Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Partners in vision zero demand removing vision zero changes
He/him. Seattle. People should be able to walk and roll without dying.
480 followers 133 following 1,719 posts
view profile on Bluesky Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Partners in vision zero demand removing vision zero changes
Nick (@nicksattele.bsky.social) reposted
What’s the point of a ped island if you can drive up onto it
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Only if they are free. Local customers *depend* on free parking
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
That might be a popular idea, but it threatens to damage the unique function and character of the Market, local customers depend on free parking, and that's why we need to turn the top level of the market into a free surface parking lot
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Look, I don't love it, but after reading the argument in the Seattle Times, I just don't think it's enough to let cars back onto Pike pl. We also have to bulldoze the top level of the market to create a wider road and parking lot for residents popping in to shop.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Tbf no income tax on public sector workers generally is a dumb enough idea it might just work.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
There is literally no choice that doesn't pit community against community
JB Pritzker (@jbpritzker.bsky.social) reposted
And I would never want to get between Ted and a trip to Cancun when there’s an emergency in Texas
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
If you look at the neighboring parcels, all the short old stuff supposedly has no views and all the new stuff has water views.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
You left off some of the best parts of the inputs to the assessed value. "Views: No" "Highest and best use as improved: Present Use"
Braeden 🎣🦀🌲🦅 (@bvd100.bsky.social) reposted
SDOT’s Safe Routes to Schools program is bringing more traffic calming to Genesee Ave S as part of Hawthorne Elementary’s area improvements. A stop sign and speed cushions on an arterial!? Safe Routes to School seems to have a hack to get it done with minimal fuss.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
actionnetwork.org/letters/fix-...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
M*** Beaulieu
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Apropos of nothing, it is extremely coast journalist nonsense to think that Milwaukee is landlocked
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Mr Housing (is going to cost a lot more)
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
In fairness there just shouldn't be cross traffic on 35th or left turns. Both are unsafe from a residential street onto an arterial with high traffic volume.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Here's an excerpt from the email telling me that this intersection is already as safe as it can be.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
SDOT once told me that this intersection is designed as safe as we know how to design it.
Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) reposted
Seattle Fire just responded to a driver hitting someone walking at 35th Ave S and S Alaska Street in Columbia City. The person who was hit was transported to the hospital.
Braeden 🎣🦀🌲🦅 (@bvd100.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
When we PDR’d the SDOT and Parks records for Lake Washington Blvd and Lake Park Dr stop sign removal from the plans I was very impressed with the staff’s insistence that they do it the right way. There were lots of emails to senior staff that never received responses.
Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social) reposted
My statement on @nadler.house.gov’s decision not to seek re-election next year.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Respectfully you guys are just describing legalized borderline corruption as if it's good.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Sure but essentially that's saying that since business owners are so dumb that they can't be held accountable for the obvious outcomes when their endorsed candidates suck.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Here's Attorney, they are "strongly aligned" with trump republican Ann Davison. downtownseattle.org/advocacy/can...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Here's their endorsement in the mayoral race. downtownseattle.org/advocacy/can...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
They are one of the most powerful activist organizations advocating *for* the city government to be ineffective so that they "have to" step in to "get stuff done without the bureaucratic process of the city government".
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
There's a temporary bike/ped bridge that I didn't take a photo of.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Bainbridge Island would be a lot nicer place if Winslow were built up to like Pioneer Square level, the roads all had protected bike lanes, and significantly more of the rest of the island was nature preserve instead of Microsoft director Marthas Vineyard.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Right, but I actually think this is a symptom of the mayor not owning the decisions he's making. He's created an executive branch with publicly diffuse decision-making. That creates space for diffuse decision-making that the mayor disagrees with.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
A store in Kirkland Washington
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
I'm enjoying this turn from her because I'll never forget that I blocked her on Twitter because she said something like cyclists need to get out of drivers way
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
The big road is Wyatt way, which is closed for bridge construction with an in place ped bike detour
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
South Beach East of Fort Ward
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Checking out Bainbridge Islands newest car light road and one of its older ones.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Yeah I guess I view this as two sides of the same coin his refusal to own and drive decisions generally gives directors a lot of power if they choose to exercise it right up until he fires them.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
No, they are putting together the argument that actually no one needs 80% ami, despite the fact that BI does actually need it
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
I'd add that it's the role of the executive to own their choice, which I'd really say is what Bruce Harrell is weakest at. He's making decisions, but he's pretending that it's the staff making them.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
I'm considering an event
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Do you know how the board membership works vis-a-vis board member allocation? Is it based on square footage as well?
The Urbanist (@handle.invalid) reposted
NEW STORY // SDOT Rules Out Key Denny Way Bus Lanes, Dooming Route 8 www.theurbanist.org/2025/09/01/s...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
I love how the BIA mechanism completely kills the idea of one-person-one-vote and replaces it with corporatism.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
A slight correction, BIAs aren't levied only on commercial property, it's all property. Other BIAs are generally drawn to avoid non-commercially owned residential property, for example the CCBIA which hilariously cuts off half blocks to avoid owner occupied housing.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
And those business property owners look around for programs to fund that fit into the charter of the MID, and shocker, the business owners, who are also DSA members, contract the DSA to provide programs that the DSA wanted to provide anyway.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
It's super dumb and a balls and cups slight of hand, but technically the DSA isn't funded by the city. The city collects special taxes from ratepayers (business property). The money goes to the MID which has a board of ratepayers (business property owners), who then decide what to do with the money.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
The Bainbridge Island NIMBYs read the Seattle Times article about vacancy rates in affordable housing in Seattle think that it means that the affordable housing project in their town will also have high vacancies.
Steve D. (@crazystevied.bsky.social) reposted
69 thousand fans leaving the game and we can’t hold the lights to let them over 4th? We are not ready for the World Cup.
Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) reposted
Seattle is getting really good at inducing demand to use public spaces downtown, we should try deploying the same thing citywide.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
A driver killed a shopper in a Kirkland grocery store. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
The mechanism that causes vacancy rates in 80% AMI studios priced at $1550 to "self-resolve" is market rate rents climbing past that price.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
I think it's fair to say that this statement means that the Mayor's policy is that there isn't actually an affordability crisis and that market rate studio rents of $1600+/mo is the policy outcome that Bruce Harrell wants.
Paul Constant (@paulconstant.com) reposted
"The vacancy issue should self-resolve at some point," is an outrageous and unforgivable quote for a mayor’s office to deliver during a housing affordability crisis.
Ellen M. (@graphxgrrl.bsky.social) reposted
This is such a Harrell kind of decision. “If we do nothing meaningful, it’ll just fix itself eventually!”
Asher (@asher755.bsky.social) reposted
This is basically an anti-abundance strategy
Asher (@asher755.bsky.social) reposted
🚨
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
It's super horrifying to see Bruce Harrell's Policy Director say that Bruce's plan is that over the next few years rents will rise again and 80% AMI affordable will once again become competitive with to market rents. bsky.app/profile/bvd1...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Hopefully local and state governments will put up the money to restructure the loans and allow the non-profits to filter these homes down to the 50% and less AMI bands.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
I do think it's worth pointing out that housing policy wonks have long pointed out that in balanced housing markets you don't need subsidies for the 80% AMI band. It's somewhat frustrating to be proven correct on this with the clear negative impacts to non-profit housing orgs.
Braeden 🎣🦀🌲🦅 (@bvd100.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Team Harrell’s solution? Let rents get more expensive for everyone else so these units become “affordable” again. Jesus Christ.
Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) reposted
This amendment takes advantage of a loophole in @jessdbateman.bsky.social's SB 5571, which says cities can't regulate any exterior cladding materials that are otherwise in compliance with state building code...except in historic districts.
Misha (she/her) (@ahsimlibrarian.bsky.social) reposted
Arson has been a problem in Seattle this summer. Two trash cans outside the Central Library were burned yesterday morning, and the book drop was burned this morning. A sad and distressing trend.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
“The vacancy issue [high vacancies leading to lower rents] should self-resolve at some point,” said Christa Valles, deputy policy director in Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
I do really like the waterfront because it has a pretty high density of stuff. I hope the part north of pier 62 adds some more stuff because having stuff all the way from Ferry Terminal to and through the Elliot Bay park would be amazing.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Yep, hopefully @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social will address this once she's mayor. Removing slip lanes in our neighborhoods would do a lot to make them safer and more pleasant for everyone.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
The waterfront project clearly didn't think about dockless scooter/bike parking and so now all the entrances to the waterfront end up getting narrowed by the scooters people are using to get around.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
I'm starting to think that the Waterfront Project just doesn't understand what people or bikes are.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Our other protection, like curbs, also won't stop a lifted truck from plowing into the bike lane, so we have to do things to address vehicle speeds, dangerous driving more generally, and we probably need federal action to right size vehicles.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
I think the problem on airport way is that this huge median means drivers feel safe going pretty fast, which reduces the effectiveness of the barriers. A hardened median could help.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Like SDOT the waterfront people are aware and very concerned, but also aren't going to, like, do anything
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Someone from Waterfront Seattle needs to be held accountable for the lack of sea lion basking platforms
Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) reposted
A lot of the jokes that Bruce Harrell makes in public are on the theme of "I'm a bully and everyone kinda knows that."
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Doesn't Seattle have a law that means we can't reallocate park space? Golfers always talk about whenever anyone suggests that the golf courses could be better used.
ceej (@ceej.online) reposted reply parent
not having easy access to Guys has forced me to become a tiny plumbing Guy, light electrical Guy, CAD and 3D printing Guy, computer and networking Guy, garden Guy, and Guy who has a bunch of random tools. I am ready to take my place in the Guy Economy
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
Had a lovely dinner with my neighbors, who are a completely normie retired couple who are completely on board with the idea that the street we live on should be turned into a park.
Michael Hobbes (@michaelhobbes.bsky.social) reposted
On one hand, reducing car use reduces urban pollution. But on the other, everyone likes it and cities become more livable
Braeden 🎣🦀🌲🦅 (@bvd100.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
I lol’d when I saw where they put the “We ride our bikes” in the summer arrow 😏
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
SDOT aims to fill potholes in 24 hours. How long will it take to fix this?
Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) reposted
At 5am this morning, Seattle Fire responded to a driver who had hit someone walking near 9840 MLK Jr Way S, s of S Norfolk Street. The person who was hit was found dead, on the light rail tracks. At least one other vehicle was involved in the crash, but not a light rail train.
Maris Zivarts (@emveezee.bsky.social) reposted
Oof. Fatality on MLK early this morning. This stretch is signed at 25, but highway speeds are normal, especially early or late in the day. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
pwalchtaylor.bsky.social (@pwalchtaylor.bsky.social) reposted
I was going to post about how amazing it was that I can now ride from Beacon Hill to South Park to Georgetown to downtown almost entirely in PBLs. But instead I’ll post this picture of a guy who smashed into the bike lane seconds after I rolled through:
Owen (@owenpick.bsky.social) reposted
This is going to seem embarrassing when the Wilson administration simply fixes this and Armageddon doesn't happen.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
IMO that's the same thing. Adiam is Bruce Harrell's director, she serves at the pleasure of the mayor, she's not making a choice he disagrees with.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Yeah, I mean I'll say that having dealt with SDOT and Parks on LWB stuff I've come to believe that any time they are deflecting on stuff it's because Bruce Harrell made a decision and the staff are being forced to justify it.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
This is all before considering the specific traffic environment here. The traffic is caused by drivers driving in two lanes and then funneling down to one I-5 on-ramp lane. Moving this bottleneck back down Denny would probably improve traffic flow for drivers. bsky.app/profile/nick...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Like just a gut check here, if the worst most congested streets in the US are 4mph, how is it reasonable to believe that drivers in Seattle, with a plethora of other options, would choose to drive 2mph on Denny instead of using another route?
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Prior to congestion pricing in Manhattan, traffic on really bad days moved at around 4mph. SDOT is trying to claim that the delay from bus lanes would cause traffic on this street to move at around 2mph. How would that work exactly?
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
I actually feel like I need to expand on this. You can't have 1.2 miles of Denny Way take an extra 20-40 minutes because there are other routes that avoid Denny so any extra travel time will move drivers off Denny, they won't just sit in 40 minutes of traffic.
Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) reposted
SDOT is essentially taking any new Denny Way bus lane off the table here, due to concerns over general purpose congestion that stem from traffic modeling.
Noah, some kind of engineer 🚎💻 (@noahsbwilliams.com) reposted
Imagine what we can do once we get a mayor that doesn’t take no for an answer on critical issues like this. Right now, SDOT is making an affirmative, on-the-record decision to prioritize car drivers over everyone else on Denny. Katie can reverse that! sdotblog.seattle.gov/2025/08/28/r...
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Traffic modeling really is like, people will just keep driving even if it takes them 24 hours to go one block
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
Like seriously put yourself in the shoes of the traffic modeler and explain to me how you could seriously argue that it could take 40 more minutes to travel .5 miles without drivers changing their behavior the next week.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
We can't build a bus lane because it'll add 20 minutes to car trips even though *all* trips on this street are interminably slow such that there's probably no actual way traffic could get that much worse.
Mike Eliason (@holz-bau.bsky.social) reposted
an ~80' tall white pine that was killed by the heat dome was felled today no one from tree action seattle or sim groups showed up to mourn it or the thousands of other trees killed by excessive heat due to climate change, exacerbated by single family zoning and cars
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social)
IMO Seattle's blockbuster summer event should encourage people to use the lake recreationally in more ways than drinking on yachts.
Robert Cruickshank (@robertcruickshank.com) reposted
Am I a misogynistic racist for sending this email to Liza Rankin, who represents me on the school board, asking some questions about a memo she wrote proposing more school closures? I just received this reply from a different school board director. I submit myself to the Internet’s judgement.
GB Metz (@notthegiraffe.bsky.social) reposted
I love how she sees herself as the hero here and not the villain that denied *SUBSIDIZED AFFORDABLE* homes to a number of families.
Jason (@jrock08.bsky.social) reply parent
"My job description is to engage with my community about what sort of things they want to see in their neighborhood" Holy shit this is why the state needs to take this power away from you