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Kevin Nichols

@kevinnichols.org
162 followers 183 following 219 posts

Issaquah City Councilmember. PhD scientist and data nerd who e-bikes to meetings to try and build a more affordable future. Previously: COVID tests, global health, bubble physics. Personal account.

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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 29/09/2026
What could be better than Issaquah's Salmon Days? Free valet *bike parking*! Why swim upstream with 200,000 other visitors? For the first time, you can drop your bike at the Bike Valet, have it watched, and ride home. No parking fees, no trek from a distant lot. Sammy the Salmon approves. Map below!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 23/09/2026
Proud of Issaquah. Every speaker at last night's public hearing opposed I-1 (kids' counseling records) and I-638 (girls' sports sex checks). Council voted 7-0 in opposition. One said: "I don't want to have to prove to anyone that I'm a woman because it's none of their business." Vote no on both.
Issaquah residents speak out against I-1 and I-638
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 12/08/2026
Enough ballots are in that we can predict not only the winners of the primaries, but also the success rates of the big endorsers. I was curious and looked at Seattle Times, Progressive Voters Guide, The Urbanist, The Stranger, and KC Dems. www.wagraphs.com/Endorsement_...
Endorsement success percentages for KC Dems (90%), Progressive Voters Guide (86%), The Stranger (80%), The Urbanist (71%) and The Seattle Times (47%).
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 01/08/2026
“What’s a Streatery,” asked my 9 y/o. “It means we can have fun in our streets and not get hit by cars,” answered my 12 y/o. 💯
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 22/07/2026
Claude, fix this NY Times headline:
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 21/07/2026
Big night at Issaquah City Council! 🏠 We passed the first ADU self-certification ordinance in Washington state! 📸 We put an indefinite moratorium on ALPR cameras! 🧾 And we added a rental fee transparency ordinance to our 2027 work plan. A quick thread:
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 18/07/2026
At Monday's Issaquah City Council meeting (7/20, 7pm) the administration presents its proposed license plate camera policy. Three options are on the table, but not the one most of the community asked for: locally stored, closed loop data under city control.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 18/07/2026
The price a renter sees should be the price a renter pays. Monday I'm bringing a proposal to Issaquah City Council: every rental fee disclosed in the listing, mandatory vs optional clearly marked, and rent + fees in one honest monthly total before you sign. issaquah.civicweb.net/FileStorage/...
issaquah.civicweb.net
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 09/07/2026
Claude, fix this headline…
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 07/07/2026
Grid scale battery storage is urgently needed. Cities can either stand in the way, or help make the future better. Across the Eastside, the trend is standing in the way. I’m proud of Issaquah for these amendments to our climate action plan to support the future. Not passed yet but 🤞
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 30/06/2026
Progress is when the only two votes against our new rules reducing stepback requirements for multifamily housing are because they don't reduce housing barriers enough. Glad to see Issaquah adopt this policy improvement (even if I was a no...): www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIb6...
youtube.com
Issaquah City Council Meeting June 29, 2026
YouTube video by City of Issaquah
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 14/06/2026
A recent Economist article on America's aging suburbs got me thinking about how demographics is housing policy, and housing policy is demographics. I pulled the age profiles for Issaquah and a few neighbors and grouped them by how similar they are. They've made very different housing choices.
Violin plots showing age and sex distribution for Redmond, Seattle, Issaquah, Bothell, and Sammamish.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 04/06/2026
Excellent thoughts from my fellow CM @kellyjiang.bsky.social on how doing nothing is as deliberate a choice, with frequently harmful consequences, as actually building things. We should analyze inaction with the same intensity we analyze action, or perhaps just rightsize all our processes…
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 03/06/2026
Sound Transit and WSF are proud to announce a new intermodal pilot at Mount Baker Station. The 1 Line now offers direct cross-Sound service. This vessel has already logged more on-time sailings this year than the Walla Walla.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 03/06/2026
“One More Lane Will Fix It” - Mixed Media, Anonymous Mercer Island Artist, 2026.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 03/06/2026
Glad to see Pride celebrated in Issaquah today, with all our councilmembers joining as always. Pride is worth living all year long, but a lot of what backs it up locally isn't a flag, it's the everyday work: housing, youth support, transit, services for seniors. That's what I'll keep showing up for.
Issaquah raises the pride flag!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 31/05/2026
Two stories are going around about Sound Transit and fare gates. One: gates barely matter for revenue. Two: shame on ST for being $10B+ in the hole and still not having them. The reality is more nuanced, and ST actually did its own study on exactly this: www.liveableissaquah.org/archive/Soun... 1/6🧵
liveableissaquah.org
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Reposted by Kevin Nichols
Kirk Hovenkotter @kirkhovenkotter.com · 31/05/2026
The past 8 months showed this region wants light rail more than ever. That was obvious from our townhalls, the marches, & the region wide advocacy we haven’t seen since the vote in 2016. The last thing this region wants is for us to stop building.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 30/05/2026
Westneat calls ST “good, arguably great,” cites 73% ridership growth, then concludes we should stop. You don’t quit a project at the exact moment it proves it works. He wrote the case FOR building and reached the opposite verdict. #BuildTheDamnTrains www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
seattletimes.com
Maybe the light rail system we’ve got is good enough
Light rail is finally cooking in the Seattle area. It coincides with an existential crisis over building expansion lines for the future. At what point do we say "it's good," and stop?
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 20/05/2026
On a train ride from Seattle to San Francisco for Christmas break a year and a half ago, I remade all the Wikipedia maps for the #WAleg legislative districts, because the old ones kinda sucked, and I’m a maps nerd that is good at python. It’s always fun seeing them pop up in random places.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 19/05/2026
Proud to be a part of a city government that is pushing towards lower costs system wide, so we can #buildthedamntrains from Ballard to Issaquah, and all points spine wide.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 11/05/2026
"Vaccines protect the body. Stories protect the mind." Proud to see my mom Janice's story shared widely, including in the Seattle Times today. She survived polio in 1953. Her twin brother didn't. We forget these diseases only because of the successes of vaccines. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-...
seattletimes.com
The need for heard (not a typo) immunity | Opinion
Confidence in vaccine effectiveness is slipping, in part because the stories that once served to build public trust are no longer being heard.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 10/05/2026
“Ballard extension was struck by a budget. The project remains in critical condition.” We should call out transit reporting for using passive voice to describe cuts. People have agency. Advocates push. Electeds vote. How we talk about it shapes how we think about it. komonews.com/news/local/s...
komonews.com
Sound Transit plans to close $34.5B shortfall over 2 decades, reshaping light rail future
Sound Transit officials on Thursday outlined how they plan to address a projected $34.5 billion funding shortfall over the next two decades.The funding gap coul
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 08/05/2026
Light rail forecast: If we do a good job in Issaquah as elected leaders, the next generation of Ballard lacrosse players playing in Issaquah will be taking light rail all the way from Ballard, after we’ve helped figure out how to cut costs, speed permitting, and #buildthedamntrians everywhere
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 03/05/2026
Thank you to King County Executive Girmay Zahilay for joining the 5th LD Dems Fundraiser last night. My favorite quote, "I am committed to advancing the line out to Issaquah," followed shortly by " #buildthedamntrains " Go Issaquah Light Rail!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 21/04/2026
Update: After strong community engagement, Council voted 5-2 last night to put Issaquah's #Flock / ALPR grant discussion back on our May agenda, now on 5/11. As CM Walsh put it, the motion's goal was "a date certain and public transparency": www.youtube.com/watch?v=xASo...
youtube.com
Issaquah City Council Meeting April 20, 2026
YouTube video by City of Issaquah
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 12/04/2026
I worry about increasing authoritarianism in the US. Seeing Hungary, which arguably went further down that path than we have, successfully hold an election to reverse that is inspiring. Let’s hope for a peaceful transfer of power and a return to democratic norms. Looking forward to midterms here…
Orban toppled
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 11/04/2026
Update: Flock/ALPR camera meetings previously planned for May/June have been postponed. If you want to stay informed about new dates, email me at kevin.nichols@issaquahwa.gov or our City Clerk to join a notification list. Public feedback is always welcome, even before meetings are scheduled as well.
City Council –
The Mayor has asked that the Congressional Community Appropriations Grant & Automated License Plate Reader Cameras topic currently scheduled for the May 19 SSP and June 15 Council meeting be shifted to later in the year. An exact date is uncertain as we are awaiting confirmation of any deadlines for accepting the congressional grant.
If there are community inquiries on a meeting date for Flock/ALPR cameras, the Clerk's office is happy to add individuals to a notification list. We will then alert those folks of any public meetings on the topic once meeting dates are set.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 08/04/2026
Longing for the day when most public transit alerts about “Issaquah” aren’t for the Washington State ferry system’s wonderfully named ferry, the good ship Issaquah.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 02/04/2026
Proud of this. The Issaquah Highlands Council reversed its support for Issaquah's proposed Flock camera purchase. A year ago, many of us, myself included, didn't fully understand the risks. New info came to light, and they owned it. Great leadership example. issaquahhighlands.com/statement-fr...
issaquahhighlands.com
Statement from Highlands Council Regarding May 2025 Letter of Support
Statement from Highlands Council Regarding May 2025 Letter of Support
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 29/03/2026
To nerd out on Sound Transit, read the Policy Opportunity Register from their retreat. It's full of good stuff! These won't close a $34.5B gap alone (cities need to show up with more), but read it if you care about getting trains built 🚃 www.soundtransit.org/st_sharepoin...
soundtransit.org
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 28/03/2026
Our op-ed in the Seattle Times lays out how we can #BuildTheDamnTrains and deliver all voter approved lines. We want cities to lead the way offering solutions to deliver rail projects. Here’s what that means to Mayor Mullet, CM @kellyjiang.bsky.social and me: www.seattletimes.com/opinion/want...
seattletimes.com
Want Sound Transit to expand faster and for less money? Here's how | Op-Ed
Issaquah city officials make their case for how to offer solutions to help ST deliver rail projects faster.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 28/03/2026
I RODE A TRAIN ACROSS A LAKE TODAY! IT WAS ON A FLOATING BRIDGE! We are capable of building awesome things. Now we just need to make sure we get out of our own way and #BuildTheDamnTrains
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 18/03/2026
Thank you Issaquah transit advocates for showing up at the ST Board retreat today. Looking forward to the day we can take light rail all the way back from Tacoma to Issaquah!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 18/03/2026
At the Sound Transit Board of Directors retreat down in Tacoma, along with a great turnout from Issaquah, and an overflowing crowd. Lots of interest in this meeting today where the future of ST3 will be discussed in detail throughout the day.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 13/03/2026
For the Eastside Transportation Partnership meeting this morning, Councilmember @kellyjiang.bsky.social and I just happened to randomly choose Zoom backgrounds about light rail... ST staff noted that Issaquah residents have been HIGHLY ENGAGED with the board. Let's keep up the momentum Issaquah! 💜🚋💜
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 08/03/2026
Issaquah's 2026-27 Housing Work Plan goes to Council on Monday. 16 changes to make homebuilding in Issaquah more feasible. This came from the administration, but is based on our retreat, homebuilder feedback and staff thoughts. Feedback sought: what should be sequenced sooner? What are we missing?
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 07/03/2026
Issaquah City Council has a vacancy we'll be filling soon. Applications for appointment close 4/1. We have a growing majority focused on housing, walkability, and transit, and want to keep that momentum. If you're an Issaquah resident who's ready to help build a better Eastside, apply or reach out!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 05/03/2026
Showing up in person remains the best way to get the attention of electeds. Unfortunately those that can afford to aren’t necessarily representative of their broader population. It’s sad to see lower barrier comment methods like this become effectively useless. Hopeful for a better method.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 05/03/2026
WA's legislative session ends in a week and it's hard to tell which housing bills are still alive. We've been tracking them at liveableissaquah.org/wa-housing-bill-tracker.html. Just updated: HB 1345 passed both chambers, HB 2266 passed the Senate. Three bills need House votes by Mar 6. #WALeg
liveableissaquah.org
2026 WA Housing Bill Tracker - Liveable Issaquah
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 01/03/2026
Traffic cameras were built to count cars. I trained computer vision on Issaquah's public feeds to count the people instead: pedestrians and cyclists the city isn't tracking. Even on our busiest roads, there are a lot of people out there. Analysis soon, images now → liveableissaquah.org/humans.html
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 27/02/2026
Lots of great Issaquah folks at yesterday's Sound Transit board meeting, but 7th grader Michael Miller gave the best public testimony I've ever heard. He'll be 28 when the Issaquah line opens. He's not asking for something now, he's asking us to build the right future www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYAy...
7th grade Issaquah resident Michael Miller giving the best public commentary I think I've ever heard
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 26/02/2026
Issaquah is packing the room for today’s Sound Transit board meeting, advocating for a better future for all of Sound Transit. You love to see it!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 26/02/2026
I 💙 Public Comment
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Reposted by Kevin Nichols
Kelly Jiang @kellyjiang.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
I’ve never seen this many people at city hall for any reason. Over 100 people showed up to support light rail to Issaquah, including electeds from Sammamish, Maple Valley, and Snoqualmie. I’m proud to be on a team that’s working hard to find creative solutions to build light rail faster and cheaper!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 25/02/2026
Just keep swimming Issaquah. Let’s build the thing.
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 23/02/2026
Build the damn trains! Our op-ed on how Issaquah can lay the tracks for a more financially sustainable future for ST while delivering on all its promises is up on The Urbanist. Check it out and please let us know your thoughts!
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 13/02/2026
This is what an abundance mindset looks like in transit planning. We won't fight for a perfect station alignment. We won't bog things down in process. We'll be flexible (even if it's bright blue, IYKYK). We want to be the example other cities follow and approach planning with a fierce urgency of now
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Kevin Nichols @kevinnichols.org · 08/02/2026
Lots to learn from Bothell’s dad:
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Reposted by Kevin Nichols
Mason Thompson @masonthompson.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
What's going on in Bothell 👇
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