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| |  | SDOT will prioritize RapidRide routes as well as routes serving areas of the city designated as equity priority areas for increased service. (Karina Matias / City Cast Seattle) |
| Explaining Prop. 1: Seattle Transit Measure | As the election creeps ever closer and the prevailing advice is to turn in your ballot earlierthan usual, we’re going to spend the days leading up to the election breaking down key issues on the ballot. So, first up? Proposition 1: funding for more transit service. Here’s what to know: | - The basics: Proposition No. 1 increases sales tax in Seattle in order to maintain bus service and add 100,000 more bus service hours. This would include more frequent bus service on nights and weekends, and more free ORCA passes for low-income riders. This city-wide levy has been around since 2014. Previously, Seattle has renewed it every six years. But if this one is passed, it wouldn’t need to be renewed again for ten years. [The Urbanist]
- The nitty gritty: The transit measure was proposed by Mayor Katie Wilson and passed by the Seattle City Council, so now it’s up to voters to have the final say. It adds a sales tax increase of 0.15 percent, bringing the total sales tax to fund transit service to 0.3 percent, generating around $138 million per year. [The Urbanist]
- Seattle loves buses: The current Seattle Transit Measure was approved in 2020 by 80% of voters, making it one of the most popular transit measures passed anywhere in the U.S. to date. If voters change their tune this time around and decide to vote against the measure, the city would be forced to rapidly scale back its transit investments… or as The Stranger put it, “if this doesn’t pass, bus service is fucked.” [The Stranger]
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| | | This week on Weaving our Future: King County has grown fast, but so many don't earn enough to keep up with the high cost of living, and face limited opportunity to build family and community wealth. How do we make sure everyone benefits from our region's explosive growth? How do we build an economy that works for everyone? In this episode we explore dignity at work and new models for business and community development with Ana Gaeta, Deric Gruen, and the amazing Jane C. Hu. |
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| What Seattle’s Talking About |
| 🚁 There’s a complicated loophole behind police drones: In spite of Seattle’s surveillance ordinance, police drones still flew over the city 15 times since December 2025. The “concurrent jurisdiction” with King County is responsible for the controversial gray area – they can use police drones in certain scenarios in Seattle, like tactical emergency support, because the King County sheriff’s office is “not bound by local Seattle laws and regulations” for drone operation. [Seattle Times] | |  | Public records show Seattle police drones operated in the city this past year due to a city versus county gray area. (Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images) |
| 🔋 Want a new curbside EV charger on your street? You might be in luck. Seattle City Light is designating up to 200 new Level 2 EV charger locations throughout the city in an effort to make charging more accessible to apartment dwellers and EV drivers who rely on street parking. Check out the details on what to expect, including how to request one on your block. [Axios] | | 💔 Navy Strength sails into the sunset: Co-owners Chris and Anu Elford are ready to close their doors after a 10-year run, but tiki enthusiasts still have a chance to visit the Belltown bar’s horror-themed pop-up through October 31. Raise your kitchy glasses to Navy Strength by Halloween night, and come back to buy those same novelty treasures at the inventory sale open to the public in November. [FOX 13] | |
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Have you heard of our Neighborhood Shoutouts? It’s one of the benefits of becoming a City Cast Neighbor — you get to share a local business, person, or nonprofit that you think deserves some shine. Then we spread the word in this newsletter! It’s one of the sweetest, most wholesome parts of being a Neighbor 🤗 | | And before we go, I have some new City Cast Neighbors to welcome! Thank you to Caroline T. and Tiffany C. for investing in this local newsletter. Your support means the world to us 🫶 |
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