On Tuesday, Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the Council’s Transportation Committee, announced a series of proposed amendments to the 2026 city budget, focusing on transit safety, infrastructure maintenance, and long-overdue road improvements.
The amendments aim to address constituent concerns by prioritizing tangible investments in the city’s transportation network—including funding to strengthen transit safety, boost pothole repairs, and initiate long-awaited upgrades to SW Roxbury Street along the Seattle-King County line.
“Transportation and being able to move around reliably in Seattle isn’t just a priority for the people I represent—it’s consistently one of their top concerns,” said Saka. “That’s why I’ve focused on tangible infrastructure fixes, like repairing vital arteries such as SW Roxbury Street and addressing the ongoing plague of potholes. I also feel strongly that in order to boost transit ridership and keep Seattleites moving, we must make safety a critical component of every single transit ride—for riders and operators.”
Saks’s Proposed Amendments Include:
• Chief Transit Safety Officer and Program – This amendment would allocate $275,000 to establish a new Chief Transit Safety Officer position within the Seattle Department of Transportation. The officer would be responsible for coordinating and implementing transit-related safety measures. This builds on prior budget cycle commitments to expand the region’s transit safety network and respond to rider and operator concerns.
• Pothole Repair Funding – A proposed $200,000 would be earmarked to strengthen the city’s pothole repair program, a core function of public infrastructure maintenance. The investment comes as Seattle prepares for increased traffic in advance of the FIFA World Cup and aligns with the city’s Vision Zero safety goals.
• SW Roxbury Street Design Work – The amendment would fund 10% of the design phase for much-needed improvements along SW Roxbury Street, from 16th Ave SW to Olson Place SW. The stretch has been long criticized for its deteriorated condition. The goal is to jumpstart repair efforts on what Saka calls a “vital arterial.”
The transit safety amendment drew support from labor representatives, including Greg Woodfill, president of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 587.
“I want to thank Transportation Chair Saka for his leadership and advocacy on transit safety and security,” said Woodfill. “Initiatives that support a safe experience on our transit services and at transit stops are a necessity that our passengers and operators both expect and deserve.”
Woodfill added that creating a dedicated safety position within SDOT would support regional coordination and implementation of the King County Regional Transit Safety Implementation Plan.
“This investment demonstrates Seattle’s commitment to helping our region implement the King County Regional Transit Safety Implementation Plan recommendations,” said Woodfill. “Thank you again, Chair Saka, for your support for those that use and operate our regional transportation system.”
Next Steps in the Budget Process
The City Council will hold two additional public sessions this week — one on Wednesday, and another on Thursday — to discuss more than 170 proposed amendments to the 2026 city budget. A proposed balancing package is scheduled to be released by Budget Committee Chair Dan Strauss on Nov. 5.
