The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is a municipal

government agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

that is responsible for the maintenance of the city's transportation systems, including roads, bridges, and public transportation. The agency is funded primarily by taxes that are supplemented by voter-approved levies from other sources; its budget in 2015 was $429 million.

History

The Seattle Transportation Department was formed in November 1996, as part of the re-organization and eventual dissolution of the

Seattle Engineering Department The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is a municipal government agency in Seattle, Washington that is responsible for the maintenance of the city's transportation systems, including roads, bridges, and public transportation. The agency ...

. The division was renamed to the "Seattle Department of Transportation" in 2004.

Administration and management

Director

The department is managed by the Director of Transportation, a position appointed by the

Mayor of Seattle The Mayor of Seattle is the head of the executive branch of the city government of Seattle, Washington. The mayor is authorized by the city charter to enforce laws enacted by the Seattle City Council, as well as direct subordinate officers in ci ...

and confirmed by a majority vote from the

Seattle City Council The Seattle City Council is the legislative body of the city of Seattle, Washington. The Council consists of nine members serving four-year terms, seven of which are elected by electoral districts and two of which are elected in citywide at-la ...

. The position is subject to re-appointment and re-confirmation every four years. Since 1997, nine people have held the office of Director of Transportation. Greg Spotts was nominated in 2022 for the position and awaits confirmation from the city council.

Funding

In 2015, SDOT had an adopted budget of $429 million. The largest portion of the budget, approximately $186 million, is allocated to major capital projects, including collaborations with regional and state agencies.

Transportation levies

Much of SDOT's long-term funding comes from voter-approved funding levies and other taxes. In 2006, the $365 million "Bridging the Gap" levy was approved by Seattle voters, using property taxes and parking fees to fund nine years of transportation improvements. The levy was replaced in 2015 by the voter-approved "Move Seattle" levy, funded by a new property tax, that will provide $930 million over a nine-year period.

Programs

Seattle Streetcar

SDOT maintains the citywide

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...

network, which consists of two lines, : the South Lake Union Streetcar, opened in 2007; and the

First Hill Streetcar The First Hill Streetcar, officially the First Hill Line, is a streetcar route in Seattle, Washington, United States, forming part of the modern Seattle Streetcar system. It travels between several neighborhoods in central Seattle, including th ...

, opened in 2016.

Transit funding

In addition to road funding, SDOT also provides funding for

public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

improvements through partner agencies. The 2015 Move Seattle levy includes funding for expansion of King County Metro's RapidRide system into Seattle, replacing existing bus routes.

Cycling infrastructure

Since the passage of Bridging the Gap in 2006, SDOT has funded $36 million in bicycle infrastructure, including of bicycle lanes and sharrows, of signed bicycle routes, and 2,230 bicycle parking spaces.

Facilities

, SDOT has an estimated $20 billion in transportation assets within the city of Seattle. It maintains of streets, 122 bridges, 609 stairways, 158 traffic cameras, 1,061 signalized intersections, and 29,073 curb ramps. The Urban Forestry division maintains over 41,000 street trees, as well as of managed landscape areas.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Government of Seattle Transportation in Seattle Transit agencies in Washington (state) Government agencies established in 1996 1996 establishments in Washington (state)