The Outset

Seattle has relied on voter-approved transportation levies to fund critical infrastructure since 2006, when the $365 million “Bridging the Gap” levy first addressed a growing backlog of repairs. In 2015, the $930 million “Move Seattle” levy expanded investments in sidewalks, bike lanes, repaving, and bridge maintenance, ultimately providing nearly a third of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s budget. Because state law restricts property tax growth to one percent per year, these levies have become essential for maintaining and modernizing the system. With “Move Seattle” set to expire in 2024, city leaders proposed the $1.55 billion “Keep Seattle Moving” levy, approved by voters to sustain core infrastructure, improve safety, and prepare for future growth.

The Funding Solution

The “Keep Seattle Moving” proposal is an eight-year, $1.55 billion property tax levy, representing the largest transportationfunding package in Seattle’s history. The initial city proposal was a $1.45 billion levy, robust public feedback and a coalition of prominent advocacy organizations successfully pressed the city leadership for a larger levy to advance equity, safety, and multimodal priorities. It expanded the levy size and scope by $100 million to strengthen pedestrian, biking, and transit investments. The thoughtful advocacy restored critical programs like the Neighborhood-initiated Safety Partnership program to ensure neighborhoods co-design their own safety improvements. The final $1.55 billion proposal received broad support across the spectrum as a pragmatic approach balancing core infrastructure needs while maintaining fiscal credibility.

The levy invests in diverse projects across 11 key program areas. Street maintenance and modernization ($400 million), bridge and structural repairs ($220 million), pedestrian safety ($190 million), expanded bike network ($133 million), and transit connections ($151 million) are the key components. For the first time, the levy funds vibrant public spaces that are co-created with communities. It also includes a good governance initiative that integrates community oversight, outreach, and public education to empower communities for equitable project delivery.

The Campaign Strategy

The Keep Seattle Moving campaign succeeded by prioritizing mobilizationover persuasion, focusing on likely supporters such as infrequent voters and those sensitive to taxes but generally supportive when reassured. From the outset, the campaign framed the levy as a renewal of proven efforts rather than an untested initiative, keeping messaging clear and accessible. Key messaging highlighted that the levy would fund essential needs like paving, bridge repair, sidewalks, which are in significant need of funding in Seattle.This messaging appealed to a broad range of voters. Additional messaging reinforced creating more connections to light rail, which is expanding in the Puget Sound region. The campaign also focused on advancing safety improvements and ensuring downtown remains welcoming as tourism and return-to-office initiatives grow post-pandemic.

With so many issues competing for attention on the ballot, a key objective was encouraging supporters to vote all the way down the ballot to prevent drop-off. To reinforce trust, the campaign built a broad coalition and list of endorsements that spanned city leadership, labor, advocacy groups, business associations, and neighborhood organizations, aligning messages with each constituency’s priorities. The campaign followed a deliberate schedule: launching in September with endorsements and fundraising, engaging voters at community touchpoints, and shifting to intensive mobilization in October with text-banking, phone-banking, and door-knocking.

The Outcome

In November 2024, Seattle voters approved the transportation levy proposal (Proposition 1), with 66.5% support. This clearcity-wide success showed a strong public support for safer, more reliable, and people-centered transportation.

• By early 2025, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) released its first levy delivery plan, outlining $177 million in first-year investments across 11 program areas.
• Projects are selected to align with the goals of the 20-year Seattle Transportation Plan
• The selection process prioritizes geographic equity, asset preservation, community co-creation, and leveraging external funding. The City’s in-house equity tools such as the Racial and Social Equity (RSE) Index and Transportation Equity Framework (TEF) are used to ensure investments prioritize historically underserved communities.
• Street maintenance and pedestrian safety got the largest first-year investment, followed by investments in bridges’ rehabilitation, bicycle safety, and Vision Zero projects.

Together, these investments represent Seattle’s commitment to preserve and address its essential infrastructure needs, while also creating opportunities to build a more resilient, equitable transportation system.

For more information, visit:

• The Seattle Transportation Levy is Headed to the Ballot!
• 2025 Seattle Transportation Levy Annual Delivery Plan
• Harrell Adds $100 Million to Transportation Levy Proposal, Sends to Council » The Urbanist