How transit-oriented development derailed

Plus Inslee peaces out, tougher penalties for hazing and some recommended reading

To explain the death of one of this past session’s most complicated housing bills, we’re invoking an analogy familiar to any rush-hour commuter.

Traffic jams often take place for obvious reasons. Accidents. Construction. Weather. Sometimes they happen without any clear explanation at all. This scenario is what’s called a phantom traffic jam, whose potential causes range from simple economics to complex mathematics.

Let’s look at the legislative logjam that led to the death of Senate Bill 5466, which aimed to build more housing around public transit. In urbanist lingo, this is what’s called transit-oriented development (TOD). This session, it was Gov. Jay Inslee and a few progressives who ultimately slammed the brakes on TOD, causing something of a political pileup.