Seattle Department of Transportation officials on Dec. 2 told the City Council Transportation Committee that the first year of the 2024 transportation levy produced hundreds of crew-delivered projects, new sidewalks and program start‑up work while the department readies a public dashboard and the 2026 levy delivery plan.

SDOT acting staff presented highlights from 2025, including building 36.5 blocks of new sidewalks, completing 12,000 sidewalk spot safety repairs, installing 37 crossing improvements and delivering 40 transit spot improvements. The department said it hired 52 positions so far to support levy delivery and launched new programs — such as a bike‑lane maintenance crew and a bridge preventive‑maintenance effort — while beginning design for major corridor projects that will follow in later years.

Why it matters: the levy funds a wide portfolio of street, sidewalk, bridge and transit projects that aim to reduce collisions and improve access. SDOT officials said the department is prioritizing transparency and accountability; a public levy dashboard is scheduled for launch in January 2026 and quarterly reports and an annual summary will follow.

Key facts and figures from SDOT's presentation included the pothole response commitment that a voter promise set at 80% of reported potholes filled within 72 hours; SDOT said crews met a 90% rate in 2025. SDOT also described the new transit safety program, noting hiring of eight Metro transit safety officers and delivery of multiple spot improvements to bus stops. For bicycle infrastructure the department said it is upgrading protected bike lanes to more durable treatments on more than 30% of the network and has launched a dedicated lane‑maintenance program.

Committee members pressed SDOT on several items during Q&A. Councilmember Kettle asked about the Magnolia Bridge study; SDOT said the bridge update is under contract and staff will provide a timeline. Councilmember Rink asked for progress details on red‑signal camera deployment and street‑tree planting; SDOT said weekly updates on signal work are available and noted that many street trees are planted in tandem with larger sidewalk and corridor projects. SDOT said the levy oversight committee (LOC) has been meeting since June and will inform the content and cadence of published reports.

SDOT described the 2026 delivery plan timeline: a draft will be shared for review ahead of the Jan. 31, 2026 delivery‑plan deadline; the department plans quarterly dashboard updates (May, August, November) and an annual report in March summarizing 2025 performance. SDOT staff also flagged 2026 calendar impacts on work sequencing, including the FIFA World Cup and I‑5 Revive, which may affect right‑of‑way availability and project timing.

The committee did not take a vote on levy policy at the Dec. 2 meeting; SDOT said it will return with the formal delivery plan and the published dashboard next winter.