Bridging the Gap — Building a foundation that lasts

In 2006, Seattle voters passed a nine-year, $365 million levy for transportation maintenance and improvements known as Bridging the Gap.

The levy funded programs to address the maintenance backlog for paving; sidewalk development and repairs; bridge repair, rehabilitation and seismic upgrades; tree pruning and planting; transit enhancements; and other much needed maintenance work. Funding also supported projects that implement the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master plans, created a Safe Routes to School Program, improved transit connections and helped neighborhoods get larger projects built through the Neighborhood Street Fund large project program.

Over nine-years Bridging the Gap successfully helped address the City's transportation challenges and created a strong foundation for Seattle's transportation future.

The Bridging the Gap levy was critical to addressing our maintenance backlog, increasing transit routes, rehabilitating bridges, and making our sidewalks, roads, and other structures safer. It provided 20-25 percent of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) budget. With the Bridging the Gap levy set to expire at the end of 2015, Mayor Ed Murray released a draft proposal in March of 2015 for a replacement levy – The Levy to Move Seattle – and voters approved the 9-year, $930 million replacement levy in the fall.