CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to transportation; providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City at an election to be held on November 3, 2015, a proposition authorizing the City to levy regular property taxes for up to nine years in excess of the limitation on levies in Chapter 84.55 RCW for the purpose of providing City facilities and services, including transportation improvements, both capital and operating, with possible debt financing; creating a new oversight committee; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
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WHEREAS, Seattle is one of the fastest-growing major cities in the country, gaining 100,000 new residents and more than 50,000 jobs in the last 20 years, and this growth is a boon to our economy and a test for our transportation system; and
WHEREAS, as Seattle's Comprehensive Plan directs, two-thirds of these new residents and jobs have been located in urban centers and villages that are walkable and easy to serve with transit; and
WHEREAS, Seattle is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan for 2035 and the public feedback received to date supports continuing to concentrate Seattle's growth in walkable, mixed-use, transit-rich urban villages; and
WHEREAS, public surveys and feedback continue to rank transportation as the highest priority issue area in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, Seattle is a built-out city where it is difficult to widen existing streets or build new streets, and the existing network of streets needs to be able to carry as much of the increasing numbers of people and goods as efficiently as possible; and
WHEREAS, maintaining safe and accessible pedestrian routes for all residents is central to relieving congestion and improving mobility; and
WHEREAS, the City of Seattle is located in an active seismic zone with the potential for a major seismic event and reinforcing the City's bridges and structures is a priority; and ...
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