Seattle Politics and Urbanism Daily
Ballard Rail Gap Tests Seattle’s Reform Agenda
Monday, June 1, 2026 · 8 min
Sound Transit left Ballard light rail without construction funding, while Seattle wrestles with whether zoning reform, MHA fees, school accountability, and Aurora street closures can turn policy promises into actual homes, safety, and service.
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Show notes
Sound Transit left Ballard light rail without construction funding, while Seattle wrestles with whether zoning reform, MHA fees, school accountability, and Aurora street closures can turn policy promises into actual homes, safety, and service.
In this episode
- How we will continue to fight for Ballard Light Rail - Seattle City Council Blog — Seattle City Council Blog
How we will continue to fight for Ballard Light Rail - Seattle City Council Blog Last night, the Sound Transit Board voted to approve a proposal that put the future funding of Ballard Light Rail into question. Despite being projected to serve the most daily riders of any Sound Transit project, funding to complete construction of the project has not been identified. I pushed every lever I had to…
- Step Back — Seattle just rezoned the whole city — but what actually has to happen before that turns into more homes people can live in, and where can the process still get jammed up by permits, fees, financing, or neighborhood-specific rules?
Background sources
- Addressing Seattle Housing Shortage: Mayor Wilson Releases Final Centers and Corridors Zoning Proposal - Office of the Mayor — Seferiana Day-Hasegawa
- Seattle's Comprehensive Plan - Council | seattle.gov — seattle.gov
- Seattle dropped key NIMBY rules. Why aren’t developers swarming? | The Seattle Times — Heidi Groover
- Seattle City Council reviewing plan for more housing density | The Seattle Times — David Kroman
- Lin Moves to Curb Legal Appeals Hindering Seattle Zoning Changes — Theurbanist
- OPCD Further Trims Corridor Upzones in Newly Unveiled Seattle Zoning Maps » The Urbanist — Theurbanist
- Katie Wilson's 'Taller Denser Faster' Plan Starts to Get Fleshed Out — Theurbanist
- Op-Ed: The Case Against Slashing Seattle’s Housing Affordability Fees — The Urbanist
# Op-Ed: The Case Against Slashing Seattle’s Housing Affordability Fees Published: 2026-05-30T14:00:43+00:00 Source: theurbanist.org (theurbanist.org) Language: en ## Story Op-Ed: The Case Against Slashing Seattle’s Housing Affordability Fees 📰 Support nonprofit journalism Donate # Op-Ed: The Case Against Slashing Seattle’s Housing Affordability Fees By Ryan Donohue (Guest Contributor)- May…
- West Seattle Blog… | ‘Whatever it takes,’ promises Seattle Public Schools superintendent as South Park community airs concerns — West Seattle Blog
# West Seattle Blog… | ‘Whatever it takes,’ promises Seattle Public Schools superintendent as South Park community airs concerns Published: 2026-05-29T19:01:00+00:00 Source: westseattleblog.com (westseattleblog.com) Language: en ## Story West Seattle Blog… | ‘Whatever it takes,’ promises Seattle Public Schools superintendent as South Park community airs concerns - VIDEO, PHOTOS: Forest Lawn’s…
- Seattle officials introduce bill to help residents battle gun violence | The Seattle Times — The Seattle Times
# Seattle officials introduce bill to help residents battle gun violence | The Seattle Times Author: Catalina Gaitán Published: 2026-05-29T10:00:00-07:00 Source: seattletimes.com (seattletimes.com) Language: en ## Story Seattle officials introduce bill to help residents battle gun violence | The Seattle Times By Seattle Times breaking news reporter After some North Seattle neighbors blocked…