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Ryan Packer

@typewriteralley.bsky.social

10K followers 420 following 6.5K posts

Pedestrian Reporting at The Urbanist as Contributing Editor Transportation advocate Probably covering a random public meeting (they-them) 📍Puget Sound https://www.patreon.com/typewriteralley

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · Nov 24

Hi new followers-
Several years ago I decided to start documenting how regularly people in my city of Seattle were getting hurt while trying to get around via walking or biking, in as close to real-time as possible.

In response to consistent feedback I'm going to continue on this platform.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

The big question is the degree to which Edmonds keeps backpedaling after this.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/04/24/e...

After a Baby Step Toward Housing Density, Edmonds Starts Backpedaling » The Urbanist

# The new housing growth framework in Edmonds allows some additional density around existing commercial hubs and centers. But with one neighborhood already getting a second look, the entire plan could...

www.theurbanist.org

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

Sounds like this is getting fully decided after a public hearing in early November.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

CM Dotsch wants her colleagues to know that it's fine to remove the North Bowl hub, because the city has a bunch of spare housing units in its Comp Plan compared to their state growth target.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

CM Michelle Dotsch says they should just keep apartments banned in the entire area, because the hub is small anyway. She calls it a "piece of sand" and says it's dangerous along the state highway, where Edmonds focuses MOST of its future housing capacity.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

Now the discussion has moved onto whether Edmonds can implement this change immediately, rather than on the Comp Plan amendment update schedule, so that the city doesn't see any "imbalanced development."

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

Two other CMs (Susan Paine and Jenna Nand) did push back on the idea that views should guide Edmonds's housing decisions...while supporting the planning board's decision to scale things back.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

Edmonds CM Vivian Olson, speaking in favor of scaling back the hub: "I just want to say that the reason that we've been so attached to our heights is human scale and blocking views. And we will be blocking views here, and I don't think it's worth it."

Olson actually wants to go further.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

Want to live in an apartment off the state highway around the North Bowl? Sorry. Those parcels are likely getting pulled out (in grey).

The hub was already incredibly small.

parcels shown in red that will be retained with other parcels in gray

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3h

Tuned into the Edmonds City Council, where there's a discussion of slashing a proposed "neighborhood hub" in half, an area where small apartment buildings would be allowed, only a few months after it was approved, due to complaints from existing homeowners.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 4h

OMA is not a Seattle firm

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 4h

Do you mean LMN

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 5h

Yeah I was working there from 1 to 3:30ish.

Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 5h

For the most part, Seattle has simply cut this out by moving to a webinar format for online meetings, where you can submit questions but not speak out of turn, and an open house drop-in format for in person meetings.

Jonathan Maus @jonathanmaus.bsky.social · 9h

It's so hard to watch n'hood residents treat city/agency staff like garbage at meetings just because they disagree w a street design proposal. We need mediators or some staff who enforce basic, respectful meeting laws. I'm tired of staff being talked over and disrespected. It's not OK!

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 6h

Get used to seeing that Bruce Harrell TV ad: the PAC that paid for it to be produced just reported spending nearly $700,000 to run ads through election day.

10/13/25 10/13/25 CERILLION N4 PARTNERS
1326 5TH AVE STE 334
SEATTLE, WA 98101
TELEVISION ADS 10/13-11/4 $683,855.00
10/13/25 10/15/25 CERILLION N4 PARTNERS
1326 5TH AVE STE 334
SEATTLE, WA 98101
NEWSPAPER AD 10/15 AND 10/29 $11,834.00

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 7h

We've had two libraries on that same site, a 1960s modernist building and a 1906 Carnegie that was reportedly very cramped as the city grew.

Modernist library building surrounded by 1960s cars. The library included a drive through book drop and a parking lot

Carnegie library that resembles the 42nd Street branch in New York City

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 7h

Sometimes it really comes in handy that a county councilmember used to be on the city council.

Fix the L8 @fixthel8.bsky.social · 8h

Thank you for your support, @cmtmosqueda.bsky.social!

Page 1 of letter from Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda in support of bus lanes on Denny Way

Page 2 of letter from Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda in support of bus lanes on Denny Way

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 7h

Sometimes I remember there are folks who don't like Seattle's central library. It is a little hard for me to wrap my head around.

View of teen area at the library from floor five

Living room stacks with windows behind flooded with light

Internal shaft of the building with light filtering through

View of the teen area from the living room closer to fifth avenue

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 7h

SDOT plans to make improvements to Occidental Ave in advance of the World Cup, but we definitely can't change parking on the street, so we're going to get a "walkway" between the road and parked cars.

Graphic showing cars parked on Occidental facing the buildings with the location of a "walkway test" between the road and the cars

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 10h

Kirkland will just need to put something on the ballot for a special election...

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 10h

After an automatic update, Wordpress now has an option to "generate an image" when I'm working on a news story and it makes me want to throw something across the room every single time I almost click on that button.

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 11h

Yes, that's the date for full wire coverage.

Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 11h

Washington really representing here!

Parking Reform Network @parkingreform.org · 12h

So far in 2025, 11 cities have clearly signaled that the era of mandatory parking is coming to an end! 🎉

parkingreform.org/mandates-map/

A table titled "Cities That Abolished Parking Mandates in 2025". It lists cities and the dates they removed mandatory parking requirements. The cities are Toledo, OH (Sep 9); Oak Forest, IL (Aug 26); Shoreline, WA (Aug 11); Denver, CO (Aug 5); Boulder, CO (Jul 24); Botnell, WA (Jul 8); Bremerton, WA (Jun 4); Fairview, OR (Jun 4); Franklin, WI (May 6); Fitchburg, WI (Apr 8); and Sherbrooke, QC (Apr 8).

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 13h

We have such a robust commitment to maintaining infrastructure that we're spending $1 billion less than we should be spending every single year, and spending that money on highway widening instead.

Gov. Bob Ferguson @governorferguson.bsky.social · 13h

Reopening this bridge reflects our continued commitment to maintaining safe, reliable infrastructure across Washington.

Thank you to the teams who worked hard to quickly restore this vital connection for the region.

SR 169 Green River bridge south of Black Diamond reopens following repairs

The State Route 169 Green River Dan Evans Bridge reopened to two-way traffic Tuesday morning after repairs were completed.

komonews.com

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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 13h

The problem with starting services like this as a "pilot" is that pulling the plug is going to be unpopular, even if Metro could be providing more cost-efficient transit service in the area. Could $600,000 add a fixed route bus in Juanita or boost existing frequencies?

Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 13h

At current usage levels, the Metro Flex zone in Juanita costs $49 per ride, which is double the cost of Metro Flex boardings in Seattle's Rainier Valley.

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