MASS Coalition Letter to Mayor Wilson

Route 75 on The Ave.

On Monday, the Move All Seattle Sustainably (MASS) Coalition published an open letter calling on Mayor Wilson to advance high-impact transportation, accessibility, livability, and climate priorities. Seattle Transit Blog is a proud member of the MASS Coalition, and we endorse this letter. It reads:

Dear Mayor Wilson,

We, the MASS (Move All Seattle Sustainably) Coalition, write to request your administration take action on a set of high-impact, near-term actions that respond to public priorities and accelerate visible results for city residents, while preserving capacity for longer-term reforms.

Your recent electoral victory creates a historic mandate and an opportunity to translate progressive campaign commitments into real results for Seattle. Your leadership-built through years of grassroots organizing and coalitionbuilding, and long record as a transit advocate provide the momentum and responsibility to act swiftly on the transit and sustainability priorities you have espoused. Indeed, you co-founded the MASS Coalition in 2018 to connect Seattle's diverse and vibrant neighborhoods, minimize reliance on private vehicles, achieve Vision Zero, make Seattle carbon-neutral, create walkable communities, and ensure equitable access to transportation for all people. As such, our coalition has a duty to call on you to pursue tangible progress on expanded service, equitycentered planning, and durable funding strategies during your first year in office, when visible wellexecuted actions will reinforce the core values of your platform and build political capital for deeper reforms.

Below are the priorities that all the member organizations have agreed will advance the MASS coalition's goals that you championed as its leader. The coalition members pooled our ideas and balanced our diverse organizational priorities with the coalition's collective goals. By agreeing to a clear set of shared criteria-urgency, equity impact, and feasibility, we preserved each member organization's mission integrity while prioritizing projects that will deliver citywide benefits. We believe these actions will improve Seattle in multiple, mutually reinforcing ways; and they would also be significant achievements for your transit agenda.

The MASS coalition continues to stand with you in your new role, and we stand ready to collaborate with your administration to pursue these actions. We are committed to organizing volunteers, providing technical assistance, and coordinating outreach and engagement, to shorten timelines and increase public ownership of results. Together, with your leadership and shared accountability, we can deliver bold, equitable transit and accessibility improvements in 2026-proving that when city government works alongside the community, Seattle can achieve something truly great.

1. Mobility

Your transit platform envisions a Seattle where every person, regardless of where they are in the city, can safely, reliably and efficiently get to where they need to go without a car. This requires an efficient, connected transportation system. To start the pursuit of this vision, we ask that your administration pursue the following priorities.

Reduce Traffic Deaths and Serious Injuries

Significantly advance progress towards Vision Zero, the goal of having zero traffic deaths or serious injuries by 2030, by advancing full redesigns of our most dangerous streets to slow speeds and prioritize safety for everyone, including Rainier Ave S, Aurora Ave N, and Dr Martin Luther King Jr Ave S. If done correctly, these large projects will save lives, create stronger communities, and make our streets more accessible. Additionally, because big redesigns take time and money, we also need more immediate spot improvements, traffic signal policy that prioritizes pedestrian safety and convenience at all intersections, intersection daylighting, protection for pedestrian spaces, and neighborhood traffic calming to help keep people safe now. The city can also launch a safer fleet initiative for city vehicles, including adoption of intelligent speed assistance. Safe speeds will both increase safety and reduce fuel use in support of climate goals.

Fully fund the Seattle Frequent Transit Network

Ensure sufficient funding to achieve the 2024 goals of the Seattle Frequent Transit Network, including significantly stronger targets for high-frequency and off-peak service. We seek a goal that 70% of households will be within a 10-minute walk to a bus that comes every 10 minutes all day, every day, and runs all night.

Complete a Connected City-Wide Bike network

Complete an assessment of the bike network and identify points of friction where spot improvements and small projects will make an outsized difference. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) should rapidly implement fixes such as improving critical gaps, pinch points, and connections to our bridges. Some example gaps include, but should not be limited to: 1) downtown to the SODO Trail, 2) through downtown Georgetown, 3) from Georgetown to Beacon Hill, and 4) from South Park to the Green River Trail.

Develop a vision/strategy/plan for the streetcar system in conjunction with the light rail vision in the Seattle Transportation Plan (STP)

Develop a strategic plan for the streetcar system moving forward that works in tandem with the vision for light rail from the STP. The plan should establish a framework for a comprehensive, long-term vision for the Seattle streetcar. The city must also appoint a dedicated person responsible for the development and implementation of the plan within SDOT.

Identify and develop high-impact bus lane corridors

You have started pursuing improvements with your executive order regarding Denny Way. Explore additional quick and impactful bus lane projects. Some potential projects include, but should not be limited to, adding additional bus lanes on Aurora and Rainier, extending the 3rd Avenue transitway to Denny, and making Virginia Street a transitway.

Adopt minimum performance standards for bus corridors

SDOT should implement minimum speed and reliability standards to incorporate better accountability and greater impact, along with remediation processes for routes that fail to meet those standards. These will contribute to achieving your goal of making transit irresistibly good" in Seattle. Importantly, these targets should not only be applied to the entirety of a route but also to sub-corridors and times of day, since aggregated data can hide issues in a route. For example, Route 8 currently has an overall on-time performance of over 80% that masks the severe delays along Denny Way during rush hours and special events.

Streamline trolleybus infrastructure and support

Seattle's network of trolley wire is currently built and maintained by a small, specialist team within King County Metro. This team is severely under-resourced and the complexity of working across SDOT and Seattle Public Utilities right-of-way has created delays and blocked projects. Earmark a small amount of STM funding for wire maintenance and construction, in a way that Metro can use it to increase relevant headcount. Work with Metro to find ways for the system to further leverage the batteries the trolleybuses already have to give more neighborhoods the benefit of zero-emissions transit.

Convene a long-term task force to develop a sustainable funding strategy for getting new sidewalks built

The current levy has sidewalk funding front-loaded, meaning that there will be a cliff in funding for new sidewalks in 2028. Building sidewalks in our city is necessary to ensure accessibility, and we need a sustainable funding source to make that possible. The levy proposed a Transportation Funding Task Force to solve this problem, but it has yet to be convened. This taskforce must be convened in 2026 and be given support and tools to build a successful strategy for sustainable, long- term funding for new sidewalks.

2. Accessibility

Accessibility is a critical priority for the MASS Coalition, and we ask your administration to prioritize the following actions. We also have deep concerns about Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera surveillance limiting civil rights and accessibility on our public streets. Please look for a topic-specific letter from this group soon.

Create a sustainable sidewalk maintenance and repair process

Seattle is not currently fixing our problematic and inaccessible sidewalks at scale. Create a program to track, fix, and prioritize sidewalk repairs as part of a sustainable system with clear policies and plans for how to maintain, repair, or replace existing, crumbling sidewalks. This system must be adequately and permanently funded

Accelerate investment in a parking corral system

The micromobility parking corral initiative seeks to increase street parking for bike and scooter shares to support the high number of riders and keep them off the sidewalks, a high priority for the disability community. To maintain accessibility of sidewalks, accelerate investments in an in-street parking corral system. Parking corral systems designate zones located on the street that are reserved for micromobility parking. Once enough parking corrals exist in heavy-use areas, micromobility companies can require that bikes/scooters be parked in those corrals or face penalties.

Develop a Disability Plan for special events such as the FIFA World Cup

Seattle must develop a plan for special events that considers disability. Sound Transit set a new record with 225,000 boardings on Seattle Seahawks parade day-but for the disability community, the day was a nightmare. Curb cuts and elevators were blocked, and Access Transit vans couldn't navigate through crowds to load or unload passengers. There was no advance planning or coordination with the Office of Emergency Management to address day-of challenges. The Human Services Department previously had a Vulnerable Populations Planning Coordinator embedded within the Emergency Management team, but that position was eliminated in April 2022. Seattle urgently needs this coordinator back as an active part of the Emergency Operations Center. Restore this role within OEM and develop a planning template for major Seattle events-including the Pride Parade, Torchlight, Seafair, the FIFA World Cup, and more. It's time to be a world-class city for the disability community too.

Rectify Sound Transit name discrepancy for Chinatown International District

Direct Sound Transit to correct the name and signage of the International District/Chinatown station to match the 1998 City Ordinance 119297 name, Chinatown International District." This naming discrepancy is confusing and inequitable. The incorrect name causes confusion for neurodivergent and sight-impaired riders who rely on apps for navigation. Additionally, the error is disrespectful to the Chinatown community that has been renamed and relocated, without consent, many times throughout Seattle's history.

3. Livability

Transportation is completely intertwined with our housing options, health outcomes, and local economies. Therefore, we must be intentional and proactive to create a transportation system that promotes livability in every community. Livability means reimagining streets as a place for people, community, and commerce as they once were. Together with sidewalks and curb space, streets can be vibrant, public spaces that encourage community gathering and meet people's needs. This includes amenities like free public bathrooms, benches, and trees. Our streets can support local business and encourage local entrepreneurship, sidewalk vending, and street food. To create these spaces, we need to ensure they meet people's basic needs and reflect communities' priorities.

Develop pedestrian streets in every neighborhood

Pedestrian streets increase foot traffic and spending at local businesses, while creating a cleaner and safer environment. Seattle needs more permanent pedestrian spaces. Identify and develop a pedestrian street in the heart of every neighborhood, along with a process whereby community members are empowered to create temporary or permanent school streets, market streets, festival streets, healthy streets, and garden streets.

Ensure accessible, equitable low-pollution neighborhoods

Seattle must prioritize climate justice pathways for all communities to pursue low pollution neighborhoods. In dense, urban neighborhoods well-served by transit, the city should implement significant traffic diversion and build infrastructure to encourage transportation mode shift and ensure that targeted climate and safety goals are met. In communities that are more car-dependent due to less transit service, there must also be community projects for slower speeds, safer neighborhoods, and better air quality, but the goals for these projects must be community-driven, with reflective outreach, planning, and co-design. In residential areas without sidewalks, there should be significant traffic diversion and other traffic calming to ensure safety for pedestrians. Second, the city must develop and publish a plan for achieving the low pollution targets that were specified in the Climate Change Response Framework.

Expedite implementation of the Comprehensive Plan

Seattle must expedite implementation of the Comprehensive Plan because the most effective transportation plan is one rooted in smart land use: concentrating growth in expanded neighborhood centers, increasing housing density near frequent transit, and designing 15 minute neighborhoods that put daily needs within a short walk or bike ride. Accelerating these land use changes will reduce vehicle miles traveled, boost transit ridership, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and expand access to jobs and services-especially for communities historically underserved by transit.

4. Climate

Be accountable to stated climate goals

Because transportation emissions are the number one source of climate-impacting pollution in Seattle, the only way for Seattle to begin to meet its lofty climate goals is through solid transportation and housing policy that gets more people out of our cars and allows more of us to live closer to jobs. The transportation and livability policies above are key. An efficient, connected transportation system that works great for people who can't drive or can't afford to drive, where transit, bike, and walking are the most attractive choices for all of us, coupled with comprehensive plan changes that promote a job and housing-rich urban environment, is the only way to meet those climate goals.

And as such, emissions are a critical metric for evaluating transportation policies. Your administration must require that all SDOT projects, and climate-pollution-impacting projects in all city departments, report on how they help to achieve stated city climate and mode-shift goals. Seattle is well behind on its 2030 climate goal to reach 24% of all trips being by transit and 7% by bike. This will make it very hard to cut nearly in half the share of trips taken by cars powered by fossil fuels, as is the City's 2030 target.

Seattle's mode shift goals for 2030. (SDOT)

Expand tree canopy in public right-of-way

Dense, climate-friendly, urban neighborhoods don't have to be heat islands. 58% of Seattle residents live in heat islands where temperatures feel 8 warmer than surrounding areas. The urban heat island effect-how heat radiates off surfaces like buildings, pavement, roadways, rooftops, etc.-in our increasingly hot, dry summers can be extreme and dangerous. Extreme heat kills more people every day than any other weather event has a direct correlation with health outcomes, increasing risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and heat stroke. These high heat and negative health effects are prevalent in lower income neighborhoods and communities of color that are already dealing with the highest burden of air pollution, traffic, and limited mobility. Trees are important to keeping our city cool and healthy. Their shade directly cools surfaces and they also move water called evaporative cooling. Additional measures such as green roofs, pavement materials that remain cooler, and urban agriculture can reduce urban heat island effect. The Seattle Transportation Plans target outcome of increasing tree canopy to 30% by 2044 despite a 2007 pledge by Seattle to increase its tree canopy to 30% by 2037, and a loss of 255 acres of trees between 2016 and 2021. Every year gets hotter and the more we delay our climate goals, the more unlivable and dangerous our city becomes.

In Solidarity,

Transit Riders Union, Seattle Streets Alliance, Cascade Bicycle Club, Seattle Subway, Transit Equity for All, Transportation Choices Coalition, The Urbanist, Nondrivers Alliance, 350 Seattle, Fix the L8, Sierra Club Washington, Seattle Transit Blog, America Walks