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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Transportation Levy Meets Mark in Fixing Seattle Streets
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
2/13/2008 10:00:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Transportation Levy Meets Mark in Fixing Seattle Streets
“Bridging the Gap” reaches first-year goals
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels announced today that Seattle’s Bridging the Gap transportation levy met nearly all of its first-year goals and exceeded its targets on more than 70 percent of planned accomplishments.
“Thanks to Bridging the Gap, the city of Seattle is turning the corner on a generation of under investment in our transportation system due to dwindling federal and state support,” said Mayor Nickels. “We are building sidewalks, paving roads, replacing streets signs and helping people fight global warming by making it easier and safer to get around by bike, foot or bus. And this year, we will do even more.”
According to the Bridging the Gap (BTG) 2007 Annual Report, which the mayor released today, the city met nearly all of its first-year goals for repairing streets and improving pedestrian and bicycle safety across the city.
Read the Bridging the Gap (BTG) 2007 Annual Report - Acrobat PDF
The mayor also outlined an ambitious work plan for 2008 that will go even further to catch up from more than 20 years of mounting backlogs, and will keep up on critical investments in the city’s transportation system.
“We on the City Council are thrilled to watch real improvement taking place as a result of the Bridging the Gap levy,” said City Councilmember Jan Drago, chair of the transportation committee. “The progress is evident as you look around the city and see sidewalk construction, street paving, sign repair, and bike lane striping.”
Among its many 2007 accomplishments, Bridging the Gap paved 27 miles of roads, restriped 1,578 miles of arterials, replaced street-name signs at 1,043 intersections. remarked 789 crosswalks, repaired 14 blocks of existing sidewalks, and built 13 blocks of new sidewalks. In addition, bridges were refurbished, guard rails replaced, staircases repaired and signs in school zones improved.
In 2008, Bridging the Gap will pave nearly 33 miles of streets, restripe 1,300 miles of arterials, replace street-name signs at 1,071 intersections, remark 850 crosswalks, build 15 blocks of new sidewalks, and repair 22 blocks of existing sidewalks.
Bridging the Gap is a nine-year, $365 million levy that addresses twenty years of deferred maintenance caused by chronic under-funding of the transportation infrastructure. Approved by voters in 2006, Bridging the Gap enables much-needed work by the Seattle Department of Transportation, such as roadway paving, sidewalk development and repair, bridge upkeep, and tree pruning and planting. It also supports the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans, the Safe Routes to School program, enhanced transit connections and large Neighborhood Street Fund projects.
The work of the city is supported by an appointed citizens’ Levy Oversight Committee that meets quarterly. This 15-member body monitors revenues and expenditures, and reviews program and project schedules to provide full accountability to voters on Bridging the Gap activities.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
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Office of the Mayor
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