At a forum sponsored by Transportation Choices Coalition this afternoon, Seattle transportation department director Peter Hahn wouldn’t commit to an exact number for future investments in pedestrian, bike, and transit projects, but said $30 million—the amount a new campaign called Streets for All is seeking from the city per year—would be just enough to put city transportation funding from the general fund and gas taxes on par with what it was spending in 1998, before the two most recent economic recessions.
Thirty million would certainly be welcome,” Hahn said. “When is the time … to make substantial investments in transportation? If it’s not now, it’s yesterday.”
However, he added, “I’m not sure how much revenues will be discussed” at next week’s /Walk, Bike, Ride event “versus the theme that we’re emphasizing walking, biking, and transit and why that’s an important value for our city.”
Mayor Mike McGinn will appear at the event, which has been billed as an “announcement of the ‘Walk Bike Ride’ Initiative to make walking, biking and transit the easiest ways to get around in Seattle.”
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There's lots of cool stuff I'd like to do too, if I only had $30 million. Maybe they should start buying Powerball tickets.
To me $30 million is chicken feed compared to the $300 million the Port of Seattle is kicking into the deep bore tunnel project. By the way, that $300 million from the Port is actually $2.07 billion when youy include interest for the GO bond issue that will be needed to fund that deep bore tunnel gift by the Port.
Where is the outrage?
If Seattle wants to stay economically competitive with other cities, we need to make sure it's easy to get around whether by car, bike, foot, or transit. I applaud the Mayor for taking this leadership and I hope Council follows suit.
In your calculations. At a 5% rate it would need to be a 130 year bond to get to the $2.07B total cost.
A thirty year 5% bond would come to less than $600M, 20 year under $500M.
So, Craig Benjamin ended up working on the mayor's budget afterall.
Precisely, Mr. Baker. Good eye!
Publicola might find it interesting to trace the path of this altruistic individual in his short political career. 'Almost' in, and out, of City Hall – twice? Did someone say the Sierra Club foots his wages? What's the job title again? Did hours or duties change somehow since the hire? Is something fishy in Denmark?