Midweek Roundup: Magic Median

The new Montlake lid on January 9, 2025. The mid-lid Montlake Transit Center" will open later this year. Photo courtesy of WSDOT (image linked to flickr).Transit & Streets:

• Mike Lindblom profiles Beacon Hill's magic median", a space filled with greenery, trails, and parking (The Seattle Times, $).
• While other states reconsider highway expansion, WSDOT continues building (The Urbanist).
• An extensive SDOT study shows the once-contentious Stay Healthy Street on Alki is popular and works well (Seattle Bike Blog)
• The FTA awarded $79.7M to the construction of RapidRide I, the region's 10th RapidRide line (The Urbanist); also on Metro Matters.
• Kent-Des Moines station is nearing completion and FWLE is on-schedule for its Spring 2026 opening (Rail Track & Structures Magazine).
• Sound Transit is hosting a series of public meetings regarding the Tacoma Dome Link Extension, starting this week (ST News Release).
• The Puget Sound Regional Council is seeking feedback on its Draft Regional Safety Action Plan (PSRC News Release).
• Planetizen asks: Why Aren't There More Bollards in US Cities?

Land Use & Housing:

• Danny Westneat applauds Portland Mayor Keith Wilson for opening 200 shelter beds within his first week on the job (The Seattle Times, $).
• The Office of Housing is proposing changes to the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption (MFTE) that some say would collapse the entire program (The Urbanist).
• Sara Nelson reignited the debate around building housing on industrial lands, again centered on a vacant WSDOT-owned parcel next to the stadiums (The Urbanist). Also as a news release on the Seattle City Council Blog.
• Reducing parking requirements results in more housing construction, but also backlash from residents (The New York Times, gift link). Summarized on Planetizen.

Commentary & Miscellaneous:

• Collin Reid opines: Boosting Freight Rail Is a Forgotten but Essential Climate Action (The Urbanist).
• Kevin Schofield reviewed the City of Seattle's latest Greenhouse Gas Emissions report (South Seattle Emerald). Transportation accounts for 61% of all of the city's 2022 emissions, with air transportation 44% of that slice, and passenger road vehicles 42%."
• Researchers at the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA propose ways to enable fast reconstruction and continued housing production after Los Angeles' unprecedented wildfires (Urban Land Magazine). These methods would probably do well here, too.
• Bloomberg's CityLab asks: Will Americans Ever Lose Their Taste for Telework?

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