New poll results show Seattle voters are increasingly optimistic about the city’s direction

SEATTLE- A new poll suggests registered voters in Seattle are more optimistic about the city’s direction than they were a few months ago.

The Seattle Metro Chamber released what it calls “The Index” on Tuesday, saying public safety and homelessness remain key issues in sustaining progress.

“The headline is optimism,” Chamber President Rachel Smith said at a presentation of the results Tuesday. The survey of 700 voters was conducted in September and has been conducted regularly to gauge voter sentiment in the city.

Smith presented the findings alongside Andrew Thibault, senior director of EMC Research, and said there has been a notable shift in people supporting the city’s direction. In spring 2024, only 35% of voters agreed with the direction, compared to 48% in the September poll. Another 52% thought the city was on the wrong track, compared to 61% over the same period. “These data points represent the largest increase since we began this research,” she said.

SEE ALSO: Seattle’s Overlook Walk, connecting Pike Place Market to the Waterfront, is now open

Smith and Thibault also point out that voters’ attitudes toward affordability, taxes, public safety and homelessness are changing. The latter two issues are the top concerns in the survey, although with a sharp decline since the last snapshot.

This comes at a time when the city has seen some success between the opening of the new aquarium, Ocean Pavilion, and Overlook Walk. Preparations are also underway to host the 2025 and 2026 Club World Championships at Lumen Field.

Still, it is difficult to address the challenges facing the retail core and commercial spaces. Colliers reported that office vacancies rose to 30% in the third quarter of 2024.

“When we look at this data, it tells the same story as the reasons we’re seeing these vacancies, which is public safety and this kind of idea of ​​street unrest. I think we need to do two things. First, get a handle on this, both in reality and perception, and make sure that people are safe when they come downtown and that they feel safe when they come downtown ” she said.

Brandon Cockburn says he’s lived in Seattle for 40 years and has seen its ups and downs. He stopped while walking his three dogs on the new Overlook Walk.

“It’s improving,” he said without hesitation. “Homelessness is a problem. I think the biggest problem I see overall is the feel of the city.”

Leyla Farange has been a vocal critic of the city’s handling of Third Avenue downtown. It was a hotspot for outdoor drug use, and she says her small restaurant, Gyro Place, was negatively affected. But on Tuesday, she walked down the street without concern and noticed no one was screaming or in a drug-related crisis.

“It’s day and night. It’s much better. They’re working really hard to clean up. The CARE team is outside. They care about the people who need help. It’s definitely much better, much, much better,” she said.