Commentary: Change and growth are always a challenge

Council member Kim Allen
March 2, 2013 
                                    
Kim originally published this in 2013 as a comment under "Redmond's Identity Crisis"

Council member Kim Allen

As downtown Redmond builds out, it is my wish and intent for the old and new to complement each other. The Downtown park already hosted several successful outdoor concerts last summer and I have often seen folks throwing a ball or frisbee or stopping to sit s spell at the red tables-weather permitting, of course. As the Redmond Way/Cleveland St. Corridor is restored to 2 way traffic over the next couple of years, the elements like street lighting and such will be added to give us a more walkable downtown.

I have been working hard on regional transit to make sure Redmond gets what we need to get more folks out of their cars to lessen congestion. I can tell you that there are many cities competing for a limited pot of transit dollars and hours. We work regionally to keep Redmond at the table as a leader to deliver the transit that is such an important part of a green and walkable Redmond. Through those regional efforts, we are working in partnership with Metro to plan to try out some new ways to access transit in our neighborhoods.

As to the 166th St. 4 to 3 conversion, Councilmember Margeson and I took a firm stand and insisted that adequate funding be put aside in our capital fund during this budget session to do that work as soon as possible. We moved funds from a less urgent project to do so. It is a priority for safety and to give Ed Hill folks a comfortable environment to choose to walk and bike where they need to go.

Change and growth are always a challenge but I believe we can integrate those elements that make Redmond a great place to call home, even as we prepare to welcome more people who will also call it home.

Source:  March 2, 2013 comment on Redmond Neighborhood Blog