Sincerely,


GREG NICKELS
Mayor of Seattle

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Last week’s Supreme Court ruling is being hailed by gun rights supporters but it explicitly recognizes the need for common sense gun laws in our cities and states. It reaffirms our efforts to make Seattle safer. On May 24, our city witnessed another gun crime, this time at the Folklife Festival at Seattle Center. Fortunately, no one was killed, but we have the moral responsibility to re-examine all of our City policies to ensure public safety. That’s why I issued an executive order to create a gun-free policy at City properties. The reason is simple: our parks, community centers and events are safer without guns. A similar rule is already in effect at the Seattle Public Library. State law prevents guns at grade schools, jails and courthouses. We cannot wait for another incident, another victim. We need to act, and we need the Legislature to pass common-sense guns laws.
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Back in 2002 I proposed covering Seattle’s six uncovered water reservoirs for two reasons -- to create more open space in our city and to address post-9/11 security and health concerns. But it’s more than just covering the reservoirs; we are replacing them with underground structures for the water. What used to be the surface of the reservoir will now become open space. Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill added nearly four acres to our parks system when the Lincoln Reservoir was covered in 2006. Now we’re just completing the work on the Beacon Hill Reservoir, opening up 26 acres of new land for Jefferson Park, which will include tennis courts, children’s play area, sports field, community gardens, and more. When it’s completed, this open space will be one of the city’s jewels. Once all of the reservoirs are covered, we’ll have more than 70 acres of new park land.
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Find out more about Seattle’s reservoir covering program

For the next year, we will test four plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in our fleet. We just unveiled the first of the four Priuses to be converted to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. These plug-in hybrids can travel up to 40 miles on electricity alone and can recharge by plugging into a regular outlet for less than a dollar a day. With gas prices inching up toward $5 a gallon, we must accelerate our efforts to develop clean and cost effective alternatives to gas-fueled vehicles. If you must drive, we want more people to plug in, drive clean and get moving.
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To kick off the summer season at our venerable Pike Place Market, I had the privilege of riding in a 1936 vintage farm truck loaded with fruits and vegetables. The Market is the longest-running farmers’ market in the country. Merchants can sell 362 days a year, but during the summer the Market sets aside three special selling days for farmers to set up booths on the cobblestone streets, harkening back to the Market’s beginnings in 1907. And in just a few days the City Council will vote on my proposal for a six-year levy to go to voters in November to make much needed repairs to the Market so it can be around for another 100 years.
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It was originally a bowling alley, but in 1973 it became the heart of Seattle’s Filipino community. The Filipino Community Center, on Martin Luther King Jr. Way in south Seattle, reopened at the end of May after undergoing a complete renovation and expansion. It was a great celebration with community leaders, neighbors and elected officials all celebrating a new life for this important gathering place for families, friends and community. Congratulations.

The Seattle Streetcar South Lake Union line will offer expanded service on Friday, July 4, running until 1 a.m. instead of 11 p.m. And an extra car will be added between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. This month the streetcar line nearly reached the quarter million riders mark. Since its inaugural run on Dec. 12, more than 245,000 passengers have ridden the streetcar, surpassing the 175,000 forecast for the first six months. The streetcar launched with tremendous public support and these impressive ridership numbers show that its momentum continues. The people of Seattle want more solutions for moving around the city and they clearly appreciate what our streetcar offers. Quick, convenient and carbon-free, it is the future face of transportation in our city.
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