exchange stations." Sen. [...]
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  Posted: January 21, 2009, 6:21pm EST
  by editor

• Proposed Bill Would Recommend a 3-Foot Buffer for Cars Passing Bicyclists and Pedestrians

  SB 5335 (pdf), a bill introduced by State Sen. Ken Jacobsen, would recommend---but not require---that motorists provide a three-foot buffer between their vehicles and any bicyclists or pedestrians whom they pass. Do you think it should be a legal requirement rather than a mere recommendation? Email Sen. Jacobsen. [...]
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  Posted: January 21, 2009, 6:03pm EST
  by editor

• State Transportation Appropriations Bill Introduced by State Rep. Judy Clibborn

  See it here (pdf). [...]
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  Posted: January 21, 2009, 5:53pm EST
  by editor

• Transportation Choices Coalition Starts a Blog

  Featuring Andrew Austin, TCC's new Policy Associate, the new blog features a post on the progress of the new transit-oriented-communities bill in the Legislature: [...]
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  Posted: January 20, 2009, 6:47pm EST
  by editor

• Progressives Endorse Sherril Huff for King County Elections Director

  Fuse Washington and a host of other progressive groups have endorsed Sherril Huff for King County Elections Director. Although Friends of Seattle will not be endorsing anyone in this race, many of Huff's endorsers are reliable progressives whom we can trust---Fuse, Washington Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, and more. For this [...]
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  Posted: January 19, 2009, 5:46pm EST
  by editor

• Seattle Times Ed Board Lauds Bored-Tunnel Proposal for Replacing Viaduct

  Using words such as "visionary," "complicated," and "serious" to describe the bored-tunnel proposal for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the Seattle Times editorial board appears to have suddenly developed a taste for tunnels and a tolerance for taxes. We can't figure out why, though. The ed. board obviously loves that [...]
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  Posted: January 18, 2009, 1:04pm EST
  by editor

• State Legislature May Ban Bag Fees

  State Rep. Takko, who represents a district in the Tri-Cities area and is a huge booster of the wood-products industry (i.e., paper-bag manufacturers), had promised last summer to introduce a bill banning Washington cities from imposing bag fees like Seattle's. He has followed through on his promise: House Bill 1154 [...]
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  Posted: January 16, 2009, 9:47am EST
  by editor

• State Sen. Stevens Wants All Toll Revenue to Fund Highways, Not Transit

  This is a bad idea:Senate Joint Resolution 8207 (Requiring that toll revenues be used exclusively for highway purposes) Introduced by Sen. Val Stevens, (R-Arlington) (R) on January 15, 2009, proposes an amendment to the state Constitution to include toll revenues in the defined fees to be used exclusively for highway [...]
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  Posted: January 16, 2009, 9:37am EST
  by editor

• State Sen. Kline Introduces Bill Changing State "Vesting" Laws

  Under current law, a development project "vests" when the developers applies for permits, meaning any changes in land-use regulations do not affect the project. In effect, Washington's vesting rule freezes land-use regulations in time, and local governments may not require the development to comply with new land-use laws. But that [...]
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  Posted: January 16, 2009, 9:28am EST
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• The Stranger: Tunnel Advocates Viaduct Could Inadvertently Boost the Chopp Plan

  Erica C. Barnett of The Stranger raises an interesting point:The Great Wall of Chopp can still be beaten, but only if the people who oppose it—that would be just about everyone—can get together behind an option instead of bickering among themselves. And that's a big if—currently, opponents of the Chopp [...]
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  Posted: December 18, 2008, 2:25pm EST
  by editor

• 12/2: League Public Forum: Replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct

  We recommend this upcoming event on the Alaskan Way Viaduct: WHO: Panelists include Grace Crunican, Seattle Department of Transportation; Patrick Gordon, Chair, Downtown Seattle Association; Cary Moon, People's Waterfront Coalition; Dave Freiboth, King County Labor Council. WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 6-8 pm WHERE: Seattle City Hall, 1F, Bertha Landes Room [...]
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  Posted: November 28, 2008, 10:58am EST
  by editor

• Volunteer for Parks Campaign on Saturday

  Help get the word out about Seattle Prop 2, the Parks and Green Spaces Levy. Join the Seattle Parks for All campaign in distributing literature to key voters. Last weekend, volunteers distributed information to almost 13,000 households; we're hoping to have an even more successful round this weekend. FoS volunteers [...]
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  Posted: October 15, 2008, 10:02am EDT
  by editor

• Reminder: Tomorrow Is the Sound Transit Expansion Plan Q & A

  Tuesday, Sept. 9, 5:30PM McLeod Residence at (2209 2nd Ave, Belltown) Have questions on the Sound Transit expansion plan that will be on your November ballot? So do we. That's why we've put together a question and answer session with Sound Transit's Executive Director of Policy, Planning and Public Administration, [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2008, 12:55pm EDT
  by editor

• Friends of Seattle Endorses the Parks Levy

  This November, Seattleites will be asked to vote on a new Pro Parks Levy. We believe this ballot measure deserves your support, and here's why we're endorsing it: Parks and green open spaces are a vital part of a sustainable, livable Seattle. This levy includes $24 million for new parks [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2008, 12:53pm EDT
  by editor

• Friends of Seattle Endorses the Pike Place Market Levy

  When you think of what makes Seattle special, no doubt the Pike Place Market comes to mind. This fall, voters are asked to to approve a $73 million Market Levy, and we endorse this ballot measure. Here's why: The Pike Place Market is the nation's oldest public farmers' market, turning [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2008, 12:50pm EDT
  by editor

• Maybe the City Council Should Pass New Laws Protecting Bicyclists

  We're wondering whether the City of Seattle has any special civil or criminal laws protecting bicycle riders from assault and dangerous behavior by motorists. Many of you have probably read about the New York Police Department officer who, without provocation, assaulted a bicycle rider participating in a Critical Mass ride [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2008, 11:18am EDT
  by editor

• Windy Seattle: Micro Wind Power May Not Be Economically or Environmentally Beneficial---Yet

  It is likely that personal wind farms, rooftop solar panels, and the like will not save the planet, but we have a hunch that they might be one of the many little things that we can do to achieve one big thing---reduce the environmental effects of generating electricity. The Nickels [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2008, 10:57am EDT
  by editor

• Tonight Go to an Event About Neighborhood Blogs

  This looks like a winner. From the Seattle Works weekly email:** Neighborhood Blogs: What's All the Buzz About? ** Thurs 9/4 Registration 5:30pm, Program: 6pm, Expert-led blogging time: 7:30-8pm Seattle Public Library - Central Branch, 1000 Fourth Avenue Free! From Ballard to Burien, from West Seattle to South Lake Union, [...]
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  Posted: September 04, 2008, 11:25am EDT
  by editor

• Mayor Nickels Proposes Several Visionary Amendments to the City's Comprehensive Plan

  The recent issue of the city Department of Planning and Development's dpdINFO newsletter (PDF) contains Mayor Nickels' proposals to amend the city's Comprehensive Plan. (In case you're wondering, the Comprehensive Plan is something that the city is required to have under the state's Growth Management Act. It plans for growth [...]
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  Posted: September 03, 2008, 11:02am EDT
  by editor

• D.C. Launches Its Own Bike-Sharing Program

  Because we support bike-sharing programs, we thought you might like to know that D.C. has launched a bike-sharing program of its own: Apparently a bike-sharing program was also implemented for the Democratic Convention in Denver, and Ron Sims has reported that a bike-sharing program is currently being planned for King [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2008, 11:48am EDT
  by editor

• Car-Free Sunday in Columbia City Appears to Have Been Very Popular

  The city's first Car-Free Sunday was not treated well by the weather, but according to the Bus Chick the Car-Free Sunday, Columbia City version, was well-attended on Sunday. Of course, Nicole Brodeur famously whined that "Seattle is so desperate to be green and gracious, it's making some of us red [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2008, 11:33am EDT
  by editor

• To Make Seattle Child-Friendly, Pass the Parks Levy

  We often enjoy reading the columns on Crosscut by the urban demographer Richard Morrill, a former UW professor. While we often don't agree with his conclusions, we find his analyses of different issues to be piercing and timely. He recently wrote about the new data showing that Seattle is perhaps [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2008, 10:41am EDT
  by editor

• Parks Levy Campaign's Website Is Live

  The Seattle Parks for All campaign has a beautiful new website with a cool, functional social-networking feature and plenty of information about the fall parks levy. It even includes an interactive map and information about volunteering opportunities this weekend. e [...]
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  Posted: August 30, 2008, 2:43pm EDT
  by editor

• Upcoming Public Meetings on Viaduct Replacement Options

  From the WSDOT Viaduct Project team's email update:We are coming to a neighborhood near you to gather comments on proposed replacement options for the viaduct’s central waterfront section. Come learn about the plan to take down this section of the viaduct in 2012. In September, WSDOT, King County, City of [...]
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  Posted: August 30, 2008, 2:36pm EDT
  by editor

• If You Zone for It, They Will Build It

  Mathew Yglesias has it right when he observes that our built environment---which is dominated by single-family homes spaced far-apart on large lots---is not the result of some natural phenomenon or some inherent American preference for suburbia:[T]o make a long story short, we have the built environment we have because of [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2008, 7:47pm EDT
  by editor

• Did Anyone Else Already Know the Globe Is Dimming?

  Holy crap. We sat down to watch a few minutes of TV today and turned to PBS. Our mood darkened immediately after watching a little of the NOVA program "Dimming the Sun." Air pollutants caused by human activity is not only warming the planet, but it is also reducing the [...]
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  Posted: August 06, 2008, 9:11pm EDT
  by editor

• The City Needs Bike Boulevards

  We're not always fond of traffic calming techniques. Our reasoning is that traffic calming often makes a street near-useless for any purpose other than neighborhood parking. If the City is going to impose traffic calming on so many streets, at least it could do what Portland does and make the [...]
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  Posted: July 11, 2008, 11:24pm EDT
  by editor

• Using Belgian Blocks to Improve the Urban Environment for Pedestrians

  Car-dominated streets are lousy places to walk. To reduce the impacts of traffic, the City of Seattle runs a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. "Traffic calming" refers to the tricks that the City uses to make it a pain in the ass to drive through side streets---traffic circles, chicanes, speed humps, [...]
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  Posted: July 11, 2008, 10:46pm EDT
  by editor

• Growth Is an Opportunity to Create Better Urban Communities

  We love the optimism in today's op-ed by Futurewise's Dan Cantrell and Transportation Choices Coalition's Jessyn Farrell:The Seattle region, for the first six years anyway, has grown somewhat faster than the 2002 forecasts predicted. Growth brings challenges, but also opportunities. Seattle is growing because of our strong regional economy and [...]
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  Posted: July 08, 2008, 11:53am EDT
  by editor

• Times Editorial Board Applauds Metro Fare Increase

  The Seattle Times editorial board likes the $0.25 Metro fare increase.A 25-cent bump in adult fares on Metro Transit will help keep buses rolling and routes expanding. That is worth an extra two bits. The King County bus system is not immune to the same soaring fuels costs that helped [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2008, 11:55am EDT
  by editor

• Because of High Gas Prices, Ex-Suburbanites Might Flock to Cities

  From today's Seattle Times.A Portland economist predicts that buyers soon will choose where to live based on what they would spend for gasoline. That, eventually, will devalue suburban housing while strengthening in-city home prices, says Joe Cortright, whose Portland consulting firm, Impresa, recently released a report saying as much to [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2008, 8:24am EDT
  by editor

• Commuters Are Choosing to Bike More, But Seattle's Cycling Infrastructure Isn't Keeping Up

  So reports the Seattle Times. Maybe it's just the nice weather. But bicycle shops are reporting huge sales boosts, and we've noticed more bicyclists on the streets recently. The City's Bicycle Master Plan will provide more infrastructure for bicyclists:With a bike advocate in Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, city officials have [...]
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  Posted: July 06, 2008, 3:38pm EDT
  by editor

• Paris Planning New Electric Car Sharing Program

  After posting about municipal bike sharing progams, we came across CoolTown Studios' post about a new electric car sharing program in Paris. Zipcar is great, but Paris's Autolib program seems better. It's car sharing 2.0. Not only are the cars electric, but the computerized system allows users to park the [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2008, 1:23pm EDT
  by editor

• Bike Sharing and So Can Seattle

  Barcelona: Read more about the Barcelona program. Corporate-sponsored program in Vancouver, BC: Paris: Read more about the Paris program. Bring this to Seattle, please! UPDATE: Portland is struggling to get its own bike-sharing program off the ground. (Via Planetizen) [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2008, 12:54pm EDT
  by editor

• We Should Start Our Own "Ciclova," the Ultimate Street Festival

  Watch this video by Streetfilms: Dear City of Seattle: Please make this happen here. Sincerely, Friends of Seattle [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2008, 12:20am EDT
  by editor

• Americans Continue to Drive Less, Take Transit More

  An amazing graph in the Times: With our buses and commuter trains full, these irreversible trends beg the question: how are we going to invest in what people are demanding -- transit? Sound Transit expansion, without more, is not enough to meet our needs. [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2008, 12:16am EDT
  by editor

• Metro Will Increase Regular Fare by $0.25

  The Times has the story: The proposed increase, to begin Oct. 1, is meant to offset the skyrocketing price of diesel fuel, said County Executive Ron Sims, who announced the plan Thursday morning. It would be the second fare increase this year. Metro raised prices a quarter in March to [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2008, 12:08am EDT
  by editor

• Ah, Seattle Transportation Planning

  SEATTLEST'S FRUSTRATION: Downtown streetlights synchronized for first time in 20 years. Further proving that Seattle traffic planning has previously been a huge, cruel joke upon the people trying to utilize it--the city announced yesterday that they synchronized downtown traffic lights for the first time in 20 years. Streetlights at 258 [...]
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  Posted: July 04, 2008, 4:05pm EDT
  by editor

• Everett Herald favors a vote on Sound Transit in 2010

  WAIT UNTIL 2010: HeraldNet: Everett Herald favors a vote on Sound Transit in 2010. Proponents of a 2008 vote may believe the large voter turnout expected because of the presidential race works in favor of approval. But the sagging economy doesn't. Another rejection, just one year after the last, could [...]
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  Posted: May 02, 2008, 9:48am EDT
  by editor

• Rasmussen on the Parks Levy

  RASMUSSEN ON THE PARKS LEVY: The West Seattle Hearld published an op-ed. Councilmember Rasmussen didn't commit to putting a levy on the ballot, but seems very open to the idea if the public support is there: The Council will thoughtfully and carefully explore new parks and green space funding and [...]
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  Posted: May 02, 2008, 9:16am EDT
  by editor

• Boomtown

  BOOMTOWN: If regional leaders get their way. The combined populations of Seattle and Bellevue could grow by nearly 300,000 under a plan that attempts to direct much of the region's projected growth to its largest cities. That's from the Puget Sound Regional Council's Vision 2040 plan. That goal fits well [...]
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  Posted: April 25, 2008, 12:35pm EDT
  by editor

• Skycrapers planned for Denny Triangle are on hold

  SKYSCRAPERS PLANNED FOR DENNY TRIANGLE ARE ON HOLD: The Wall Street Journal Reports. [...]
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  Posted: April 25, 2008, 12:31pm EDT
  by editor

• Citizens Will Advise Council on Parks Levy

  ONE STEP CLOSER: The City Council appointed an advisory council to evaluate a new Pro Parks Levy. The advisory group is scheduled to have public meetings May 12, 14, and 15 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., locations TBD. [...]
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  Posted: April 21, 2008, 4:20pm EDT
  by editor

• Friendly and unfriendly streets in Seattle

  FRIENDLY AND UNFRIENDLY STREETS IN SEATTLE: How can new housing create great streets? With "street walls," says hugeasscity. Right on. [...]
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  Posted: April 09, 2008, 8:07am EDT
  by editor

• TO MANAGE GROWTH OR NOT TO MANAGE GROWTH

  TO MANAGE GROWTH OR NOT TO MANAGE GROWTH: One camps says land use regulations pushes out the middle class. Seattle and Washington state's land-use regulations have increased home costs by $200,000, even taking into account inflation and demand. That's a... [...]
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  Posted: April 09, 2008, 8:01am EDT
  by editor

• What's up with the Viaduct?

  WHAT'S UP WITH THE VIADUCT? Here's your answer. Members of the Seattle City and King County councils, in an unusual joint session, heard Monday about dozens of ways to handle diverted traffic if the viaduct is permanently removed or while... [...]
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  Posted: April 08, 2008, 12:57pm EDT
  by editor

• Little Saigon neighborhood won't benefit from big-box mall

  THE HEADLINE SAYS IT ALL: Little Saigon neighborhood won't benefit from big-box mall. To preserve Little Saigon, growth needs to happen at a reasonable pace with focused management. Seattle knows this. We had these values in mind before when we... [...]
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  Posted: April 04, 2008, 10:35pm EDT
  by editor

• Design firms are envisioning urban farms built in skyscraper form

  FOOD FROM THE SKY: Design firms are envisioning urban farms built in skyscraper form. [...]
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  Posted: April 03, 2008, 10:46pm EDT
  by editor

• Nickels' street projects plan hits roadblock

  SOUTH LAKE UNION MAY GET THE SHAFT! But if Magnolia gets its way, it may get a new bridge. The hubbub: Mayor Greg Nickels' new financing plan for the Mercer and South Spokane Street improvement projects raised a long list... [...]
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  Posted: April 02, 2008, 2:30pm EDT
  by editor

• They love their buses in Snohomish County

  BUS RIDERSHIP GROWS UP NORTH TOO: They love their buses in Snohomish County. Community Transit reports that its annual ridership grew by 10 percent last year, to a record 10.9 million riders. Similar increases are being seen this year, too.... [...]
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  Posted: April 02, 2008, 11:18am EDT
  by editor

• Metro is packing passengers like sardines... and keeping them waiting.

  THIS ISN'T NEWS TO REGULAR BUS RIDERS. Metro is packing passengers like sardines... and keeping them waiting. The good news: Metro also applies other strategies to keep the buses running on time. In arrangements coordinated with city traffic engineers, some... [...]
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  Posted: March 31, 2008, 8:29pm EDT
  by editor

• Bring double decker buses to Seattle!

  BRING DOUBLE-DECKER BUSES TO SEATTLE! Cool. [...]
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  Posted: March 31, 2008, 8:23pm EDT
  by editor

• WASHINGTON, DC WRESTLES WITH URBAN VISIONS

  WASHINGTON, DC WRESTLES WITH URBAN VISIONS. Yes, as we urbanists push for the rebirth or our cities, we often struggle with what we mean by urbanism. What does a great city look like, anyway? [...]
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  Posted: March 30, 2008, 12:09pm EDT
  by editor

• DENSITY AND DESIGN

  DENSITY AND DESIGN. Can multifamily housing be beautiful? What is the outcome we seek for denser neighborhoods? [...]
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  Posted: March 30, 2008, 12:02pm EDT
  by editor

• APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION IS BOOMING

  APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION IS BOOMING. The main reason: Rents continue to climb, rising 2.1 percent over the previous quarter and almost 9 percent over the first quarter of 2007. The average annual increase for all size units was $84 a month. [...]
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  Posted: March 30, 2008, 11:44am EDT
  by editor

• NEW YORK STEPS CLOSER TO CONGESTION PRICING

  NEW YORK STEPS CLOSER TO CONGESTION PRICING. Seattle should keep moving in that direction too. [...]
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  Posted: March 28, 2008, 9:33am EDT
  by editor

• CURITIBA, BRAZIL IS KICKING OUR ASS.

  CURITIBA, BRAZIL IS KICKING OUR ASS. The city utilizes a system of bus lines that range from neighborhood shuttles to high-speed transit lanes. The city�s whole transit system relies only on buses, which travel as fast as subways but cost... [...]
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  Posted: March 28, 2008, 9:28am EDT
  by editor

• SIERRA CLUB DEMANDS BETTER OF SOUND TRANSIT.

  SIERRA CLUB DEMANDS BETTER OF SOUND TRANSIT. Carless in Seattle has the scoop. [...]
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  Posted: March 28, 2008, 9:25am EDT
  by editor

• LET'S GET WONKY: MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DO-OVER

  LET'S GET WONKY: MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DO-OVER. This is important, actually. Little else the city does over the next several years will equally affect our built environment. [...]
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  Posted: March 28, 2008, 9:22am EDT
  by editor

• ATLANTA ISN'T KICKING OUR ASS

  ATLANTA ISN'T KICKING OUR ASS. At least one other city in the country is moving as indecisively as ours. Via Planetizen. [...]
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  Posted: March 28, 2008, 9:18am EDT
  by editor

• TOWERS IN THE PARK: BAD, BAD, BAD

  TOWERS IN THE PARK: BAD, BAD, BAD. What he said. We remember going to a recent event where a panelist was suggesting that Seattle should create more open space by allowing taller, skinnier towers in exchange for plenty of green... [...]
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  Posted: March 28, 2008, 9:15am EDT
  by editor

• SAN FRANCISCO KICKS OUR ASS TOO TOO.

  SAN FRANCISCO KICKS OUR ASS TOO TOO. San Francisco bicyclists would be able to ride on 34 miles of new bike lanes - routes that would, in some cases, mean a loss of curbside automobile parking and traffic lanes, under... [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 3:18pm EDT
  by editor

• NEW YORK IS KICKING OUR ASS TOO.

  NEW YORK IS KICKING OUR ASS TOO. New bus rapid transit there. Oh, that's something Eugene, OR (!) has already managed. Us? We're still just planning for 2010. [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 3:15pm EDT
  by editor

• THE STUPIDEST BIKE LANE.

  THE STUPIDEST BIKE LANE. Hilarious. [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 3:11pm EDT
  by editor

• PORTLAND'S BIG STREETCAR PLANS

  PORTLAND'S BIG STREETCAR PLANS. 75 miles of new tracks. Wow. [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 10:42am EDT
  by editor

• CARS: NOT COOL, REALLY EXPENSIVE

  CARS: NOT COOL, REALLY EXPENSIVE!. Seattle Transit Blog explains more. [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 9:53am EDT
  by editor

• Seattle Streetcar Network: A Peek into the Future

  SEATTLE STREETCAR NETWORK: A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE.That's the subject of the next Transportation Choices Coalition Friday Forum. Check it out: The South Lake Union Streetcar line opened to great fanfare in December of 2007. Now the Mayor and City... [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 9:16am EDT
  by editor

• HURRAY FOR FALLING HOME PRICES!

  HURRAY FOR FALLING HOME PRICES! David Brewster's great take on the recent news: The lamentations about affordability are mostly just pious hand wringing, usually by people who are secretly pleased at how much their home values have been going up.... [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 9:10am EDT
  by editor

• FACTORIES IN SEATTLE

  FACTORIES IN SEATTLE. They're finding it hard to stay around, or at least to stay quiet about not staying around. [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 9:08am EDT
  by editor

• DENVER IS KICKING OUR ASS

  DENVER IS KICKING OUR ASS. The metro area FasTracks project, approved by voters in seven Colorado counties in 2004 and managed by Denver's Regional Transportation District, is the unifying element in our regional community planning efforts. The $4.7 billion, 12-year... [...]
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  Posted: March 26, 2008, 4:37pm EDT
  by editor

• Let's Pave Streets Green.

  Let's Pave Streets Green. What he said. [...]
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  Posted: March 26, 2008, 4:28pm EDT
  by editor

• CA Highway gridlock?

  In perusing the papers this morning, I found this article about the repairs to the overpasses on the Bay Bridge in Oakland. As many may have heard, a gasoline tanker crashed and caught fire on an on-ramp. The resulting blaze... [...]
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  Posted: May 03, 2007, 9:55am EDT
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• CA Highway gridlock?

  In perusing the papers this morning, I found this article about the repairs to the overpasses on the Bay Bridge in Oakland. As many may have heard, a gasoline tanker crashed and caught fire on an on-ramp. The resulting blaze... [...]
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  Posted: May 03, 2007, 8:55am EDT
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• all is quiet on the FoS.blog front

  Have you wondered why the posting has been so intermittent here recently? A few reasons explain why. After the Viaduct election, we've been catching our breath and focusing our attention on other issues. We are preparing our endorsement process for... [...]
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  Posted: April 10, 2007, 12:40am EDT
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• all is quiet on the FoS.blog front

  Have you wondered why the posting has been so intermittent here recently? A few reasons explain why. After the Viaduct election, we've been catching our breath and focusing our attention on other issues. We are preparing our endorsement process for... [...]
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  Posted: April 10, 2007, 11:40pm EDT
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• City Council Races Heating Up... A Little

  Erica Barnett reports on Slog that John Manning is running for the City Council position that Peter Steinbrueck is vacating. His opponents at this point are Venus Velazquez and Bruce Harrell, both of whom Barnett profiles in this week's The... [...]
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  Posted: March 29, 2007, 12:01am EDT
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• City Council Races Heating Up... A Little

  Erica Barnett reports on Slog that John Manning is running for the City Council position that Peter Steinbrueck is vacating. His opponents at this point are Venus Velazquez and Bruce Harrell, both of whom Barnett profiles in this week's The... [...]
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  Posted: March 29, 2007, 11:01pm EDT
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• Reducing Driving By Charging By the Mile

  King County will start a three year pilot program to encourage insurance companies to develop insurance policies where they charge per mile driven. The rates would be variable, with miles driven at peak hours costing more than offpeak. It's a... [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2007, 7:38pm EDT
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• Reducing Driving By Charging By the Mile

  King County will start a three year pilot program to encourage insurance companies to develop insurance policies where they charge per mile driven. The rates would be variable, with miles driven at peak hours costing more than offpeak. It's a... [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2007, 6:38pm EDT
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• Micro Homes

  Friends of Seattle steering committee member Kathleen Sullivan is Senior Editor at The Internationalist. They have a great interview posted with Tim Russell of v2world, a builder of "micro homes." Check it out. Some interesting ideas on how to build... [...]
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  Posted: March 23, 2007, 11:36am EDT
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• Red Seattle and Orange Seattle

  We've seen some excellent commentary about the breakdown of the Viaduct vote by neighborhood. As the P-I reported, the 43rd and 37th Districts delivered the "no" result on the elevated option. The Seattle Times, for one, has tried to spin... [...]
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  Posted: March 23, 2007, 11:32am EDT
  by editor

• Micro Homes

  Friends of Seattle steering committee member Kathleen Sullivan is Senior Editor at The Internationalist. They have a great interview posted with Tim Russell of v2world, a builder of micro homes. Check it out. Some interesting ideas on how to build... [...]
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  Posted: March 23, 2007, 10:36am EDT
  by editor

• Red Seattle and Orange Seattle

  We've seen some excellent commentary about the breakdown of the Viaduct vote by neighborhood. As the P-I reported, the 43rd and 37th Districts delivered the no result on the elevated option. The Seattle Times, for one, has tried to spin... [...]
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  Posted: March 23, 2007, 10:32am EDT
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• Tearing Down Urban Freeways Works in Other Cities

  Planetizen has a great op-ed on the challenges and benefits of tearing down urban freeways and replacing them with a better balance of transportation choices that keeps cars in the picture but invests more in transit, biking, and walking. As... [...]
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  Posted: March 22, 2007, 5:15pm EDT
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• Privately-Operated Tunnel Among Options to Replace Viaduct, Says Conlin

  Councilmember Richard Conlin's office sent the below response to an email message from a Friends of Seattle member. Not surpisingly, he noted that a retrofit will be one of the options considered to address the Viaduct, in addition to surface/transit.... [...]
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  Posted: March 22, 2007, 5:05pm EDT
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• Tearing Down Urban Freeways Works in Other Cities

  Planetizen has a great op-ed on the challenges and benefits of tearing down urban freeways and replacing them with a better balance of transportation choices that keeps cars in the picture but invests more in transit, biking, and walking. As... [...]
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  Posted: March 22, 2007, 4:15pm EDT
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• Privately-Operated Tunnel Among Options to Replace Viaduct, Says Conlin

  Councilmember Richard Conlin's office sent the below response to an email message from a Friends of Seattle member. Not surpisingly, he noted that a retrofit will be one of the options considered to address the Viaduct, in addition to surface/transit.... [...]
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  Posted: March 22, 2007, 4:05pm EDT
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• Council Plans to Release $500K for Surface/Transit

  Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck introduced a bill to release $500,000 for SDOT to study a surface/transit plan for replacing the Viaduct. Another $8 million from SDOT's 2007 budged could be reprogrammed for developing surface/transit. That's because the City had planned to... [...]
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  Posted: March 20, 2007, 3:49pm EDT
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• Council Plans to Release $500K for Surface/Transit

  Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck introduced a bill to release $500,000 for SDOT to study a surface/transit plan for replacing the Viaduct. Another $8 million from SDOT's 2007 budged could be reprogrammed for developing surface/transit. That's because the City had planned to... [...]
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  Posted: March 20, 2007, 2:49pm EDT
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• Transportation Choices Are a Matter of Equity

  We read this morning that elderly drivers tend to get into more accidents at intersections than on highways. Of course, we caution against any conclusion that it would be better to build highways. We find it hard to believe that... [...]
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  Posted: March 19, 2007, 1:56pm EDT
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• Transportation Choices Are a Matter of Equity

  We read this morning that elderly drivers tend to get into more accidents at intersections than on highways. Of course, we caution against any conclusion that it would be better to build highways. We find it hard to believe that... [...]
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  Posted: March 19, 2007, 12:56pm EDT
  by editor