Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has nominated a new head of the city's Department of Transportation. Sam Zimbabwe has worked for the trasnportation department in Washington, D.C. for seven years, most recently as chief project delivery officer.
Zimbabwe says Washington, D.C., and Seattle have a lot in common.
"We've had some of the same challenges of meeting the day-to-day needs of a citizenry while the city is literally under construction," he said. "It's something that I relish, and something that I really look forward to."
Joined by partners from @wsdot, @SeattleChamber, @TranspoChoices, @CascadeBicycle, @PortofSeattle, @PTELocal17, @kcmetrobus, @SoundTransit, and others, I announced my pick for @seattledot's next Director, Sam Zimbabwe. TY everyone who helped in this crucial selection process. pic.twitter.com/M4OjbozdHz
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) December 18, 2018
SDOT has been without a permanent director for a year. The vacancy has put a streetcar line on hold, and many of the projects approved in a 2015 levy have been curtailed. Durkan says the agency needs to restore credibility.
"So we squared with the public and said that we don't have the money to build all those projects, but what we will do is go back to each one of the boards that oversees portions of the projects and have them help us prioritize."
There's no official date for a confirmation vote from the Seattle City Council, but Durkan says she hopes it happens by mid-January.
