(The Center Square) – Seattle’s outdated school construction code is costing more than $2 million a year to fix.
The Seattle School Traffic Safety Committee presented its annual update to the Seattle Transportation Committee on Tuesday. STSC members spoke on what is needed to improve safety for students going to and from school.
Since 2022, STSC has been working with the Seattle Public Schools’ capital project team and the Seattle Department of Constructions and Inspections to update outdated city codes that cost taxpayers an estimated $2.5 million annually.
“Basically, the Seattle city code on public schools and residential areas’ non-parking requirements are somewhat outdated remnants that reflect car-centric thinking,” STSC Chair Ryan Baum said during a Seattle Transportation Committee meeting on Tuesday. “That really is not applicable to our urban schools today.”
A recent example of outdated city codes presented by Baum is the reconstruction of Alki Elementary School. Project costs are now over $2.5 million due to process delays related to the city’s school construction code.
The STSC’s presentation finds that some immediate traffic safety improvements would come if the Seattle Police Department were able to bring temporary enforcement patrols back to patrol high-risk areas. However, staffing issues within the department mean these patrols have not been available.
If staffing issues are addressed, Baum said the temporary enforcement patrols would serve as a short-term solution while the Seattle Department of Transportation makes physical improvements to its streets that reduce driving speeds.
The STSC also reports that there is a crossing guard vacancy rate of 55% within Seattle Public Schools. However, STSC Committee Member Mary Ellen Russell notes that hiring more crossing guards is presumably not a top priority for the district due to the job positions totaling $400,000 a year, while the district is in the midst of a $100 million budget deficit.
Ellen Russell blames a lack of support from the state level to go toward addressing the crossing guard vacancy.
“It’s very clear, in the plain language of our current state statute, that [crossing guards] should be paid for by the state, and they have never funded it, not a dollar,” Ellen Russell said.
The STSC consists of 11 volunteer members that represent Seattle Public Schools, the Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, King County Metro, pedestrian advocates, bicycle advocates, and parents.
Six of the positions are appointed by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and are confirmed by the Seattle City Council.