Seattle committee reviews SDOT’s first annual 2025 levy delivery plan; council to consider lifting proviso

Seattle City Council Transportation Committee Chair Rob Saka and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) presented the department’s 2025 levy delivery plan on March 11, 2025, outlining how levy funds will be used this year and asking the council to lift a budget proviso that is currently holding back part of the levy funds.

The delivery plan identifies more than 400 projects across the city, documents new programs (including a district project fund and a neighborhood-initiated safety program), and describes SDOT’s approach to prioritizing projects by equity, multimodality and timing. Director Adrienne Emery and SDOT staff told the committee the plan blends major corridor projects with day‑to‑day maintenance and operations and is grounded in prior city planning documents such as the Seattle Transportation Plan, the Climate Plan and the Transportation Equity Plan.

“This detailed plan represents a critical step forward in ensuring that we deliver our commitment to the people of Seattle,” SDOT Director Adrienne Emery said during the presentation. Chair Rob Saka opened the meeting by noting the council placed a proviso on part of SDOT’s levy funding during the 2024 budget process because the executive budget did not include a spending plan; he said the committee will consider lifting that proviso at the full council’s select budget committee on March 12.

Why it matters: Voters approved the transportation levy in November with oversight requirements; the annual delivery plan is the mechanism SDOT and the council will use to show how levy dollars are allocated each year. Committee members and SDOT staff described the plan as a shift toward more upfront transparency and an early step in implementing the levy’s commitments to safety, sidewalk access, bridge work and neighborhood investments.

Key details from SDOT’s presentation and committee discussion

- Scale and composition: SDOT staff said the plan identifies over 400 project locations, ranging from large corridor or bridge planning efforts to local maintenance work (potholes, sidewalk repairs, panel replacement). SDOT told the committee that some maintenance and operations work funded by the levy began on day one. The presentation lists 11 internal categories SDOT will use to organize delivery and financial tracking.

- Delivery timing and sequencing: SDOT officials warned that large capital projects will require multi-year planning, design and contracting; some major construction is expected to start in late 2026 or early 2027. Staff said they will coordinate timing with other city capital work to minimize repeated disruption of neighborhoods.

- New and continuing programs: The plan proposes new initiatives including a district project fund (council‑directed funding), a neighborhood-initiated safety partnership program to co-create small-scale safety projects with communities, and an EV‑charging access effort to increase community charging at city-owned sites (parks, libraries, community centers).

- Oversight and governance: SDOT said the levy oversight committee (as required by the levy) is being formed in partnership with the council and the mayor’s office; the oversight body will review future annual delivery plans. SDOT also recommended providing auditing resources to the oversight committee if requested.

- Contracting and crews: SDOT said much of the near-term work will be delivered by SDOT crews; for contractor-delivered work it will use unit-price contracting (a competitive “bench” of contractors for limited-scope jobs) and the city’s centralized contracting office (FAS) for larger public-works procurements.

Public comments and council concerns

Public commenters raised neighborhood-level safety and accessibility issues that the plan is intended to address: requests for sidewalks on South Orcas, safe crossings on Delridge, more marked crosswalks, concerns about e‑scooter injuries, and calls for expedited work on high‑injury corridors such as Aurora Avenue North and Rainier Avenue. Several commenters urged faster delivery of pedestrian and transit access improvements.

Council members pressed SDOT on sequencing, staffing capacity and how the new district fund and neighborhood programs will operate in practice. Council Member Teresa Rivera asked for clarity on the “launching new levy programs” slide and whether those programs would operate citywide; SDOT staff said neighborhood programs and district funds are intended to be citywide in scope and that staff will work with council offices on administration and outreach. Council Central Staff member Callen explained the budget background for the council district fund: the council directed $7 million per year for the next two years for a district fund and the 2025 budget includes a $2 million levy contribution and $5 million from other sources for the first year.

SDOT emphasized field delivery and maintenance

SDOT highlighted that the levy supports both transformative projects and essential maintenance. Examples cited by SDOT staff included early construction already underway on RapidRide and Route 40 projects, the 100th/130th Street work timed to light-rail openings, 38 Safe Routes to School projects in construction, bridge cleaning and inspection work, and continued pavement and panel replacements across neighborhoods.

What the committee directed or decided

No formal vote occurred on the delivery plan at the Transportation Committee meeting. Committee members and SDOT agreed to continue working together on lifting the budget proviso at the full council’s select budget committee, refine program details for the new district and neighborhood funds, and accelerate outreach to communities to co-create smaller-scale safety projects. SDOT said it will supply district‑specific project lists and timelines so council members can share progress with constituents.

Clarifying details and figures mentioned at the hearing

- SDOT identified “over 400 project locations” in the 2025 plan (SDOT presentation). - SDOT said there are 38 Safe Routes to School projects in construction (SDOT presentation). - SDOT said over 80% of signals have leading pedestrian intervals installed (SDOT presentation). - SDOT told the committee it secured a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant worth more than $25 million and plans to pair it with about $6 million in local funds for safety investments (SDOT presentation). - Callen (Council Central Staff) described the council-directed district fund as $7 million per year for two years; the 2025 budget includes $2 million of redirected levy dollars and $5 million from other sources for the first year (Callen, Council Central Staff).

Proper names and programs referenced

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT); Seattle Transportation Plan; Transportation Equity Plan; Climate Plan; Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant; RapidRide; Route 40; Safe Routes to School; Lehi (levy) Oversight Committee; Ballard Bridge; Magnolia Bridge; Rainier Avenue; Aurora Avenue North; King County Metro; Sound Transit; Finance and Administrative Services (FAS); Seattle Police Department (SPD); Seattle Fire Department (SFD).

What’s next

SDOT and the council will continue coordination on the 2025 delivery plan. The select budget committee is scheduled to consider lifting the proviso related to the levy funding on March 12; SDOT said lifting the proviso would allow the department to obligate funds and start more construction and maintenance work this year. SDOT also agreed to deliver district-specific project lists and more detail on administration of the district fund and neighborhood-initiated safety program.