Public roads should not be closed to raise lobbying money for special interests

What’s not to like about a refreshing bike ride on a Sunday morning?

Turns out, it’s not so simple.

Earlier this month, the Cascade Bicycle Club announced that this year’s version of the Emerald City Ride would include a jaunt over the West Seattle Bridge.

The city of Seattle will close the westbound bridge lanes and an adjacent section of southbound Highway 99 for two hours on the morning of May 5.
Tickets for the event start at $55 for adults and go up to $165 with an added donation. In the past, the event has drawn about 7,000 riders.

Expect the Cascade Bicycle Club — which proudly touts its government advocacy and retains City Hall lobbyists — to make some nice coin here.

The city’s Office of Economic Development confirmed that Cascade Bicycle Club will pay a $1,210.41 fee for use of the bridge. This doesn’t include fees associated with Seattle Police Department labor supporting the ride, or other permitting fees.

In response to a query from the editorial board, a spokesman for the Seattle Department of Transportation said the West Seattle Bridge was not slated for any scheduled maintenance or inspections that day. In other words, traffic will be shut out purely to host the fundraising ride.

Why is this noteworthy?

Mayor Bruce Harrell and SDOT are currently working on a proposal to renew the Move Seattle transportation levy, which is expected to be presented to the public and City Council this spring.

Sources say the Move Seattle levy, slated for the November ballot, is expected to work out to around $1.35 billion in property taxes. In 2015, voters approved the current nine-year, $930 million transportation levy.

About 30% of SDOT’s budget is funded by levy dollars. Major categories are congestion relief, maintenance and repair, and safe routes, which includes bike lanes and other infrastructure.

In the most recent lobbying filings as of the end of December, a Cascade Bicycle Club representative reports meeting with the Mayor’s Office and SDOT leadership on the levy last fall.

The Cascade Bicycle Club is well within its rights to advocate for safety and road improvements. But City Hall should have thought twice about renting out a vital piece of public infrastructure to a special interest at a time when residents will be asked to debate transportation priorities and vote on a massive property tax proposal.

As it is, the Move Seattle levy campaign already looks a little juiced.