Seattle's streetscape is changing gears, with many improvements and revamps unfolding citywide, all bankrolled by the 2023 Levy to Move Seattle, a plan that won a thumbs up at the ballot box. A hefty portion of the levy cash has been funneled into laying down new sidewalks, putting up more crosswalks, giving a major facelift to the transit corridors feeling the most footfall, and smoothing out some of the roughest street surfaces, Mayor Bruce Harrell said in the recently released annual report.

In a city where transportation can be as choppy as Puget Sound on a windy day, these upgrades are seen as a lifeline, not least for cyclists and pedestrians; now they can pull out of their driveways with a tad more peace of mind. Mayor Harrell was quoted in the annual report, asserting, "Informed by the community and with critical help from local, state, and federal partners, we are continuing to deliver on our One Seattle commitment to create a transportation system where every person can travel safely – regardless of how they get around."

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Director Greg Spotts boasted of 2023 being a record-smashing year for the levy, with his team putting more designs to paper and breaking ground on construction projects more than any prior year, jumping the gun to get these upgrades off the ground, enhancing safety citywide, leveling the playing field for sidewalk users and public transit patrons alike, and he told the annual report.

With 2024 already in the rearview mirror, Seattleites won't have time to blink before they spot construction crews pitching tents and pulling up the pavement for the next round of projects, including the RapidRide J Line snaking through Eastlake, a shuffle of improvements for the bike trails back and forth Georgetown and sprinkled through South Seattle; and a scheme drawn up to beef up dependability and safety for the buzzing traffic on East Marginal Way.