Latest news with #DowntownSeattleAssociation
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Graffiti drives me crazy': DSA stresses what work needs to be done ahead of 2026 World Cup
This story was initially published on Seattle is just days away from officially being one year away from hosting the 2026 World Cup, and there is still a ton of work to do, according to the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA). 'It's nice to have a marker, a milestone, a big event that everybody can sort of rally around,' Jon Scholes, president and CEO of DSA, said on 'The John Curley Show' on KIRO Newsradio. 'A date in a line in the sand out there in June 2026, so there's been a lot of good work to date. I mean, we should be doing this stuff anyway.' That 'stuff' Scholes cited includes the removal of graffiti that covers much of the downtown neighborhood. 'The graffiti drives me crazy,' Scholes said. 'I would say, in the city and in downtown, we have a lot less graffiti than we did two years ago, and I do credit the mayor for his actions there. I think where we all see it, where we haven't seen as much progress, is on the freeway walls, and we need a lot more help from our friends at the State Department of Transportation (SDOT) and WSDOT on that front to make a better experience.' Approximately 750,000 visitors are expected to come to Seattle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With this surge of tourism incoming, Seattle is working toward hiring more police officers, a trend Scholes is already seeing come to fruition. 'We have more officers and have more folks that have applied to be officers in the last three, four months than we've had in 10 years,' Scholes said. 'We are on pace to hire 170 officers this year. We've got a great new police chief who is a terrific leader and has the respect of his officers in this department and the business community. I hope we can use this World Cup event to mobilize more action, and we should then sustain it.' Violent crime in downtown Seattle has been on the decline, according to the DSA's latest State of Downtown report, starting late last year. From September to December 2024, violent crime in key areas, including Third Avenue and Pine Street, dropped by 50% compared to two years ago. Observed drug activity also fell by 30%. 'We're in a better place when it comes to violent crime and drug activity, but it's not as good as it needs to be,' Scholes said. 'We have too many guns in the wrong hands, and what used to be a fist fight is often a gunfight, and that's not so much a downtown thing, that's also regional, statewide. 'It was chaotic in downtown two, three years ago,' Scholes added. 'We had tents everywhere, and we had sex trafficking and drug trafficking out of those tents.'
Axios
22-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Touch-screen kiosks may come to Seattle streets
Seattle officials are debating whether to install dozens of digital kiosks, each measuring over 8 feet tall, in public spaces downtown and in business districts. Why it matters: Supporters of adding the interactive kiosks say they'll relay valuable way-finding tips and public safety messages, along with information about local events and restaurants. But they'll also be vehicles for digital ads — and privacy advocates worry they could one day be used to record passersby or collect people's data. Catch up quick: The Seattle City Council is considering legislation to allow 30 of the touch-screen kiosks to be installed downtown before next summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup events. Another 50 kiosks could be installed after that, with some potentially going up in business improvement areas in Ballard, SoDo, West Seattle and the U-District. Zoom in: Each digital kiosk would measure 8.25 feet tall by 3.15 feet wide and would be equipped with apps to help people find local attractions and transit service. When not in active use, the kiosks will cycle through eight digital slides, seven of which could be private advertisements. The kiosks, which can translate information into multiple languages, would also act as free Wi-FI hubs and could be used to call 911. What they're saying: Jon Scholes, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, told Axios that the technology could help "people discover and engage with the urban area," including by finding events and businesses "that they may not even know to search for." Each kiosk's content would be customized to show what's directly nearby, he said. They'd go up in public rights-of-way, adjacent to sidewalks and roadways. Between the lines: Scholes said Seattle's kiosks wouldn't include security cameras. At most, they'll have a manually operated selfie camera, he said. (A city memo says those photos wouldn't be retained.) But Tee Sannon of the ACLU of Washington told KUOW there's a danger of "mission creep" should the kiosks go up. "It's easy to then start adding new features that could be invasive," Sannon said. With that in mind, "strong forward-looking policies and protections should be in place before any kiosk is installed," Caedmon Magboo Cahill, the ACLU-WA's policy advocacy director, said in an emailed statement to Axios. The big picture: Kiosks made by the same company are used in about 20 other cities, including San Diego, Baltimore, Miami and Denver, Scholes said. Follow the money: The Downtown Seattle Association, which would run the kiosk program at no cost to the city, expects to collect about $1.1 million per year in advertising revenue from the first 30 kiosks. That money would go toward downtown improvement efforts, Scholes said, with any additional revenue to be directed back to the city. What's next: The Seattle City Council could vote in early June on a resolution that would grant "conceptual approval" for the kiosk program.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Number of Downtown Seattle daily workers approaching pre-pandemic levels
The Brief Downtown Seattle averaged nearly 94,000 daily workers in February 2025, reaching 63% of pre-pandemic levels. South Lake Union and Denny Regrade neighborhoods saw worker foot traffic at 79% of February 2020 levels; visitor numbers exceeded 1.9 million. Emerald City Comic Con drew 90,000 people on March 8, boosting daily foot traffic to 299,407. SEATTLE - Downtown Seattle is experiencing an increase in worker and visitor foot traffic, according to the latest data from the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA). By the numbers In February 2025, with nearly 94,000 daily workers on average, it was the second-highest daily average since March 2020. This figure represents 63% of the average daily worker foot traffic from February 2020, showing a 7% increase from February 2024. The South Lake Union and Denny Regrade neighborhoods also reported a rise in worker foot traffic, reaching 79% of the levels seen in February 2020. This marks the highest daily average for these neighborhoods since the onset of the pandemic. Visitor numbers have similarly climbed, with more than 1.9 million unique visitors coming downtown in February 2025, which is 86% of the February 2020 figure. Local perspective Local visitors, those living within 10 miles of downtown, have returned to pre-pandemic levels, reaching 100% of the February 2020 numbers. The Emerald City Comic Con contributed to a high-traffic weekend, drawing an estimated 90,000 people downtown on Saturday, March 8. Convention attendees helped boost the total daily visitor foot traffic to 299,407, marking the highest day of foot traffic so far this year. February 2025's data highlights the impact of Amazon's return to a five-day workweek in the office, contributing to the increased worker presence in some neighborhoods. For more detailed data and interactive charts, the DSA's website offers monthly and weekly snapshots. The Source Information for this article comes from the Downtown Seattle Association. Fire destroys, damages multiple Cybertrucks in Seattle lot New member drops Lynnwood City Council appointment after Onlyfans scandal Bryan Kohberger defense ramps up legal maneuvers in bid to keep Idaho murders suspect off death row Major TSA change to shorten airport security wait times, DHS says: What to know Seattle Seahawks trade DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh Steelers To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
