The city of Seattle is the largest jurisdiction in the state of Washington that passes on its legal opportunity to implement a transportation impact fee on new development.
The city of Seattle is considering adding a new transportation impact fee on new development, according to an article by Stephen Fesler. The prospect of a transportation impact fee, which is used in some cities to generate capital funding for transportation infrastructure projects, has languished in the city for years, according to Fesler, but a year's worth of activity on the front could mean a change is on the horizon.
Still, there is a lot of work to be done before the city can begin implementing a new impact fee. "Any impact fee program will need to involve a proper rate study to determine the kind of transportation demands that specific land use types generate," explains Fesler. "Once the rate study is completed, the city could go through the process of compiling an actual fee schedule based upon several considerations: use type and transportation demand, cost of capital improvement project list, geographic location, and other relevant policy issues."
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