Gordon Padelford

Wondering about the name change from Seattle Neighborhood Greenways to Seattle Streets Alliance? Read more here

Green and white logo with text on the side reading Rainier Valley Safe Streets

Green and white shield shaped logo with Mount Rainier & Lake Washington sticking out from the top as squares depicting road sign style abstractions of a light rail train, person biking, person using a wheelchair, and parent pedestrian holding a kid’s hand

Seattle Streets Alliance logo & title in green and white with a circle logo depicting silhouettes of people walking across a crosswalk, person riding a bicycle, and person using a wheelchair in front of houses, apartments, and trees

It’s official! We have changed our name to Rainier Valley Safe Streets as part of the rebranding of now Seattle Streets Alliance @sngreenways.bsky.social

This helps with past confusion (we don’t manage the city’s greenways program)

With a new name, our advocacy for safer streets for all continues

The Seattle @streetsalliance.bsky.social is one of the most significant safe streets organizations to form in recent memory anywhere in the nation. Their bottom-up leadership model is powerful and could be adapted in many other places. It's empowering for volunteers and fun to start a local group.

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways becomes the Seattle Streets Alliance Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is now the Seattle Streets Alliance. "It’s a better explanation of who we are and what we’re about,” said Streets Alliance Executive Director Gordon Padelford. It's true. The organization convenes coalitions around safe streets and transit and housing. They have led and helped lead major pushes to increase the size of multiple transportation levies and then helped gather support to pass those levies.

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways becomes the Seattle Streets Alliance

#SEAbikes #Seattle

Op-Ed: Why Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Is Rebranding as Seattle Streets Alliance » The Urbanist # After 15 years fighting for safe streets, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is excited to become Seattle Streets Alliance to more accurately reflect the nature of our grassroots organization’s mission....

NEW OP-ED // Why Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Is Rebranding as Seattle Streets Alliance

By Joshua Holland of @streetsalliance.bsky.social, via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/03/05/o...

Very exciting update! @streetsalliance.bsky.social

Thanks! I'm sure there will be lots of bugs we work out over the coming days. our comms director @joshholland.bsky.social is on here too if you see more

Change is possible 🧵 (click through and scroll down for more)

Occidental Ave in Pioneer Square cafes and trees on a pedestrianized street

Two people walking one in a wheelchair on Lake Washington Boulevard during an Open Street event

person biking next to poppies on the Burke Gilman Trail

elders enjoying Hing hay Park with city skyline in the background

👋🏻 new followers. I’m Gordon and my day job is Executive Director of Seattle’s walking and biking nonprofit @streetsalliance.bsky.social. Most of my content is specific to Seattle, and mostly about street infrastructure.

Looks great!

Op-Ed: Why Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Is Rebranding as Seattle Streets Alliance » The Urbanist # After 15 years fighting for safe streets, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is excited to become Seattle Streets Alliance to more accurately reflect the nature of our grassroots organization’s mission....

After 13 years of working for @sngreenways.bsky.social, I'm now working for @streetsalliance.bsky.social! Wait, what? Read more on @theurbanist.org

Yeah. Didn’t win that one though sadly

SDOT is trying to make it safer for people who bike AND drive on this corridor 😱

I think this one has a lot of potential! :)

Just got word that the Tacoma planning commission advanced a motion to fully eliminate parking mandates citywide at their meeting tonight, by a 8-0 vote with one abstention.

If implemented, Washington's second and third largest cities would have both beat Seattle to eliminating parking mandates.

“The five-block Granville Street Pedestrian Zone pilot will feature:

Additional public seating and expanded patios

Vendors and food options

Live music and cultural activations

Placemaking and selfie spots “

Thanks for having me on. Let's create safe streets for all!

What Is Vision Zero? Plus Rideshares Outnumber Passengers and Pickleball Problems by City Cast Seattle

Today on the pod: @gordonofseattle.bsky.social discusses what we can do to make Seattle streets safer with @janehu.bsky.social & @bretthamil.bsky.social + @samjleeds.bsky.social joins to talk about why rideshare drivers are calling for a pause on new Uber/Lyft onboarding
megaphone.link/CC8482682629

Want to work with the awesome team at WSDOT Active Transportation Division? Now's your chance! Hiring for a nonpermanent position focused on advancing pedestrian access statewide. Apply by Wednesday, March 11. (Yes, tight turnaround)
www.governmentjobs.com/careers/wash... #WSDOTActive #Accessibility

"Ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure upgrades to historically undeserved areas, start major Vision Zero projects for SE Seattle including transforming Rainier Ave S & MLK Jr Way S"

"WSDOT was able to affirm that Rainier Avenue functioned well with just one general purpose lane continuing through the interchange in each direction, along with a dedicated bus lane." 👀‼️

@mayorofseattle.bsky.social should transform Rainier Ave S to be safe and accessible for all

Aurora without sidewalks

“Early wins…
Install protected walkways on Aurora Ave N”

Let’s do it. Plonk down some concrete barriers and put an end to this civic shame

The most popular bus route in the state meets the most dangerous street in the city. Hope everyone is okay

Fun fact: Seattle's transportation levy, Prop 1 now has over 250,000 yes votes. That's more than any Seattle level politician. And it won in almost every neighborhood across the city — take a look at this map. Talk about a mandate!

Pedestrianize a street in every neighborhood!

More and better School Streets, Home Zones, traffic diverters, and curb bulb-outs!

🤩

👀 😍 There's some great stuff in here. What are your favorite recommendations?

Thank you to @mayorofseattle.bsky.social for the privilege of being a part of this, everyone who gave input, and my fellow committee members @nondriver.bsky.social, @leelamb.bsky.social, Paulina, Lowell, and Lindsay.

“Every neighborhood deserves places for community members to gather, buy essential goods, create art together and build a community...” [said] @sngreenways.bsky.social, @futurewise.bsky.social, & the Greater Seattle Business Association. Those groups’ [Seattle legislation] was ultimately successful"

Apply to Join The Urbanist Election Committee » The Urbanist # We’re looking for passionate, locally-engaged volunteers to help guide our political endorsements. Apply to join the The Urbanist Elections Committee by March 6.

NEW // Apply to Join The Urbanist Election Committee

We've extended our application deadline to March 6.

By The Urbanist Elections Committee, via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/02/26/a...

Distressingly, it appears Parks returned around $120,000 of State TIB funding that they didn't spend on safety improvements. We all know how hard it is to get infrastructure funding. So now when there's not the funding we need for speed bumps, sidewalk repairs, or other needed changes.

Congestion charges have been enacted in quite small cities in the UK, notably Durham (population 50,000) and Oxford (population 165,000). The assumption that congestion charges are only for cities on a New York / San Francisco / Philadelphia scale is not necessarily correct.