New SDOT director outlines goals for position, pledges not to drive his personal car this fall
Aug 24, 2022, 4:01 PM
(Seattle Department of Transportation)
(Seattle Department of Transportation)
Greg Spotts, the next director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, has shared some of his goals and priorities for improving transportation in the city as he continues his confirmation process.
Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Spotts as his pick to lead SDOT last month, pending confirmation by the City Council.
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He is set to begin at the department on Sept. 7, working as acting director until he is confirmed.
As part of the confirmation process, Spotts submitted written answers to over a dozen questions from the City Council’s Transportation & Seattle Public Utilities committee, in which he shared his priorities for his first year in the role.
These priorities include conducting a review of the Vision Zero program — which aims to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets in Seattle by 2030 — and accelerating the work being done to improve the city’s bridges.
During his initial time in Seattle, Spotts says he plans not to bring his personal car with him, which he believes will allow him to better understand how residents get around the city’s many neighborhoods.
“This autumn, I will be relying on walking, biking, transit, taxis and rideshare to get around, occasionally riding in city fleet vehicles when necessary to fulfill my duties,” said Spotts. “I am pleased to tell you that over the past 12 months, I’ve averaged 10,000 steps per day as a pedestrian, and I have put approximately 150 miles on the e-bike I purchased in mid-May.”
Spotts is also asking residents and community groups to join him on “listening tours” of the city’s neighborhoods this fall.
SDOT says Spotts plans to ride transit, cycle and walk with residents across the city in hopes of building relationships with Seattleites and hearing their thoughts on the city’s complex transportation system.
Residents can request to participate in one of these tours via an online portal.
