Seattle City Council Transportation Committee Meeting - August 20, 2026
Seattle City Council Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee Meeting - August 20, 2026
The committee met on August 20, 2026, from 9:32 AM to 11:42 AM, chaired by Rob Saka. The agenda included a draft review of the Seattle SAFER Streets Act, a resolution to appoint members of the Transportation Funding Task Force, and a briefing on the Street Improvement Program (SIP). The meeting began with a moment of silence for recent traffic fatalities, including Steve Holzman, Meredith Bonadia, and others. Four of five committee members were present (Eddie Lin excused).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Rob McVickers (builder): Criticized SIP delays, citing an average of 1,484 days for a permit, with 610 days in city control. Gave examples of excessive fees and complexity.
- Kevin G. (South Seattle resident): Urged streamlining SIP and SIP light processes, comparing unfavorably to Fort Worth, Texas.
- Lonnie Bonadia (daughter of traffic fatality victim): Expressed frustration with Vision Zero implementation, called for more proactive safety measures in West Seattle, and urged stronger truck side guard requirements.
- Mike Neckram (builder, West Seattle): Described an eight-year permit process for a street widening, with $120,000 in city review fees. Called for faster technology-based review.
- Everest Derazy (Central District resident, UW student): Concerned about SIP timelines hindering street safety improvements and accessibility for wheelchair users.
- Clive Hayward (performer): Raised concerns about lack of engagement from city staff regarding free speech spaces at the waterfront; cited unresponsive public records requests.
- Josh Friedman (attorney for housing providers): Noted that SIP delays and costs harm affordable housing projects, subsidizing car use at renters' expense.
- Clara Cantor (Seattle Streets Alliance): Thanked council for safety focus, supported intersection daylighting, and noted she was appointed to the Transportation Funding Task Force.
- Tyler Vasquez (Cascade Bicycle Club, District 3 resident): Emphasized the need for operationalizing safety improvements to build trust, and urged proactive, not just reactive, measures.
- Remote commenters:
- Sarah Shacht (Napoleon neighborhood): Criticized SDOT for lack of transparency on the Roosevelt Pinehurst safety plan, citing potential parking removal impacts on low-income residents.
- Billy Heatherington (Laborers Local 242, Good Roads Association): Thanked staff for task force appointment process, noted experience with ADA safety projects.
- Gordon Pedelford (Seattle Streets Alliance): Supported truck side guard requirements, citing UK data showing 61% reduction in cyclist fatalities and 20% reduction in pedestrian fatalities.
Discussion Items
1. Seattle SAFER Streets Act – Draft Review of Traffic Safety Legislation Chair Saka introduced the package, which includes three components: (a) a traffic safety ordinance codifying Vision Zero and the Safe Systems Approach, (b) an ordinance combining the chief safety officer and traffic engineer roles, and (c) a concept to require truck side guards on city contractors. Central Staff (Amanda Allen, Calvin Chow) presented the draft. Key provisions include codifying post-crash safety reviews, intersection daylighting, and mandatory safety project reviews. The package is not yet complete; the chair expects introduction on September 8 and a potential vote on September 17. Councilmembers Rinck and Foster asked clarifying questions about binding versus flexible language, durability, and impacts on department innovation. The chair emphasized that the legislation aims to solidify current best practices while allowing future improvement.
2. Resolution 32215 – Appointing Transportation Funding Task Force Members SDOT (Meghan Shepard, Sarah Strand) presented the resolution, which stems from the 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy. The task force will explore long-term funding for sidewalks, bridges, and pavement. A robust application process yielded a diverse slate of members. The committee voted unanimously (4-0) to recommend adoption. Chair Saka noted the task force will provide recommendations by December 2027, with six-month updates to council.
3. Seattle Street Improvement Program (SIP) Briefing SDOT (Liz Sheldon, Alyse Nelson, Sailaja Tumuluri) provided an overview of the SIP process, which handles complex right-of-way improvements. They noted that less than 3% of construction permits require a SIP or SIP Light permit. Community stakeholders (Logan Schmidt, Master Builders Association; Lucas Herrera, Seattle Builders' Council) highlighted severe delays and costs, with examples of 1,484-day average timelines and disproportionate fees for small projects. They called for streamlined, concurrent review processes similar to Kirkland, WA. SDOT acknowledged the need to reduce review cycles and improve performance metrics. No vote was taken; the briefing was informational.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 32215 (Transportation Funding Task Force appointments) was recommended for adoption by the full council on a 4-0 vote.
- The SAFER Streets Act will be introduced as a complete package on September 8, 2026, with a possible committee vote on September 17, 2026.
- The SIP briefing highlighted ongoing work to streamline permitting; SDOT committed to publishing more granular performance data and reducing review cycle churn. Councilmembers expressed interest in aligning SIP processes with housing goals, particularly for middle-income and affordable housing projects.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Good morning. The August 20th, 2026 meeting of the Safety Transportation Engineering Project Sports and Experiences Committee will come to order. It is 9 32 a.m. I'm Rob Saka, Chair of the Committee. Will the committee clerk please call the role? Councilmember Foster. Councilmember Kettle. Here. Councilmember Lynn. Vice Chair Rink. Here. Chair Saka. Here. Councilmember Foster. Here. Chair, there are four members present. Thank you. Let the record reflect that. Councilmember Lynn is excused until he arrives. All right. If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted. Hearing and seeing no objection, the agenda is hereby adopted. Good morning, colleagues, members of the public. Thank you for joining us today at this morning's meeting. Before we begin today's substantive discussion, I want to start with why we are here. In December 2023, Steve Holzman was struck and killed by a car while riding his bicycle in West Seattle. In December 2024, a 56-year-old woman walking in a crosswalk in South Park was struck and killed at 14th Avenue South and South Henderson Street. Tragically, yet another pedestrian would be killed at the very same intersection just months later in May of 2025. This June, Meredith Bonadia was killed while riding her bicycle in Fontleroy. And just last week, a 37-year-old man riding an electric scooter was struck and killed near 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 85th Street. People walking, people biking, people rolling, vulnerable users whose lives were tragically cut short on Seattle streets. Families and communities forever change. And tragically, they're not alone. As this is simply an illustrative list of people who died on Seattle roads in the last few years alone. So before we continue, I'd like us to observe a brief moment of silence for Steve, Meridi, the two pedestrians in South Park, this most recent victim in the North End, and all those who have lost their lives on Seattle Streets. It is the first S and steps, the informal name. Seattle adopted Vision Zero more than a decade ago. We have made some solid initial progress, but people are still dying. And our outcomes demonstrate something important. Aspir and administrative policy alone are not enough. And that brings us to the first item on today's agenda, which I'm proud to formally unveil today. The Seattle Safer Streets Act. Among other reforms, this package would establish a durable baseline for how SDOT responds after fatal crashes, while putting us on a path toward a faster and more ambitious response. It would advance intersection daylighting and stronger Vision Zero safety reviews. It would use the city's contracting power to advance truck side guard protections on qualifying vehicles performing municipal work. And it will combine and strengthen our chief traffic engineering and safety leadership, empowering that position to move more quickly and cut through interdepartment silos when safety is at stake. Importantly, Safer Streets was not developed in isolation here in City Hall. We listened, we work collaboratively with advocates, affected families, transportation organizers, labor, community members, and others who challenged our city to do better. I've personally gotten to know Rita Holzman, C's widow, throughout this work in the last couple years.
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