Seattle's green scene is gaining some serious muscle, thanks to the efforts of SDOT pros Sonia Palma, Katherine Rice, and Ben Rosenblatt, who are rolling out green initiatives to transform the city's transportation scene. According to the SDOTblog, Operations Manager Palma has been on the frontline since 2009, leading the charge on SDOT's fleet electrification, testing everything from electric street sweepers to paving rollers.
Palma's efforts haven't gone unnoticed, as she's already seen a dozen different electric vehicles and equipment take to the streets, while Rice juggles climate and electrification projects like a circus pro and Rosenblatt dreams big, focusing on SDOT's long-term climate strategy. Rice, who manages SDOT's curbside electric vehicle chargers and the proposed e-cargo bike program, detailed the dynamic nature of managing such diverse climate projects in her role, working along the bustling curbs of Seattle, and signing deals with car share companies, to electrify shared transportation options. Meanwhile, Rosenblatt's sharp vision has brought the Climate Change Response Framework (CCRF) into the mix, which aims to serve as Seattle's compass in the stormy seas of climate change, pushing the city into a future that treasures more than just cars on the road but pivots towards a cleaner, safer community space.
Rice revealed to SDOTblog her passion for the environment and her journey from studying environmental policy to managing installations of EV chargers, and now steering Seattle into a future ripe with zero-emission options. From facilitating electric vehicle usage for Seattle's residents to expanding e-cargo bike viability, her impact in shaping Seattle's curb space towards a more sustainable future resonates with her early desire to protect natural spaces after her move from California.
If the work of these three green warriors is anything to go by, Seattle's roads will not only be kinder to the earth but to the people and communities as well; as Rosenblatt puts it, climate investment translates to tangible lifestyle improvements and potential savings for households, by easing out the necessity of driving everywhere and transitioning to more carbon-neutral transit options. When one delves into Rosenblatt's professional background, they find a planner deeply impacted by environmental calamities like Superstorm Sandy and the 2021 heatwave in Seattle, as he told SDOTblog, his push against climate change is personal, driven by a desire to ensure a just and livable world for future generations, including his own kid.
As these pros forge ahead, they exemplify public service with a green heart, with every strategy outlined and every electric charger installed inching Seattle closer to its carbon-neutral dreams.
