Ryan Packer

Listening to Federal Way's traffic engineer explain why a speed limit reduction isn't likely on a street next to a school after a serious crash - on a street where drivers are exceeding the 35 mph limit.

"It was a tragic situation that occurred out there...but realistically it's an outlier."

Not everyone on STB, apparently.

Fourteen steps completed over the course of one year

This is the process chart for the City of Bellevue's potential plan to add parking meters.

FOLLOWUP: Fairmount Avenue reopens under Admiral Way Bridge after 13-month closure Thanks for the tip. One week after SDOT told us they expected to reopen Fairmount Avenue beneath the Admiral Way Bridge before the holiday weekend - marking the completion of most work on the project ...

westseattleblog.com/2025/08/foll...

Burien’s zoning rollback demonstrates the power of organized residents The Burien City Council voted 5-2 on September 28, 2025 to consider rolling back zoning changes after homeowners successfully pressured the city to reverse density increases that the council had unanimously approved just months earlier. This rollback has nothing to do with SB 5148 or any builder’s remedy. The state hadn’t intervened. There’s been no finding of non-compliance. This was purely a response to organized grassroots efforts by homeowners—demonstrating that residents, not state law, is driving some cities’ housing decisions.

Burien had unanimously approved these zoning changes in the last quarter of 2024 as part of its comprehensive plan update. But organized homeowner opposition—framing density as incompatible with the environment despite city staff assurances to the contrary—successfully pushed the council to reverse course.

Anti-housing advocates in Sammamish are looking at Burien and thinking, "that could be us."

I miss everything

Location on a map

One hour ago, Seattle Fire responded to a driver hitting someone on a bike at 15th Ave SW and SW Henderson Street, near Westwood Village.

The 50-year-old cyclist who was hit was transported to the hospital with significant injuries.

Path through the woods with very few colored leaves

Trees and a dry creek with a hint of color

One tree with brilliant red leaves turning

The arboretum is about two or three weeks from fully popping, I think.

Love our Mercer Street on the waterfront.

True, but the "peak" demand we built Alaskan Way for wasn't even real. Totally made up.

This was right on Azalea Way, so keep an eye out if you have a doggo with you.

This is hard even to convey in reporting when people take "the Mayor's office" to mean "the Mayor."

Coyote looking very intently into the woods near Azalea Way

Coyote with sun on it

Just ran into this very bold coyote in the arboretum.

6 minute headways on Sundays when

A Times profile of Katie Wilson being highlighted in an email. "Katie Wilson shrugged off the idea she might be better suited for a City Council seat, instead aiming for Mayor"

This is so incredibly condescending from the Seattle Times. Do you also ask male candidates if they'd considered running for an "easier" office?

Fully surrendering the use of the 1 Line to sports fans today in favor of our trusty Metro bus network.

Curb cut work closing E Thomas Street west of Broadway

We've been piloting having a traffic diverter on my Capitol Hill Street all week, and it's been working out great. I'd love to know how to use this data to make it permanent.

New concrete sidewalk jutting into the street with a crosswalk closed sign

Another angle of the new curb extension

One of the two curb extensions is now in place for the new crosswalk at Olive Way and Harvard.

People on bikes heading toward Green Lake on Ravenna Boulevard, with hardened bike lane separation in place

Toronto style hard barriers along Ravenna Boulevard near the Ave

Folks using the Ravenna bike lane from a distance

Looking good, Ravenna Boulevard.

Vacant Tully's coffee on 2nd Ave S that has been empty for like ten years

Seattle archeologists will puzzle over this ancient ruin.

Outside money just means funds given to a committee (PAC) instead of the campaign directly.

Sound Transit Queues Big Express Bus Network Changes after Light Rail Openings » The Urbanist # The changes will impact riders throughout King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties as Sound Transit eliminates routes where travel times are competitive with new light rail options. The agency is also p...

There’s actually some good news in this @typewriteralley.bsky.social www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/04/s...

The "Bruce Harrell for Seattle's Future" PAC has raised more money from Medina residents than the "Katie Wilson for an Affordable Seattle" PAC has raised overall.

Both candidates have maxed out on vouchers. The cap is placed on cash contributions for candidates who have signed up for the democracy voucher program, but can be lifted when there's outside spending.

Looks like about 56%.

I have some big news to share. Because our opponent is benefiting from outside spending on her behalf, the Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission has lifted the Democracy Vouchers fundraising cap for our campaign. That means Bruce’s can once again raise contributions to power our grassroots campaign. This is a critical moment. Over the next month, we need to make sure Bruce has the resources to get his message out and fight back against the influence of outside money. With your support, we can keep pushing forward with Bruce’s vision for a safer, more affordable, and more unified Seattle.

Bruce Harrell's campaign is fundraising on the need to "fight back against the influence of outside money."

The PAC set up to spend on Harrell's behalf has raised $1.2 million so far, compared to the $86,000 raised by the PAC set up for spend in support of Katie Wilson.

Using money that could fund bus service!

Be prepared to stop sign at Broadway and John westbound

Food for thought from tonight: why @seattledot.bsky.social added this sign to one of the most heavily used bus stops in Capitol Hill. I can't figure it out.

Sales Tax Hike Would Fund Civilian Responder Expansion, Barring SPOG Obstruction » The Urbanist # Mayor Bruce Harrell has proposed a 0.1% sales tax hike for public safety investments, including doubling the size of the civilian CARE department. However, CARE’s future rests on cooperation from th...

Since everyone is talking about the CARE first responders today, I'll share my article from yesterday again: www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/02/s...

Personally I think BNSF should be required to negotiate for the right price to utilize public right of way for one or two brief windows per day.

Since that's what we need to do to run commuter rail.