Seattle Transit Measure renewal: Kettle and Juarez amendments after July 13

Seattle’s City Council Select Committee on the Seattle Transportation Benefit District held a public hearing on the 2026 Seattle Transit Measure renewal on Monday, July 13. The hearing included separate remote and in-person public comment sessions, giving residents a chance to weigh in before the Council moves the proposal toward later votes on amendments and a referral to voters.

Hearing logistics: remote and in-person comment

• Remote public comment: 9:30 a.m.; registration opened 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• In-person public comment: sign up outside Council Chamber beginning at 4:30 p.m.; hearing concluded after everyone who signed up had a chance to speak.
• Where: Council Chamber, City Hall, 600 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.
• Livestream: Seattle Channel.

What the city is proposing to renew (and what it would fund)

Mayor Katie B. Wilson’s STM renewal proposal would replace the expiring 2020 Seattle Transit Measure package (set to expire in April 2027). The 2026 renewal is structured as a 0.30% sales tax for 10 years, intended to improve transit service throughout the day and expand transit access.

According to SDOT’s renewal materials, the proposal would support:

• More bus service: about 280,000 bus trips per year—roughly 100,000 more than today—plus more frequent service beyond traditional peak periods.
• Free ORCA cards: 22,000 people through the transit access program, aimed at lowering barriers for low-income riders, older adults, and families with young children.
• Reliability and stop improvements: targeted construction projects where buses get delayed, alongside other transit access and education efforts.

Where the debate is focused: affordability and accessibility/safety

1) The affordability thread (Councilmember Kettle’s alternative)

Councilmember Robert Kettle proposed an affordability-focused alternative that would limit the sales-tax increase compared with the mayor’s version, while preserving flexibility for future transportation needs. In the City Council release describing the alternative, Kettle’s amendment would:

• Cap the sales-tax increase at 0.2% (instead of 0.30%).
• Reserve 0.1% for emergent transportation investments that the City Council could approve.
• Maintain the Transit Accessibility Program’s 22,000 free ORCA passes to reduce the regressive impact of a higher sales tax.

2) The accessibility/safety thread (Councilmember Juarez’s Amendment 20)

In a separate amendment thread, Councilmember Debora Juarez proposed Amendment 20, which centers on how the STM defines and applies “infrastructure” spending for accessibility and safety priorities. Her proposal would expand the definitions for infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements, so dedicated funding could be used for projects described as including:

• ADA upgrades
• Accessible transit stops
• Safety enhancements
• Pedestrian connections and wayfinding improvements

Juarez’s release also describes the amendment as focusing on a smaller slice of the overall STM package, while aiming to ensure accessibility work is not treated as an afterthought.

Primary document to review: the amendment packet

The City Council hearing notice points readers to the July 13 agenda information, including a list of 23 proposed STM amendments on Legistar. For the exact text and described effects of the amendments under consideration, many residents will want to start with the Legistar amendment packet.

What happens next

After the July 13 hearing, the Select Committee was expected to vote on proposed amendments the following week, on Thursday, July 16. From there, SDOT describes the next phase as the City Council hearing and deliberating, and then finalizing the legislation needed to refer the STM renewal to voters.

If the City Council advances a package to the ballot, Councilmember Kettle’s release says the Council must approve the proposed package to send to voters by the August 4 primary, with the measure considered in the November general election.

What residents should watch for

• Which version moves forward: whether the affordability alternative elements (lower sales-tax increase and reserved emergent funding) are incorporated.
• How “infrastructure spending” is defined: whether Amendment 20’s expanded definitions become part of the package.
• Final referral timing: whether the final City Council action stays aligned with the August 4 primary deadline.

Sources

• SDOT: 2026 Seattle Transit Measure Renewal
• Seattle City Council Blog: Public hearing for July 13, 2026
• Legistar: CB 121226 Amendment Packet (07/06/26)

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