#ritahulsman — Public Fediverse posts

Seattle voters approve at least $487M for safe streets

The Seattle Transportation Levy appears to be sailing to a landslide victory after the initial drop of ballots showed the measure passing with 67% of the vote, a margin that could grow as more ballots are counted.

Over eight years, the levy promises to invest more than $160 million in Vision Zero, $193 million in sidewalks and crosswalks and $133 million in bicycle safety. Those three categories total $487 million for direct investments into safer streets, about double the annual amount in the expiring Move Seattle Levy. It also promises $151 million for transit improvements and $66.5 million for public spaces in addition to $221 million for bridges and $403 million for street maintenance. It does not include any funding for new or expanded roadways.

With these funds in hand, Seattle has the means to make a meaningful push to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030, the city’s stated goal since 2015. The city also has the means to make meaningful progress on reducing its largest source of greenhouse gas emissions: Road transportation.

Washington State voters also appear to have rejected I-2117, an effort to repeal the Climate Commitment Act’s carbon tax that funds a lot of active transportation and trail work in the state’s budget. The initial results from election night show 62% of voters rejecting the initiative. This is another huge win for climate action, biking and walking safety, and many other investments. This result should also give WSDOT the state the green light to begin its delayed e-bike rebate program.

The approval these votes by such wide margins are much-needed rays of hope in our community on a very grim day for the nation. I see our community believing in itself and investing in a better tomorrow. We’re not giving up just because the problem seems difficult, even insurmountable at times.

“Tonight’s results demonstrate that Seattle voters are committed to advancing a safer transportation system that benefits all,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell in a statement declaring victory for the levy.

Unfortunately, there are strong echos of 2016 here, when the region passed Sound Transit 3 funding in the same election that Trump won the first time. I went to the ST3 party, and it was grim. People were in tears everywhere, and it was hard to muster much of a cheer when the transit measure passed. It was a big local win overshadowed by a much larger loss.

I know a lot of you are feeling horrible today. It has taken me hours to write this story because my mind keeps drifting back into the doom spiral thinking about our nation’s future. I am grateful that I had a rec league hockey game scheduled last night in Mountlake Terrace. An hour and a half of biking round trip was very helpful for my mental health. Getting outside and moving my body broke up that painful ball of anxiety in my gut so I could at least start working through it. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t come up with any answers to fix our nation’s problems, but I found strength in this thought: Remember that your community loves you.

As I wrote in 2015, the path to the Move Seattle levy “was paved by the lives of people who did not need to die.” The same is unfortunately true in 2024. But Seattle has defiantly responded to a rise in traffic deaths with a rise in traffic safety funding. We refuse to accept that beloved members of our community must die to preserve the status quo on our streets.

Thank you to everyone who worked to make this transportation levy as good as possible, and then everyone who worked to get out the vote and make sure it passed. Special thank you to Rita Hulsman, who did not allow our city’s leaders to take their eye off what really matters in this levy. We have done a genuinely good thing that will save lives and make our city a healthier and better-connected place.

#SEAbikes #Seattle

Rita Hulsman: ‘Please join me in honoring Steve’s legacy with your YES vote to approve Proposition 1’

Rita Hulsman lost her husband of more than 40 years in December when a person turned his Chevy Tahoe in front of Steve while Steve biked downhill on Marine View Drive SW not far from his home. Steve died shortly after the collision. He was 66.

In the months since that horrible day, Rita has become an outspoken advocate for the need for safer streets. She attended City Council Transportation Committee meetings to testify about the need for increasing safety funding in the transportation levy they were developing, and now she is urging Seattle voters to approve Proposition 1.

Rita penned an op-ed, which Cascade Bicycle Club published on their blog. She makes a powerful and heartfelt case in favor of the proposition, but perhaps because my mother was an elementary school teacher and my kid is now in first grade, this section really got to me:

As a recently retired elementary school teacher, I encourage you to think about the many students who deserve safe routes to schools. As a widow and mom, I urge you to think of your family members, friends and neighbors who deserve the right to safely walk, bike, and roll through our neighborhoods.

Whether it’s a transportation levy or any other issue, these are the thoughts that should guide everyone’s voting decisions. What would be best for the next generation and for the people you love? We must invest in solutions so that young people today are not doomed to repeat the tragedies of the current generation.

I urge all Seattle voters to support Proposition 1, the Keep Seattle Moving Transportation Levy, which will appear on your Nov. 5 general election ballot. It comes too late for Steve, a pillar of the Seattle bicycling community, but approving this sensible transportation package could save the lives of other people who walk, bike, or roll on Seattle’s frequently inhospitable and dangerous streets.

Thank you, Rita.

Read her full op-ed on the Cascade Blog.

#SEAbikes #Seattle

At memorial bike ride for her husband, Rita Hulsman asked attendees to vote yes on the transportation levy she worked to strengthen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHFp7gSCaU

As captured on video by West Seattle Blog, Rita Hulsman chose to use her address to the crowd gathered Saturday for a memorial bike ride in honor of her late husband Steve to promote action to make sure traffic deaths like his do not continue happening to others (starts at 6:45 in the video):

“Steve would be so honored to see you here today to remember him. He was so skilled and passionate about bicycling, and I’ve heard from so many of you who used to cycle with him about how he was helpful and encouraging to others who found the very, very, very hilly routes that he rode to be maybe a little bit more than some people had bargained for. He was there to help people and encourage people along the way. Thank you for those kind words about him. It meant more than I can tell you in the months that have passed since his untimely death.

Earlier this year, I became involved in advocating for safety improvements for bicyclists, for pedestrians and for other vulnerable users of our city streets. And I did that by speaking up at City Council Transportation Committee meetings. I am pleased that the full council passed a great transportation levy proposal that will come before those of us who live in Seattle this November. If you live in Seattle, I strongly encourage you to vote yes on the 2024 transportation levy.”

Ever since news broke of that horrible day in December when a person driving a Chevy Tahoe turned in front of Steve’s path as he biked the long and fast downhill on Marine View Drive SW in West Seattle, Rita has been focused on changing city policy to promote safer streets. She and I emailed a few times back in March because she wanted advice on identifying organizations working on safe streets. “Steve’s death is just senseless to me,” she wrote, “but advocating for action to make our roads safer for cyclists will, I hope, give me some sense of consolation.” She later donated the funds raised through a memorial GoFundMe campaign to Cascade Bicycle Club and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.

She didn’t stop there. As City Council Transportation Committee Chair Rob Saka said in his remarks before the ride Saturday (2:30 mark in the video), Rita showed up to every committee meeting in which the 2024 Transportation Levy was being considered to testify in favor of increasing funding for safer streets.

“Rita showed up at every single transportation committee meeting where we discussed and considered the levy,” he told the crowd. “Her voice was well represented, testifying, holding me and my City Council colleagues accountable to make sure we have proper investments baked into the transportation levy to do more to protect the most vulnerable users. And my commitment is to all users. I want to thank Rita for her leadership, her passion, and making sure that the voice of your family is represented in this transportation levy.”

He added that if the levy passes, one of his amendments included building protected bike infrastructure named in Steve’s honor.

“Rita deserves better, the family of Steve deserves better, you all deserve better,” he said.

Thank you, Rita, and may Steve rest in peace.

#SEAbikes #Seattle