Organization

We are organized into 10 divisions, plus our Director’s office that houses our centralized communications team. Our Director is Greg Spotts.

Learn more about each division through our org chart (updated January 2024)

SDOT Divisions

The Director's Office oversees all the functions, staff, and services of the department, guiding and shaping SDOT to attain our vision, mission and goals. Our emergency management and communications (public relations and media relations) functions for the department are also part of the Director's Office, as well as the liaison with the Mayor's Office and the Seattle City Council.

The Finance and Administration Division supports our entire department by providing financial and accounting services. It also includes our information technology, human resources, performance management, Women and Minority Business Enterprise programs, asset management, safety and risk management, and building and fleet management.

The Capital Projects Division oversees all aspects of project management, engineering, construction management, environmental management, right of way and real property, and consultant contracting. Capital Projects is also responsible for overseeing the city's roadway structures, bridges, retaining walls, public stairways, and other structures. Its employees operate the city's five movable bridges as well as plan and monitor seismic retrofit.

The Policy and Planning Division develops city transportation policies and creates long-range plans to guide local and regional transportation investments. Other division programs include urban design to help transform streets into inviting public places; capital planning and programming; and developing sources of revenue and grants.

The Project Development Division develops conceptual designs for capital projects prioritized in the City's modal and community plans, including the pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and freight master plans, and designs and delivers smaller projects. Other division programs include Safe Routes to School and the Vision Zero initiative to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030.

The Transit and Mobility Division works to improve transportation choices, while managing a limited parking supply to support business district access, sustainability, and economic development goals. Their work includes transit planning and the purchase of transit services; streetcar planning and operations; car share and bike share; transit capital project management; active streets; education and encouragement to reduce drive-alone trips; off-street parking partnerships; and management of the city's on-street parking pay stations, loading zones, and parking permit programs.

The Pavement, Signs & Markings and ROW Crew Construction (PSMRCC) Division, manages and constructs the City's pavement assets including, arterial and non-arterial roadways, sidewalks, and does ADA ramp design, engineering, project management and inspection. This division is also responsible for maintaining all arterial roadway markings and for regulatory sign construction and installation.

In support of SDOT and the City as a whole, this division manages the SDOT Response Team (SRT), our Customer Care Team, and our Dispatch Office. The SRT helps motorists, police and fire to clear collisions that impact our ROW. The Customer Care Team responds to customer concerns, and our Dispatch Office receives requests for service and provides coordination for our SRT and operations crews. We also support the Urban Forestry and Maintenance operations division with snow and ice removal, and other street-related emergency response. 

The Right-of-Way Maintenance and Urban Forestry (RMUF) Division is responsible for urban forestry services including landscape architecture, arborist services, and street tree, landscape, and irrigation maintenance. This division provides pothole response, street cleaning, street sweeping, alley flushing and vegetation management.  Other programs include crack sealing of street surfaces and shim installations on sidewalks.  Annually, this division prepares and updates the winter weather response plan and is responsible to coordinate routine and emergency response operations to tackle weather related impacts to the transportation network.

The Transportation Operations Division is responsible for operation of the City's street system—the City's bicycle, pedestrian, freight and transit facilities. They design, install and operate traffic signals and intelligent transportation systems; conduct freight programs and commercial vehicle enforcement; administer permits for traffic, truck and parking (Traffic Permit Counter); review temporary traffic control plans for construction; manage traffic data and records; design signs and pavement markings; and coordinate special events in the public right of way. Our Transportation Operations Center, the control center where current traffic conditions are monitored and reported, is in this division.

The Roadway Structures (RS) Division is responsible for operation and maintenance of the city's roadway structures: bridges, areaways, retaining walls, public stairways and other transportation related structures including the Elliott Bay Seawall. In addition to the capability and staff to self-perform inspection, repair design and maintenance work for these roadway structures, the division also manages the following capital programs: seismic retrofit, bridge rehabilitation, load rating, areaway, retaining wall, and stairway programs. Also unique to the division's business portfolio is operation of the city's four movable bridges and a fifth movable bridge on behalf of King County.


 

Street Use manages the use of the public right of way. Staff members in this division issue permits for construction of streets and sidewalks by private parties and ensure they meet City specifications. They coordinate work on underground utilities in street areas, and the work on private property that could affect the street. They manage the use of right of way spaces for other types of activities that benefit the public such as neighborhood block parties, play streets, parklets and public access to the water at street ends.

Transportation

Greg Spotts, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.