The Redmond City Council held a regular business meeting on April 7, 2026, at 7:00 PM at City Hall. The agenda included a proclamation for National Poetry Month, a presentation by Move Redmond, public comments, approval of a consent agenda, a staff report on the 2026 Transportation Demand Management (TDM) overview, ombudsperson reports, committee reports, and an executive session on real estate acquisition. The meeting was streamed live and available for remote participation.
Six individuals spoke during Items from the Audience (five in person, one remotely).
2026 Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Overview: Staff from Planning and Community Development (Carol Helen, Serafy Allen, Michael Hince, Caroline Chapman, Linnea Taylor) presented the TDM program, which aims to expand mobility and reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips. Key elements included:
Red Link Pilot Update: Michael Hince reported that in its first month, Red Link had over 1,000 rides. Top pickup/drop-off locations were Marymoor and Downtown Redmond light rail stations, Amazon facility, hotels, and Salt & Straw. Peak demand times were 8:30–9:00 AM, noon, and 5:00 PM. The service currently operates three Volkswagen ID Buzz vehicles; a fourth ADA-accessible vehicle (GEM Wave) was delayed due to shipping damage but expected to arrive that weekend. Metrics tracked include passengers per service hour (target: 3/hr, currently halfway there). The city hopes to demonstrate demand to potentially expand MetroFlex service. Safety protocols and app improvements are being addressed. Councilmembers asked about expansion to Overlake and North Redmond, shared parking, and employer partnerships. Councilmembers expressed strong support and excitement.
2026, commenc at 7 o'clock PM. I will call roll starting with Council President Stewart. Here. Council Vice President Nueva Kamina. Here. Councilmember Forsyth. Here. Councilmember Prokria. Here. Councilmember Parsi. Here. Councilmember Sony. Here. And Councilmember Gritzer. Here. The first item on the agenda is a proclamation for National Poetry Month. Whereas National Poetry Month seeks to highlight the legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets, introduce Americans to the benefit of reading poetry, bring poetry to the public in innovative ways, make poetry an important part of our children's education. And whereas poetry has produced some of the nation's leading creative artists and has inspired other artists in fields such as music, theater, film, dance, and the visual arts. And whereas poetry as an essential part of the arts and humanities affects every aspect of the American life, including education, the economy, and community pride and development. And whereas Redmond invests in poets and literary organizations through grants, partnerships, and commissions. And whereas the City of Redmond strives to make poetry accessible to everyone by providing unique art and cultural experiences that build a high quality of life in the community through the city's poet laureate program. And whereas the Redmond Poet Laureate program produces a variety of opportunities for residents and visitors to build a more literate and understanding community through poetry. Now, therefore, I, Angela Burney, mayor of the City of Redmond, Washington, to hereby proclaim April 2026 as Poetry Month and encourage residents to participate in city nonprofit organizations and private venue literary arts programs and to follow the City of Redmond Parks and Recreation social media pages for poems and poetic activities during the month of April. And with that, I would like to introduce our poet laureate, Nancy Morboro. And invite her to share a poet, a poem with us. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, my name is Nancy Mboro, and I will read a poem called Interview with Art. I believe in journalistic integrity. I seek to strip away the mask to see the bare bones that hold up the work of his hands. So I interview his closest friend, experience. Pain, he said, was the secret ingredient, the ability to capture it in its rawest form, find the corners of vulnerability, arouse the right amount of curiosity, weaponize the trigger called shock. That was art. You needed to live it to give life. Or lean on imitation, a pale comparison, but with the right kind of artistry, it was the highest form of flattery. Second, I interviewed culture. Hell has no fury like a woman's corned muse, she said, was the secret ingredient. Where I saw, he ripped. Where they where they branded me barbaric, they hailed him art. Grifting. He repackaged and performed palatability, endorsed mostly by nobility, evolving and refining, but make no mistake. Foresight, he said, is the secret. The ability to see the places that needed to be bent, the versions that needed a sunset, and those that needed a sunrise. He was a student of time, a wielder of perception. Thank you. I will share a little bit about the project that I'll be working on this year. It is storytelling poetry project, and it's a two-part project. The first part involves interviewing the people that live in Redmond, and the second part involves writing poems that are inspired by them. And then at the end of the year on December 11th, we're gonna have a community showcase. So everyone will get the opportunity to enjoy the interviews as well as the poems.