RE: Infrastructure
Becoming the Accidental Island for a few years made West Seattle uniquely aware of our infrastructure needs -- both built and human. Three of our urgent infrastructure needs are density and zoning, multimodal transit access, and developing holistic communities through human infrastructure. By rethinking land use and planning in ways that prioritize equitable growth and community investment, by realizing our vision for comprehensive multimodal transportation that incorporates mass transit and builds for the future, and by investing in essential programs and services through partnerships with nonprofits and small businesses, we can build a city our children, and their children, will be proud to call home.
Density & Zoning
Access to housing, specifically affordable housing, is a critical need for Seattle. Current estimates suggest we need to more than double the number of housing units in our city within 20 years. To promote the production of units, we should explore the expansion of incentive zoning, broaden upzoning while preserving the atmosphere of our communities, and reform the permitting process to streamline the application, review, and approval process. However, our efforts to encourage affordable housing production should not impose huge financial burdens on households who simply want to improve their home. As a part of reconsidering and expanding zoning in the city, we should also look to promote the development of commercial uses beyond retail and restaurants. While these are excellent economic engines, our neighborhoods need resources like grocery stores and child care centers that allow our city to thrive. Building with these uses in mind will directly promote our goal of holistic, closely-knit communities.
Multimodal City
As a city and region, we need to get transit back on track by increasing service frequency, broadening service networks, and establishing diversified transit hubs to meet our access needs. While focusing on transit, we also need to build for the future without neglecting the need for maintenance and repairs. This will require pushing the boundaries of innovation and expanding new alternatives into and through District 1. Though this effort should be multimodal in nature, we also cannot talk about the future of transit in our district without addressing the West Seattle Link Extension. Whoever is elected to office in November must be prepared to work with Sound Transit on behalf of our district and fight for the needs of each neighborhood and prioritize the preservation of essential resources and services.
Beyond the Built
Because Seattle is a growing city, we must incorporate improving our human infrastructure into our development plans, leading with social and economic justice. This means promoting access to homeownership and business grants and low- or no-interest loans with emphasized distribution to BIPOC communities. It means prioritizing opportunities to build intergenerational wealth for those who have historically been excluded from them. It also means having the types of services that promote safe, healthy living, like child care and healthcare. On Council, I will support investments into child care by promoting access to high-quality child care, improving affordability, and expanding the Seattle Preschool Program concept to more children and to other age groups. I will also support healthcare for all Seattlites by pursuing affordability through public-private partnerships, leveraging private support to offset program costs, and bringing access to care to scale, especially for those most in need.
Tavel for Seattle 2023:
Campaign Policy Platform
Homelessness
Public Safety
Economy
Infrastructure
